An experienced emergency medicine physician with close to two decades of experience, Zachary Lutsky specializes in treating patients with various life threatening conditions. Over the course of his career, he has worked at numerous hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Zachary Lutsky has treated patients with a range of major trauma injuries, including fractures and excessive bleeding.
Bleeding is a serious health emergency that can lead to shock, or even death, if it is not well addressed. When handling major bleeding injuries, it is important to act quickly and stop further blood loss. With the right interventions, bleeding can be controlled before an ambulance arrives and a patient is taken to hospital. Below are tips to help reduce bleeding before emergency help arrives.
1. Ask the individual who is bleeding to lie down if possible, and remain calm. If the bleeding wound is on their leg or arm, raise that limb above the heart to slow down the rate of bleeding. Raising the legs also helps to reduce the effects of shock, but a limb should not be moved if the individual has a broken bone.
2. Apply pressure to pressure points, which are sections of the body where blood vessels run close to the skin surface. When you press on these areas, blood flowing from other parts of the body will be slowed, enabling you to continue applying direct pressure to stop bleeding. Always apply pressure to blood vessels that are closer to the heart. Applying pressure in other areas will not reduce bleeding as effectively.
3. If you’ve applied a bandage and blood begins to seep through it, do not remove the bandage. Instead, add an extra bandage and continue applying firm pressure to the wound. Do not tie the bandage too tightly or apply a bulky dressing, as this can reduce the effects of pressure. Pale and cold skin, as well as numbness, are signs that a bandage is too tight.
