WOUNDS

&
BLEEDING

Wounds
is damage to the soft tissue of the
body, including the blood vessels.
Open wound is when the top layer of
skin has broken; there is risk of
infection, and of losing blood.
D Direct pressure
E Elevate the affected part
P Pressure on the supplying
artery
P Pressure bandage

 Closed wound is when the skin

does not break, but the soft tissue,
including the blood vessels, is
damaged;
blood leaks into the tissue from the
blood vessels
I ice application
C Compression
E Elevate the injured part
S Splinting (if necessary)

Kinds of open
wounds:
Incision clean cut
caused by a sharpedged object
Abrasions and
lacerations caused
by an accident and
can be a small graze
(abrasion) or a deep,
jagged opening in the
tissue (laceration)

 Puncture or stab
wound - caused
by an object with a
sharp point, such
as a knife or nail
Sucking chest
wound wound in
the chest that has
gone deep enough
to make a hole in
the lungs

 Gun-shot wound
this wound may
have both an
entry and an exit
wound
Amputations a
wound where an
arm or leg or
finger or toe has
been completely
or partly cut off

Abdominal wound

If the abdominal contents do protrude

through the wound, do not attempt to put
them back, instead cover with a large
dressing until further treatment given
if the abdominal contents do not protrude,
cover the wound with a large standard
dressing and place the casualty in the
half-sitting-up position

Bleeding
Bleeding from small blood vessels
occurs when there is a minor cut
of the skin.
Blood oozes from the wound; it
usually stops by itself or when a
dressing is applied.
volume of blood loss depends on
the number of blood vessels
damaged

Bleeding
The human body contains 56
Liters of blood.
healthy adult can lose up to 500 ml
of blood without a harmful effects,
It should be controlled immediately
to prevent excessive loss of blood.

Kinds of Bleeding:
1. Arterial Bleeding
Bright red in color
Blood spurts from the
blood vessels
2. Venous Bleeding
.Dark red
.Blood oozes from the
wound
3. Capillary Bleeding
.Dark red
.Little blood can be
lost

The signs and symptoms of excessive

loss of blood are:
Weakness or fainting
Dizziness
Pale, moist and clammy skin
Fast, weak & irregular pulse
Shortness of breath
Restless

 The number of symptoms and their

severity are generally related to how
fast the blood is lost and in what
amount.
Once the bleeding has been
controlled, the patient should be
placed in a reclining position,
encourage to lie quietly, and treated
for shock.

In all cases of external bleeding, follow the three

cardinal rules:
1. Lay the patient down;
2. Examine the wound
3. Elevate the affected part if possible;
4. Provide pressure where the blood comes
from. Use a dressing or a clean cloth or
handkerchief.
5. tie a dressing firmly round the wound to
maintain the pressure;
. If possible disposable gloves should be worn
to protect yourself.

 Do not disturb the dressings until you

are prepared to undertake definitive
treatment.
The bleeding stops because of the
formation of a clot.
if blood continues to come through the
dressing, apply another bandage on the
top of the first one. Bandage more
firmly.
If you remove the dressing, the clot will
break and bleeding will start again.

 keep the injured part as still as

possible and the casualty at rest
because movement disturbs (and
destroys) the blood clot;
after bleeding has been controlled,
rest the limb

You can remember the treatment

for severe bleeding as:
E Expose the wound if under
clothing
X Examine the wound
P Apply pressure
E Elevate (raise) the injured
part
C Cover to prevent infection
T Treat for shock

Tourniquets
device used to control severe
bleeding
It is only required when large arteries
are severed
only used as an absolute last resort
after all other methods have failed
used only for life threatening
hemorrhage that cannot be
controlled by other means
Improper use of a tourniquet may
cause tissue injury

Apply Tourniquet
If you do not have a specially designed
tourniquet, find a length of strong,
pliable cloth like gauze or clothing such
as a shirt or a skirt
Place the tourniquet around the arm or
leg between the wound
Tie a half-knot
Place a stick above the knot
Tie a full knot over the stick.
Twist the stick until the material is
tight around the limb

Your aims for bleeding:

Control blood loss.
Prevent infection.
Treat for shock, if necessary.
Try to arrange removal to the nearest
health facility, if necessary
As always, assess D R A B, respond as
needed, and treat any more urgent
conditions. Whatever kind of open wound
you are dealing with, you should first
control the bleeding; and then clean and
dress the wound to stop infection.