How to stop severe bleeding
Call 911, then press hard and steadily on the wound with both hands and keep pressing until the bleeding stops or help takes over (Red Cross). For life-threatening bleeding on an arm or leg, the Red Cross says to put a tourniquet 2 to 3 inches above the wound, between the wound and the heart, never on a joint, and tighten it until the bleeding stops.
The Red Cross says a person can die from severe blood loss in less than 5 minutes, and Stop the Bleed says bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death after injury.
- Is it life-threatening?
- The steps
- How to use a tourniquet
- If something is stuck in the wound
- Get trained
- Gear
Is it life-threatening?
The Red Cross says bleeding is life-threatening if:
- Blood is spurting or flowing without stopping.
- The amount of blood lost is about half a soda can for an adult, or less for a small child or baby.
- The person shows signs of shock.
The steps
- Make sure you are safe. Check the scene first (Red Cross).
- Call 911. Or get someone else to call, and send someone for a bleeding control kit if there is one.
- Protect your hands. Use gloves. The Red Cross says a plastic bag works, or the injured person can press on the wound with their own hand.
- Find where the blood is coming from.
- Press hard. Cover the wound with gauze or a clean cloth and press directly on it with both hands. Use a hemostatic (clotting) dressing if you have one (Red Cross).
- Pack deep wounds. If the wound is large and deep, the Florida Department of Health Stop the Bleed guide says to stuff gauze into it, then press down hard with both hands and hold.
- Do not lift the gauze to check. The Red Cross says do not remove the first gauze pad.
- Keep pressing until the bleeding stops, a tourniquet is on and working, someone else takes over, you are too exhausted to go on, or the scene becomes unsafe (Red Cross).
How to use a tourniquet
For life-threatening bleeding on an arm or leg. Steps from the Red Cross and the Florida Department of Health.
- Place it 2 to 3 inches above the wound, between the wound and the heart. Not on top of the wound and not on a joint. If the wound is just below a joint, go above the joint.
- Pull the strap as tight as you can get it around the limb.
- Twist the rod until the bleeding stops, or until it will not twist any more.
- Clip or lock the rod so it cannot untwist.
- Still bleeding? The Red Cross says to put a second tourniquet above the first, closer to the heart.
- Write down the time you put it on (Florida DOH).
- Leave it on. The Red Cross says only a medical professional should loosen or remove it.
A tourniquet that is tight enough hurts. The Florida guide warns the person to expect pain.
If something is stuck in the wound
Do not pull it out. The Red Cross says removing an embedded object can make the bleeding much worse. Press around it, and if you use a tourniquet, put it above the object.
Get trained
Stop the Bleed classes, run by the American College of Surgeons, include hands-on practice packing a wound and using a tourniquet. Find one before you need it.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to see if the bleeding slows. The Red Cross says a person can die in less than 5 minutes.
- Pressing too lightly. Use both hands, push hard and keep going.
- Lifting the gauze to look. The Red Cross says do not remove the first pad.
- Putting a tourniquet on a joint or right on top of the wound. Go 2 to 3 inches above it.
- Loosening a tourniquet because it hurts. The Red Cross says only a medical professional should loosen or remove it.
- Pulling out an object stuck in the wound.
- Not writing down the time the tourniquet went on.
Gear for this
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Windlass rod tourniquet
The kind the Red Cross shows how to use. Practice putting it on before you need it.
Hemostatic gauze
The Red Cross says to use a hemostatic dressing if available.
Bleeding control kit
Tourniquet, packing gauze, pressure bandage and gloves in one pouch for the car or go-bag.
Nitrile gloves
The Red Cross says to wear gloves when you can.
Questions people ask
How long can someone survive severe bleeding?
The Red Cross says a person can die from severe blood loss in less than 5 minutes. Stop the Bleed says bleeding emergencies can claim a life in 3 to 5 minutes.
Where do you put a tourniquet?
The Red Cross says 2 to 3 inches above the wound, between the wound and the heart, never on a joint or on top of the wound.
Should you remove a tourniquet once the bleeding stops?
No. The Red Cross says only a medical professional should loosen or remove it. Write down the time it went on.
Sources
- American Red Cross: How to Apply a Tourniquet
- American Red Cross: Bleeding, Life-Threatening External
- Stop the Bleed (American College of Surgeons)
- Stop the Bleed: FAQ
- Florida Department of Health: Stop the Bleed, Compress and Control
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General safety information only, not medical or professional advice. Rules can change, so check the linked sources and follow your local officials. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.