Bleeding

 BLEEDING

 Blood circulates in blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries). When a blood vessel is damaged, several mechanisms are activated to control blood loss: the vessel constricts, and a series of chemical reactions occur to form a blood clot as a “plug” over the damaged area. If blood vessels are torn or severed, uncontrolled blood loss may occur before clotting can take place, and shock may develop. C.3.1 

TYPES OF BLEEDING

 A bleeding can be classified by the type of the blood vessel that has been damaged:

 Arterial bleeding. 

Arteries carry bright red oxygen rich blood under pressure from the heart. If an artery is damaged, the bleeding may be profuse. The blood will spurt out of it in time with the heartbeat. If a main artery is severed, the blood may jet several feet high. In this case, the volume of the circulating blood will fall rapidly.
 

Venous bleeding.

 The blood in the veins, having given up its oxygen into the tissues, is dark red. The blood flows under less pressure than arterial blood, but the vein walls can widen greatly and the blood can ‘pool’ inside them. If a major vein is damaged, the blood may gush from it profusely. 

 Capillary bleeding. 

Bleeding from the capillaries occurs with any wound. At first the bleeding may be brisk, but blood loss is usually slight. A blow may rupture capillaries under the skin, causing bleeding into the tissues (bruising). 

A bleeding can also be classified by its location:

 External bleeding. 

If the bleeding is from the surface of the body, it is called an external bleeding. 

 Internal bleeding. 

If the bleeding is within the skull, chest and abdomen or inside the body, it is called an internal bleeding. These bleedings might not been noticed immediately. At a later stage, blood might ooze out of the nose or ears (bleeding inside the head), be coughed up (bleeding inside the lungs), vomited or defecated (bleeding inside the digestive tract) or urinated out (bleeding inside the urinary tract).

FIRST AID FOR BLEEDING

SAFETY FIRST AND CALL FOR HELP

 1. Make sure there is no danger to you and the person

. 2. The person urgently needs help. Shout or call for help if you are alone but do not leave the person unattended. Ask a bystander to seek help or to arrange urgent transport to the nearest healthcare facility. Tell him to come back to you to confirm if help has been secured.

HYGIENE 

. Wash your hands before and after taking care of the patient. 

Use soap and water to wash your hands.

If no soap is available, you can use ash to wash your hands. 

Alcohol-based sanitizers can also be used, if available. 

. Put on gloves if available. You can also use a clean plastic bag.

 Try not to come in contact with the person’s blood. 

STOP THE BLEEDING 

. Ask the injured to sit or lie down or put him in comfortable position. 

. Comfort the person and explain what is happening to him. 

Tell the person to relax and rest. 

He should not try to exert. 

Try to stop or slow down the bleeding; press with both hands on the wound with a clean cloth or bandage