first aid: Severe Bleeding

Symptoms: External wound. Treatment: Apply pressure over wound with wad of sterile gauze or other clean material. If bleeding continues and no fracture is present, elevate wound. If bleeding still continues, apply pressure to blood vessels leading to area—in arm, press just below armpit; in leg, press against groin where thigh and trunk join. Use a tourniquet (tight band that cuts off circulation) only when it has been decided that the sacrifice of a limb is necessary to save life.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Wound
• Shock
• Severe Bleeding
• Poisoning
• Heatstroke
• Heat Exhaustion
• Frostbite
• Fractures and Joint Injuries
• Foreign Body in the Eye
• Fainting
• Drowning and Near-Drowning
• Burns
• Bites and Stings
• Asphyxia and Obstruction of Air Passages
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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