MANAGEMENT OF EXTERNAL BLEEDING

Management of external bleeding is important to reduce the risk of disease transmission ,when controlling bleeding ,you must form an effective barrier ,like using latex gloves or a clean folded cloth ,between your skin and the victim’s  blood .Immediately after providing care ,wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water .Do not eat , drink or touch your mouth ,nose or eyes until you wash your hands thoroughly .Bleeding may be controlled using pressure and elevation as follows :

1)      Lay the casualty down

2)      Apply direct pressure to the site of the bleeding .Pressure can be applied using the following ways :  #using your hand

              #tying a piece of clothing around the wound                                                            

              #making a pad and using a bandage to hold it in place .

              By pressing firmly on the wound ,the blood vessels beneath the skin are flattened and the blood        

              Is reduced .This gives time for blood clots to start  forming ,sealing off damaged blood vessels

      3)Apply pressure for between 5 to 10 minutes

      4)Raise the injured area to reduce blood flow

Once bleeding has been controlled ,commence an orderly assessment of the casualty ,checking for injuries ,burns or fractures as you investigate the casualty’s body  .You should look for anything out of the ordinary such as tenderness ,swelling ,blood and deformity

Examination should be carried out in the following order : 1)head and neck ,2)shoulders ,chest , 3)abdomen ,hips ,arms ,elbow ,shoulders, wrist, hands  4)legs ,hip ,knee, ankle ,feet   5)back