Trauma: External Bleeding First Aid

Trauma is the main cause of death in people with age between one and forty five. Eighty percent of deaths for youth and sixty percent for children are caused by trauma. The concept of trauma refers to minor injuries (like a small finger cut) up to major injuries (implying vital organs).

The recognition of injury and the reaction of the accident witnesses may be lifesaving. The liberation of the respiratory track, ventilation and the pressure applied on a wound in order to stop the bleeding are things that everyone can do with a minimal training and can be vital in saving a life.

The basic measures for the insurance of survival should be known by everybody and they are:
- don't run, stop to help;
- call for help;
- verify the safety of the environment and than the safety of the victim;
- start the breathing;
- stop the bleeding;

The first questions that should be addressed to the victim are:
a. What happened?
b. Where it hurts the most?
c. Can you take a deep breath?

These three questions can offer precious information about the state of consciousness of the victim, injuries that hurt the most and if there are lesions that may endanger the breathing.

Another important thing in giving the first aid is not moving the victim from the place of the accident. We move the injured person only if nearby is a fire, a collision risk or if we need to move the victim in order to stop the bleeding or to give the basic life support. In any other circumstances the bad consequences of moving the person are beyond the benefits.

The human body needs a specific blood volume for the oxygen and nourishment supply of the cells. Losing half of the blood volume can be fatal while the loss of eighty percent of erythrocytes is better supported without significant consequences.

Blood circulates through the body because of the pumping effort of the heart. Without the necessary flux, the organism will quickly enter into shock (which means that the heart will pump blood very quickly in order to maintain the circulation). Bleeding is usually associated with a wound.

The lesion of an artery will lead to pulsatile bleeding, the blood having the color of light red. The lesion of a vein will lead to a bleeding with continuous flow of darker blood.

The first aid in severe bleeding consists in:
1. Help request (call for the ambulance);
2. Take the protection measures (by taking sterilized gloves);

3. Verify if the wound contains foreign bodies (if the foreign body puts pressure on a perforated blood vessel, it becomes risky to remove it because, by the removal of the object the pressure will be liberated, liberation which will lead to a greater hemorrhage);
4. Apply pressure on the wound with a sterile compress;
5. Lay the victim on his back;

6. If it's possible lift up the injured part (head, neck, limbs) above the level of the heart;
7. Apply a tight bandage in order to lessen the bleeding (not too tight);
8. After applying the bandage verify the circulation;
9. Evaluate the victim at every thirty minutes, noting down his state of consciousness, the pulse and the breathing;
10. Apply the tourniquet if the bleeding cannot be controlled;

If we don't have a tourniquet we can improvise one (any bandage that is not too elastic and has minimum five centimeters width). The tourniquet is the last option in the control of the hemorrhage (applying a tourniquet may lead to the amputation of the limb), when other methods have failed and the life of the victim is in danger. The wounds are cleaned with clean water.

In nasal bleeding, the first aid consists in applying a pressure on the mellow part of the nose for ten minutes. Sometimes it will take a longer time to stop the bleeding, for example, in cases of a hypertensive person, or if a person has just made a physical effort, or if the ambient temperature is higher than usual. A cold compress could also be helpful. If the bleeding doesn't stops, a medical aid will be highly needed.

These are some essential measures that should be taken in case of bleeding, but we should not forget that the first thing to do is to call for professional help when it is possible.