Bleeding

Serious blood loss is a potential life threatening condition and must be dealt with immediately in order to control the effects of hypovolemic shock.

There are three types of bleeding:

  • Arterial
  • Venous
  • Capillary

When treating a casualty with a serious bleed we follow the S.E.E.P principle:

  • Sit or lay the casualty down
  • Examine the wound
  • Elevate the injury
  • Pressure applied to the wound

Don’t forget to ensure that the scene and casualty are safe and protect yourself from harm by wearing gloves and avoiding direct contact with blood wherever possible. In every first aid kit you will find pressure bandages which can be applied directly to the wound unless there is a foreign object which would require slightly different treatment methods. When applying the bandage ensure that the wound is fully covered by the dressing pad, with adequate pressure directly to the wound being created by even bandaging. Don’t forget to speak to your casualty throughout and ensure that the dressing isn’t too tight!

For a video demonstration of this technique please watch the following clip:

All of our first aid courses provide up to date training on the correct techniques for bandaging, please check out the online shop for Yorkshire First Aid courses in York, Driffield, Leeds, Bradford.