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Bleeding and Nosebleeds

What to do if someone is bleeding

• When someone is bleeding, try to stop the flow of blood as soon as you can.
• Small blood vessels usually stop bleeding, forming a clot on the surface, within a few minutes. The area should then be covered with a fabric-type plaster.
• Deeper cuts in veins produce dark blood that tends to seep out slowly and steadily. Stop it by applying gentle pressure directly onto the wound itself. Then cover it with a sterile or clean cloth (the inside of a laundered handkerchief would do) and a bandage. This type of wound may need to be stitched or glued after your first aid treatment.
• Bleeding from an artery could cause death within a few minutes, so urgent first aid treatment is necessary. This type of bleeding pulsates and squirts blood in time with the pulse. The blood is bright red in colour.
• To stop arterial bleeding, apply firm pressure directly to the wound and keep this up continually until medical help arrives. You can press with a sterile cloth if you have one. If nothing is available, you must use your hand.
• If you do apply a dressing or a bandage and blood soaks through, press harder until the bleeding stops. Do not remove your first dressings – just apply another on top as necessary.
• If you encourage the person to lie down, preferably with the head lower than the rest of their body, this will help to reduce the blood pressure – which reduces the bleeding, too – but keeps a continuing supply of oxygen flowing to the brain.
• Do not attempt to clean this type of wound.

Arterial bleeding will need urgent treatment from a doctor.

What to do if someone has a nose bleed

• Nosebleeds normally occur when blood vessels inside the nostril are ruptured (through blowing the nose, sneezing, picking, etc.)
• Sit the subject down with the head held forward. Do not let the head tip back, as this increases bleeding and encourages swallowing of blood which might induce vomiting.
• Ask the subject to mouth breathe, and pinch the nose shut just below the bridge with the thumb and index fingers for at least ten minutes.
• Tell them to try not to speak, swallow, cough, spit, or sniff.
• If the nosebleed continues, you must seek advice from a doctor.
• Frequent, sudden and severe nosebleeds usually need to be treated at hospital.

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