At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Explain the importance of calling for emergency medical care if someone is bleeding severely
- Explain the importance of protecting yourself before you provide first aid to a person who's bleeding severely
- List items to use for your protection while providing first aid to a person who is bleeding
- Define the terms "amputation," "abdominal evisceration wound," "sucking chest wound," and internal bleeding
- List signs and symptoms for a sucking chest wound and internal bleeding
- List first aid steps for severe bleeding, amputation, abdominal evisceration wound, impaled objects, sucking chest wound, and internal bleeding
The following key questions are answered in this module:
Where is severe bleeding?
An injury in which the victim loses a lot of blood.
What is an amputation?
An amputation is an injury in which the injured person loses a body part.
What is an abdominal evisceration wound?
An abdominal evisceration wound is an injury in which parts of the body that are normally inside, such as internal organs, spill out of the body through an open wound.
What is a sucking chest wound?
A sucking chest wound is an injury that enters a person's chest wall and leaves a hole, creating a "sucking" sound as air moves in and out of the chest.
What is internal bleeding?
Internal bleeding is when an injured person has an injury inside the body that releases blood from arteries and veins into the body cavity itself.
What are four things you should do in all severe bleeding emergencies?
Call for emergency medical assistance, try to stop the flow of blood, try to calm the person, and treat the person for shock.
Below is a transcript of the video sample provided for this module:
Most of us know how to provide first aid for minor cuts and scrapes. But do you know what to do for an injury that causes much more serious bleeding? Bleeding emergencies can include injuries such as amputation of a body part, severe loss of blood from the chest or abdomen, impaled objects, or internal bleeding. All of these are serious and life-threatening injuries. In each of them, it's important to call for emergency medical care and provide first aid to try to slow the loss of blood or otherwise help the person. The first aid you'll provide will be different depending on the injury, however. In this course, you'll learn the first aid to provide for several types of bleeding emergencies.
Use the additional resources and links below to learn more about this topic:
- Mayo Clinic – www.mayoclinic.org
- Mayo Clinic First Aid for Severe Bleeding - http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleeding/basics/ART-20056661
- Web MD – www.mebmd.com
- Web MD First Aid for Bleeding - http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/bleeding-cuts-wounds
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – www.cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Emergency Preparedness and Response - http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/woundcare.asp