As the name suggests, severe bleeding is a condition that needs to be treated as more urgent as compared to minor injuries. One can easily tell a severe bleeding by the gushing of blood from the wood and the inability of the clotting to set in. the most appropriate thing to do when there is a case of severe bleeding is to call for the emergency medical team for assistance. Meanwhile, before help arrives, one should be able to conduct first aid that will help contain the situation.
Steps involved.
First and foremost, the person administering the first aid needs to clean and sanitize his hands thoroughly. This is an important step towards ensuring that the open and bleeding wound is not infected by germs from the hands. If possible, the individual should wear gloves too.
The second step involves laying the injured person down on a flat surface and raising the legs. One can also place a pillow under the injured individual. This allows the trunk to be slightly in a higher elevation as compared to the head. The limbs are also elevated if the injury is in that part of the body.
Cover the person.
This step requires the one administering the first aid to cover the injured person with a blanket all round the body. The blanket will help the person to retain the body heat. When a person looses a lot of blood, he also gets to lose a great deal of body heat. This loss can only worsen the situation and send the individual into shock. To avoid this, a blanket is used to keep the body heat and prevent it from leaving the body.
The wound needs to be cleaned through removal of dirt or any kind of debris that could be logged in the injured area. The person should however avoid the removal of the large pieces that could be the causes of the injury. The removal of these pieces can worsen the situation and cause more bleeding.
Stop the bleeding.
A clean piece of cloth or bandage can be used to help reduce or stop the bleeding. To do this, one will need to use the cloth to apply pressure on the injured part. The cloth will absorb the blood and allow clotting. If there is no piece of cloth to use, one can even use bare hands to apply pressure and keep it on for twenty minutes without lifting to check the bleeding situation.
Cover the wound.
In case of a gaping would, one will need to cover it by placing a pad over it. This is after ensuring that the edges of the wound are held together. Wrap it with a bandage or a clean piece of cloth. The hands can still apply in the absence of the bandages or the piece of cloth. If the bleeding does not stop, one can add more absorbent materials in the name of a piece of cloth or bandage.
Numb the pain.
The use of an ice pack is a good way to numb the pain around the wound. The ice also helps reduce the bleeding by constricting the blood vessels around the wound. At the same time, one can also locate the artery that is nearest to the injured point, apply pressure to it and limit blood flow to the wound thereby stopping the bleeding.
Emergency room.
After the situation has been controlled, you should get the injured individual to the emergency room, especially if the person is able to move. One can also opt to wait for the emergency medical team as they continue to try and manage the severe bleeding.