How to apply direct pressure

Over the past month in our blog we have been looking at the different ways to save a life in the event of a catastrophic bleed. From applying a tourniquet to packing a wound, each method is effective in stopping a bleed if you find yourself being a zero responder. This is when you are the first person at the scene of an emergency whilst waiting for medical assistance. It could be any one of us and it's vitally important that we know of these effective methods so more lives can be saved.

If you find yourself at the scene of an emergency and an injured person has a bleeding wound but you do not have medical supplies to hand, it's still possible to stop the bleed by applying direct pressure to the wound.

Rapidly Applying direct pressure to a severely bleeding wound can control external bleeding from just about anywhere on the body.

Here's how to do it:

• Firmly apply gloved hands and place directly on to bleeding vessel - you can control bleeding from even the largest of blood vessels.
• If you happen to have cloth or gauze available you can use it to help apply pressure.
• It's important to keep pressure well aimed over the bleeding site.
• Maintain pressure until relieved by medical providers - don't check to see how well applying pressure is working.
• Remember, controlling bleeding is more important than sterility.

All of the methods to stop a bleed we've discussed on our blog may cause pain to the injured person. It's good to calmly talk and reassure The injured person. The need to control bleeding to preserve life outweighs everything in an emergency.

Remember, as an immediate responder and giving aid to an injured person, your safety is paramount. So ensure you are safe before responding to the injured person.

For more information, check out our Education Hub on the link below which features all of our guides that take you through various methods of bleed control.

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