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Steps To Take If Someone Is Severely Bleeding
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When someone is bleeding severely, it can be distressing and traumatic to others at the scene, but it is essential that proper steps are taken in order to stem the flow of blood and to make the person more comfortable and stable. If proper steps are not taken, the person can lose a drastic amount of blood in a short time, which may in turn lead them to become unresponsive or develop symptoms of shock, which is a life-threatening condition.
1. Wash your hands if possible
This may well not be the first thing on your mind, but it is absolutely essential before dealing with open wounds or other injuries with a high risk of infection. Washing your hands thoroughly will avoid any pathogens passing between either you or the injured person.
2. Call for help when face the bleeding
If there are other people around you, call them over for assistance and immediately dial for medical help because you’ll need this as soon as possible.
3. Evaluate the person using ABCDE
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- Airways: Is there anything obstructing the persons airways? Are they bleeding from their nose or mouth?
- Breathing: Are they breathing properly? Is their chest rising and falling at a normal rate? Do they require oxygen?
- Circulation: Check the person’s pulse, do they have proper circulation?
- Disability: Check for signs of brain trauma, are their pupils dilated? Are they conscious?
- Environment/exposure: Do they have other injuries or is the environment that they are in putting them at further risk? Are they protected from extremes of heat and cold? Are their clothes restricting them?
4. Keep the injured person safe
You shouldn’t attempt to move the person unless absolutely necessary and, if so, the injured part of the body must remain immobile. If you’re in a road, try making a barrier with your body and direct traffic around them so the person is not in any danger.
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