How to Treat a Bleeding Person Quickly
Assess the severity of the injury., Grab your supplies., Get the bleeding to stop., Rinse the area., Make sure the area is dry., Apply an antibiotic., Cover the wound., Keep the dressing fresh and clean., Beware of the risk of infection.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Assess the severity of the injury.
If the person is losing a lot of blood, they will likely need immediate medical attention.
Call the emergency services and help them while you wait.
If someone has a minor scrape or wound and is only bleeding a little, you can clean and dress the injury yourself using the steps in this article.
Even smaller wounds may need stitches; if the wound seems deep, the bleeding won't stop, or you're not confident that you can get the area clean and dress it safely, see a doctor.
For more severe bleeding, see How to Treat Severe Bleeding During First Aid. -
Step 2: Grab your supplies.
You'll need warm water, a soft towel or paper towel, gauze, tape (or a band-aid, depending on size of wound), and possibly tweezers.
All of your supplies need to be clean and sterilized. , Usually, small wounds will stop bleeding by themselves, but if they don't, hold a clean cloth or bandage against the wound for 20 to 30 minutes and elevate the area, if possible, until the wound stops bleeding. , Avoid using soap, which can irritate the wound, but rinse with clear, fresh water.
If there are any debris in the wound itself, carefully use sterilized tweezers to remove them; if you can't remove them without creating a bigger injury or irritating the wound, see a doctor.
Clean the area around the wound with soap and a clean cloth.
Dab/wipe the area to remove any blood.
If you need to repeat cleaning, use clean water and a clean cloth until the area is debris-free and germ-free. , For good measure you can dab it all over with another clean towel before you continue. , If you have an antibiotic cream like Neosporin or Polysporin, apply it lightly to the wound to help fight infection. , Use a band-aid if it's small, or gauze if it's large, to prevent infection.
When it comes to any wrapping/covering, be gentle but don't leave it too loose nor too tight.
Seal it with the tape if needed.
Once the wound has healed enough to prevent infection, you can expose it to the air again, to speed healing. , Change the dressing every day or when it becomes dirty or wet.
Once the injury has healed enough that there are no open/raw areas, you can expose it to air to speed further healing, at least for portions of your day. , If the wound doesn't heal, or if you notice more redness, pain, swelling, or warmth, see a doctor; there may be an infection. -
Step 3: Get the bleeding to stop.
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Step 4: Rinse the area.
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Step 5: Make sure the area is dry.
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Step 6: Apply an antibiotic.
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Step 7: Cover the wound.
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Step 8: Keep the dressing fresh and clean.
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Step 9: Beware of the risk of infection.
Detailed Guide
If the person is losing a lot of blood, they will likely need immediate medical attention.
Call the emergency services and help them while you wait.
If someone has a minor scrape or wound and is only bleeding a little, you can clean and dress the injury yourself using the steps in this article.
Even smaller wounds may need stitches; if the wound seems deep, the bleeding won't stop, or you're not confident that you can get the area clean and dress it safely, see a doctor.
For more severe bleeding, see How to Treat Severe Bleeding During First Aid.
You'll need warm water, a soft towel or paper towel, gauze, tape (or a band-aid, depending on size of wound), and possibly tweezers.
All of your supplies need to be clean and sterilized. , Usually, small wounds will stop bleeding by themselves, but if they don't, hold a clean cloth or bandage against the wound for 20 to 30 minutes and elevate the area, if possible, until the wound stops bleeding. , Avoid using soap, which can irritate the wound, but rinse with clear, fresh water.
If there are any debris in the wound itself, carefully use sterilized tweezers to remove them; if you can't remove them without creating a bigger injury or irritating the wound, see a doctor.
Clean the area around the wound with soap and a clean cloth.
Dab/wipe the area to remove any blood.
If you need to repeat cleaning, use clean water and a clean cloth until the area is debris-free and germ-free. , For good measure you can dab it all over with another clean towel before you continue. , If you have an antibiotic cream like Neosporin or Polysporin, apply it lightly to the wound to help fight infection. , Use a band-aid if it's small, or gauze if it's large, to prevent infection.
When it comes to any wrapping/covering, be gentle but don't leave it too loose nor too tight.
Seal it with the tape if needed.
Once the wound has healed enough to prevent infection, you can expose it to the air again, to speed healing. , Change the dressing every day or when it becomes dirty or wet.
Once the injury has healed enough that there are no open/raw areas, you can expose it to air to speed further healing, at least for portions of your day. , If the wound doesn't heal, or if you notice more redness, pain, swelling, or warmth, see a doctor; there may be an infection.
About the Author
Theresa Phillips
Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.
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