82 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
HOW TO CONTROL BLEEDING FROM A WOUND
1. Raise the
injured part.
2. With a clean thick cloth (or your hand if there is no
cloth) press directly on the wound. Keep pressing
until the bleeding stops. This may take 20 minutes or
sometimes an hour or more. This type of direct pressure
will stop the bleeding of nearly all wounds—sometimes
even when a part of the body has been cut off.
Occasionally direct pressure will not control bleeding, especially when the wound is
very large or an arm or leg has been cut off. If this happens:
♦ Keep pressing on the wound.
PRESSURE POINTS
♦ Keep the wounded part as high as possible.
♦ You can maintain pressure by binding the
wound tightly with a bandage or a piece of
clean clothing.
♦ Squeeze at pressure points on the artery that
brings blood to that part of the body. Pressure
points are where, using the flat part of your
fingers, you can push the artery against a bone
to shut off or slow down the flow of blood.
♦ Keep pressing for 20 minutes before looking to see if the
bleeding has stopped. Keep pressing with your other hand
on the wound itself. Applying pressure is hard work—do not
give up!
PRECAUTIONS:
• Using a tourniquet to stop the bleeding usually results in total loss of the arm or
leg. Only use a tourniquet if you have no other option. Never use a string or wire.
It can cut right through the skin.
• Never use dirt, kerosene, lime, or coffee to stop bleeding.
• When bleeding or injury is severe, raise the feet and lower the head to prevent
shock (see p. 77).
• Keep blood from getting into any cuts or sores on your skin (see p. 75).