Treatment for External Bleeding
1 Remember scene safety first (fire, wire, glass, gas, chemicals).
2 Use standard infection control precautions
3 Reassure the patient.
4 Assess the wound and locate the source of bleeding. If necessary remove any clothing in order to establish the source of bleeding.
5 In the event of your finding a foreign object embedded in the wound ensure that you do not remove it.
6 Apply direct pressure to the wound. If there is a foreign object present, apply pressure around it. NEVER apply pressure to the embedded object.
7 If possible, elevate the injured area.
8 Apply a sterile dressing and bandage
9 Check to ensure that the bandage is not too tight.
10 Where the blood seeps through the first dressing, apply a second dressing without removing the first.