Also in prehistoric times the person established a direct connection between obvious bleeding and the occurrence of deterioration in health, loss of consciousness and death. Wound treatment is one of the oldest specializations of a doctor, even before the division of medicine into surgery, therapy and obstetrics. After millennia, following the rules emergency care and timely stopping of bleeding prehospital stage allow us to save human life. What to do if something bad happens?

A person is not accustomed to the sight of severe, especially arterial, bleeding. The stream sprays out to a great height, and the person becomes weaker with each passing second. The main thing to remember is that you need to act quickly and calmly. Therefore, you need to firmly remember those methods that have been developed over the years. for a long time. But first you need to consider the types of hemorrhages in order to learn to distinguish one type from another.

Types of bleeding

Exist different kinds bleeding and their numerous classifications. For example, there are late secondary hemorrhages that begin after the development of an infectious wound process. But this specific information is needed by surgeons and is completely useless ordinary people who accidentally witnessed the injury, or to the person himself with bleeding, who in some cases, using self-help techniques, can save his life. Let's consider those varieties and classifications that have practical value.

The most important thing is the type of bleeding. There is external and internal bleeding. And if external bleeding is always noticeable by the blood, no matter how it pours out of the wound, then internal bleeding is always insidious, as it manifests itself sharp deterioration well-being. Most often, the following diseases are to blame for the development of internal bleeding:

Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
Ulcerative colitis.
Blunt trauma to the abdomen and chest.
Malignant neoplasms, including the stomach and intestines.
Varicose veins of the esophagus in portal hypertension syndrome.
Ovarian apoplexy or cyst rupture.
Fracture of long bones, such as the humerus or femur. If a vessel injury occurs, but the fracture is closed, the volume of the hematoma can be up to 1.5 liters or more, for example, with a hip fracture. Of course, it is more correct to consider this hemorrhage an external process, since the blood is poured into soft fabrics limbs, and not in the body cavity.

Since the possibilities of assistance with bleeding in the body cavity at the prehospital stage are significantly limited, then main task is the fastest delivery of the patient to the surgical hospital. External bleeding, in turn, is divided into:

Arterial. It is the most dangerous to life. It is arterial hemorrhage that must first be stopped at any cost, even to the point of pressing the vessel in the wound with improvised rags, without paying any attention to their sterility.

Remember: with rapid loss of arterial blood, collapse and hemorrhagic shock develop in a matter of seconds. It is enough to know that an adult weighing 70 kg has a heart with normal pressure pumps 5 liters of blood in one minute, that is, the entire volume. Of course, with constant blood loss, the pressure drops rapidly, and the output drops along with it, so not all the blood will be lost within a minute. But the consequences can be very serious.

Arterial bleeding is a spurting stream of scarlet blood, which, in time with heart contractions, can be thrown to a height of more than a meter.

Venous bleeding. It is a completely opposite type of hemorrhage: if arterial bleeding is a “mountain stream”, then venous bleeding is a “quiet river”: dark cherry blood slowly flows out of the wound and, with good compression, often stops due to the formation of a clot. If the bandage slips, spontaneous prolapse of the clot and resumption of hemorrhage are possible.
Capillary bleeding. It is not life-threatening, despite the threatening appearance of the blood-soaked wound. Each of us has “experienced” this unpleasant phenomenon. It is typical for damage to a large area skin, if, for example, you fall from a bicycle onto a dusty road and “rip off” your skin.

How to recognize internal bleeding?

Internal hemorrhage is characterized by the appearance of such signs as:

sudden weakness;
dizziness;
pallor;
ringing in the ears, spots before the eyes;
nausea;
cold sweat;
impalpable pulse and marked decrease in pressure, muffled heart sounds;
compensatory tachycardia.

Further collapse with loss of consciousness develops. The person needs to be urgently taken to the nearest surgical hospital while lying on a stretcher. At arterial bleeding Signs of collapse develop extremely quickly, and blood gushes out.

How to stop hemorrhage?

Providing first aid for wounds and bleeding is not the job of doctors. Everyone should have this knowledge. Exist following methods temporary stop of bleeding:

In case of arterial bleeding, a tourniquet must be applied above the site of vessel damage. You can use a tie, suspenders, trouser belt, or a removed shirt as a tourniquet. In military field conditions, you can use a bunch of long grass, which is wrapped around the affected limb.

In order to apply the tourniquet correctly, you need to take the fabric ring “on the lever”, insert the stick and make a twist, rotating the stick. It will reliably block the blood flow. Otherwise, it will be difficult to tie a knot with hands wet from blood, and it will turn out to be fragile. If the carotid artery is injured, then a tourniquet cannot be applied to the neck. Everyone understands this. Therefore, you need to press the vessel and stuff the wound with a clean cloth at hand. If the artery is affected in the forearm, hand, leg or foot, then you need to bend your arm as much as possible at the elbow or knee to compress the vessels. To enhance the effect, you can place a roller from improvised rags in the fold area.

It is very important to deliver the patient to the hospital within two hours, otherwise irreversible necrotic changes may begin in the limb due to squeezing and compression, which can lead to amputation. If the tourniquet is applied in winter time, then the period is reduced to half an hour (when outdoors).

Methods for stopping venous hemorrhages are less dramatic: nature allows more time. You can use a tourniquet, but the most competent medical assistance can be provided by applying a pressure bandage. Its difference from a tourniquet is that arterial blood enters the limb, therefore, there is no risk of necrotic tissue damage. You should always remember this when applying a tourniquet!
Capillary bleeding stops on its own. If applied to a wound hemostatic sponge, then this is a matter of a few minutes.

So there is nothing complicated. First health care when bleeding occurs, 80% consists of the ability not to get confused, 10% - of speed and accuracy, and another 10% - of the ability to use available means. Therefore, you should not underestimate the presence of a home or camp first aid kit, because simply having a tourniquet can save your life.

Bleeding is called the flow of blood from the vessels either outward or into any cavities of the body. Bleeding is divided into the following types. Depending on the location of the bleeding, they can be:

- external bleeding– these are those bleedings that occur when the skin and subcutaneous soft tissues or mucous membranes are damaged and, as a rule, are visible to the naked eye to any person. To detect such bleeding, no medical education, since the spilled blood is seen by both the patient and the people around him.

- internal bleeding - this is a type of bleeding in which blood flows either into the lumen of any internal organ(for example, bleeding from gastrointestinal tract, bleeding from Bladder, uterine bleeding, bleeding from the kidney, etc.), or inside a closed cavity human body. An example of such bleeding would be bleeding into the abdominal or chest cavity, bleeding into the cavity of the skull, or into the cavity of any joint).

Also, bleeding is divided depending on the type of damaged vessel from which it originated. According to this principle, bleeding occurs the following types:

- arterial bleeding– from the name it is clear that it occurs when any artery is damaged. During arterial bleeding, the blood, as a rule, flows out in a pulsating stream, its color is scarlet. Such bleeding is most often life-threatening, since it very quickly leads to bleeding of the human body.

Venous bleeding occurs when a vein is damaged. In this type of bleeding, blood flows out with much less weak pressure; unlike arterial bleeding, it never pulsates and flows in a continuous stream. Blood, as a rule, has a dark cherry hue. Most often, these bleedings are not threatening and are much easier to stop. However, when large veins are injured, they can also lead to rapid bleeding and death if it is not stopped in a timely manner.

-capillary bleeding- bleeding that occurs with small superficial damage. Blood pours out from many small capillaries. In this case, the entire surface of the wound bleeds, like a sponge. The blood has a bright scarlet hue, like arterial bleeding. Just like venous, capillary bleeding is rarely life-threatening.

There are many ways to stop bleeding. The choice of the optimal one depends on whether the blood is pouring out or in, as well as on whether arterial, venous or capillary bleeding occurs.

Temporary methods to stop external bleeding include the following:

- Applying a rubber band– this method is paramount for arterial bleeding. The tourniquet should be applied above the bleeding site (for example, if bleeding from the hand or forearm, the tourniquet should be applied to the shoulder; if bleeding from the lower leg, to the thigh, and so on) and tighten it until the bleeding stops.

- Application of a pressure bandage– can and should be used for any bleeding, especially in the absence of a tourniquet. The essence of the method is that a bandage or any clean material is applied to the bleeding wound, over which a tight bandage is applied.

- Finger pressure of arteries. This type stopping bleeding requires certain skills. There are typical places where the arteries are pressed, after which the bleeding stops, at least temporarily, but effectively. For example, if you press the femoral artery with your fingers, which is located slightly below the inguinal fold, you can stop almost any bleeding from the lower limb. Finger pressure carotid artery on the side of the injury, helps stop bleeding on the face or scalp.

Methods to stop bleeding

Timely stopping of bleeding has crucial to save the life of the victim, with time becoming a prognostic factor. A distinction is made between spontaneous and artificial stopping of bleeding.

Spontaneous cessation of bleeding occurs as a result of spasm of the blood vessel and the formation of a blood clot in its lumen, which is facilitated by hypotension. Thus, with a complete transverse rupture of the artery, the vessel contracts, the inner membrane is screwed inward, as a result of which the possibility of thrombus formation and the likelihood of spontaneous stopping of bleeding is much higher than with marginal damage to the artery. As a rule, bleeding from small arteries and veins, as well as from capillaries, stops spontaneously.

Artificial stopping of bleeding can be temporary or permanent.

Methods for temporarily stopping bleeding

Methods for temporarily stopping bleeding include: wound tamponade and application of a pressure bandage, maximum flexion of the limb in the joint, elevated position of the limb, digital pressure of the artery throughout and in the wound, application of a clamp to the bleeding vessel in the wound, application of a tourniquet, temporary bypass of the vessel.

Wound tamponade and applying a pressure bandage are the simplest and most effective ways to temporarily stop bleeding from veins, small arteries and capillaries - pressing the vessel directly at the site of injury with a tightly applied bandage reduces the lumen of the vessel, promotes thrombosis and prevents the development of a hematoma. This method hemostasis must be combined with immobilization and elevated position of the limb above body level.

Maximum flexion of the limb at the joint is effective and widespread in a known way temporary stop of arterial bleeding, based on bending the limb to failure in the joint lying above the wound - elbow, knee and hip, and fixing it with a bandage or improvised material.

Finger pressure of the artery along its length is used in cases where immediate stopping of arterial bleeding is necessary. This method is based on pressing a superficially located arterial vessel to nearby skeletal bones above the site of bleeding in case of wounds to the vessels of the limb and below the wound in case of damage to the vessels of the neck. This technique performed with considerable effort, finger pressure is applied in such a way that the lumen of the vessel is completely blocked. The carotid artery can be pressed against the carotid tubercle of the transverse process VI cervical vertebra. The subclavian artery is compressed, pressing it to the first rib at a point located above the collarbone, immediately outward from the place of attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to the manubrium of the sternum, while the patient’s arm is retracted downwards and backwards. The axillary artery is easily pressed into armpit to the head humerus. Brachial artery pressed against inner surface humerus at the inner edge of the biceps muscle. Femoral artery presses against the pubic bone at a point located immediately below the Pupart ligament midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis. When assisting a wounded victim large vein you should press the damaged vessel in the wound and above it. It is better to press the vessel thumbs both hands, placing one finger on top of the other. This method is especially relevant during first aid, in preparation for applying a tourniquet or changing it.

Finger pressure on a vessel in a wound is used in in case of emergency, sometimes during operations. An effective way to temporarily stop bleeding is to apply a hemostatic clamp to the bleeding vessel in the wound. Applying a clamp to a bleeding vessel is carried out only in the operating room, and you cannot apply a clamp to the vessel blindly: firstly, it is ineffective, and secondly, you can damage nearby nerves and the artery itself. To prevent complications, you must first try to stop the bleeding by pressing the vessel with your fingers in the wound, and then, after drying the wound, apply a clamp directly to the bleeding vessel.

Temporary vascular bypass (temporary intravascular replacement) is a method of temporarily restoring blood circulation in case of damage to large arterial vessels and prevents further development of acute limb ischemia (Novikov Yu.V. et al., 1984). A prosthetic tube is inserted into both ends of the damaged vessel, and the ends of the vessel are fixed to the prosthesis with ligatures. With the help of shunts inserted into the lumen of damaged arteries and veins, it is possible to maintain temporary blood flow for 6-24 hours or more. Temporary prosthetics can be external (external), internal and lateral. As temporary prostheses tubes from various materials, preference is given to prostheses made of silicone - a material that is chemically inert, durable, has water-repellent and athrombogenic properties, is easily sterilized, and is securely fixed in the lumen of a damaged vessel.

Applying a tourniquet is the most reliable method of temporarily stopping bleeding. This method is not without a number of serious drawbacks, but it has proven itself in the practice of providing emergency care to victims with bleeding in the extremities. Since the introduction of the Esmarch tourniquet in 1873 this method has become widespread due to the simplicity, speed and reliability of stopping bleeding in case of limb injury. Esmarch's hemostatic tourniquet is a rubber band 1.5 m long, ending with a metal chain on one side and a hook on the other. The principle of stopping bleeding is based on pressing the main arterial trunk along with soft tissues to the bone. In this regard, a tourniquet is applied only on the upper third of the shoulder and the middle third of the thigh. If the tourniquet is applied correctly, the arterial bleeding will immediately stop, the pulse in the peripheral arteries will disappear, the limb will become pale and cold, and its sensitivity will decrease. It must be remembered that a tourniquet saves the life of the wounded, but not the limb. In this connection, to reduce negative consequences the following must be strictly observed rules for handling tourniquets:

— apply the tourniquet only to the shoulder and thigh and only to a soft lining;

— be sure to attach a note to the tourniquet indicating the date and time (hour and minute) of application of the tourniquet;

— the tourniquet should always be clearly visible, and therefore it is advisable to tie a piece of bandage or gauze to it and never put a bandage on top of it;

— using standard or improvised splints, ensure immobilization of the injured limb;

— evacuate the victim with a tourniquet first;

- in the cold season, after applying a tourniquet, to prevent frostbite, wrap the limb warmly.

We must not forget that applying a tourniquet is far from an indifferent procedure. When a tourniquet is applied to a limb, complete bleeding of its distal parts occurs, not only due to compression great vessels, but also collaterals and muscle branches. Intact nerve trunks are also subject to compression, which can lead to impaired motor function of the limb up to paralysis, persistent vasospasm; Removal of the tourniquet may be accompanied by tourniquet shock. In this regard, the tourniquet must be applied without excessive tightening and only with such force as to stop the bleeding. The most serious complication of tightening a limb with a tourniquet is tissue necrosis and the development of gangrene of the limb due to prolonged cessation of blood flow. This complication develops primarily with uncontrolled use of a tourniquet for a long time. That is why the tourniquet is applied for no more than 2 hours per day. summer time and for 1 hour - in winter. If it is necessary to transport a wounded person for a longer period of time, in order to partially restore blood circulation in the tight limb, the tourniquet should be loosened for several minutes, after first squeezing it with a finger. large artery above the place where the tourniquet is applied, until the limb turns pink and warm, and then tighten and fix the tourniquet again. It must be remembered that the tourniquet should always be left in the shoulder area for less time than in the thigh area, which is due to the less pronounced volume of muscles in the upper limb and, accordingly, limited resources of collateral circulation.

Often, as a result of a road traffic accident, the victim experiences damage to blood vessels, which causes bleeding. It is very important to be able to distinguish between types of bleeding in order to stop it. So, bleeding happens.

- Capillary. A slight release of blood over the entire surface of the damaged tissue is observed with shallow cuts of the skin, abrasions, and stops on its own within 10 minutes.

- Venous. Blood dark red or brown color(because of small amount oxygen), continuously flows from the wound, depending on the caliber of the damaged vein, it can be either insignificant or intense (bearing a direct threat to human life).

- Arterial. The most dangerous thing is that a stream of blood flows like a fountain or pulsates at the site of injury, the blood is bright red, scarlet (due to high concentration oxygen) does not stop on its own and leads to significant blood loss over a short period of time.

Bleeding when the skin is damaged is called external, and in the body cavity - internal. Mixed bleeding is a combined injury various vessels, i.e. external and internal.

Depending on the type of bleeding and the available means, temporary or complete bleeding is carried out. The main objectives of a temporary stop are to prevent life-threatening blood loss, gain time to transport the victim and prepare him for surgery. It is carried out different ways depending on the type of bleeding.

Methods to temporarily stop bleeding.

— Raising injured limb upward (venous and capillary bleeding).
— Applying a compressive bandage (venous bleeding).
— Pressing the artery with a finger above the site of injury (arterial bleeding).
— Application of a tourniquet or twist (arterial bleeding).
— Maximum flexion in the joints (with venous bleeding in the place of joint flexion, additional pressing at a distance in case of arterial bleeding).

Dangerous blood loss in humans is from 750 ml to 1.5 liters or more, with such a loss death may occur due to oxygen starvation body tissues, primarily the brain and heart muscle. Therefore, when providing premedical care, you need to learn the basic rules for stopping bleeding. The quickest way to stop bleeding is to press the blood vessel, i.e. putting direct pressure on the wound.

After this, it is necessary to apply a sterile napkin, a pressure, tight bandage, and, if necessary, a tourniquet (where possible). In case of injuries with damage to the carotid artery, a tight bandage is applied; a thick roll of bandage and gauze should be placed under it. All procedures must be performed with rubber gloves!

Stopping arterial bleeding in a victim of an accident.

The most effective way full stop arterial bleeding - applying a rubber tourniquet. It is used when a pressure bandage is ineffective and the artery is pressed above the site of injury. It is applied above the site of injury, but not far from the wound itself and always on clothing or on a layer of bandage or napkins. This is necessary so as not to accidentally damage soft tissue. In this case, the force of clamping the tourniquet should be such as to stop the bleeding, but not to injure nerve endings limbs, which is why the tightening is stopped as soon as the bleeding in the wound has stopped.

Correct application of a tourniquet to a victim in an accident.

— Tourniquet placement—wrap the tourniquet around the injured limb. Place the tape at least 3 cm above the wound, not directly above it!
— Fastening and tightening — pull the harness onto the fastenings and securely fasten the tape moving backwards away from you. Tighten the tourniquet until the bleeding stops and connect it with a clip.
— Time recording — record the time the tourniquet was applied to special paper and place it under it. Inform the arriving ambulance workers about this.

The maximum time for applying a tourniquet is 2 hours, because without blood circulation, cells quickly die. Taking this into account, you need to put a note under the tourniquet indicating the time of its application. If for some reason the victim was not taken to the hospital within 1.5 hours, then in order to avoid tissue necrosis it is necessary to loosen the tourniquet for 5 minutes, while pressing the wound site firmly with your hand. Next, you should fix the tourniquet again, but above the previous place, again making a corresponding note in the note.

In the absence of a tourniquet, it is permissible to use twists made from a rope, a belt or a twisted napkin, but such means are less elastic and quickly lead to additional injury. Another way to stop arterial bleeding is to bend the limb at the joint as much as possible. At the same time, it is fixed in a position in which the least amount of blood leaks out.

Stopping venous and capillary bleeding in a victim of an accident.

Venous and capillary bleeding stop with tight bandages. First, elevate the wounded area so that the blood flows away from the damaged area. Then apply a pressure bandage just below the wound, because... deoxygenated blood comes to the heart from peripheral vessels. It is better to use an individual dressing package. And if you don’t have it at hand, apply several layers of sterile gauze, bandage or gauze pads to the wound. Place a handkerchief on them.

To strengthen the bandage, make several rounds (turns) with the bandage. Apply a pressure bandage very tightly to the injury site. Each new round is superimposed so that the previous one is overlapped by 50-70%. This way you will compress the lumens of the damaged vessels and stop the bleeding. If the blood has stopped flowing, but the pulsation below remains, the bandage is applied correctly. But if it is again soaked in blood, then apply several more layers of gauze (napkins, bandage) on top of it and bandage it tightly again.

Actions in case of injury from foreign objects.

- Never independently pull out an object that has pierced the victim’s body - moving it can cause additional damage and bleeding.
— Restrain the victim from moving. If the wound is bleeding, apply a sterile bandage around the item to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Use spacers to further stabilize the item.
— If necessary, hold the person in such a way as to reduce the pressure on the object as much as possible. Constantly monitor the victim and the wound until paramedics arrive.

Based on materials from the SAI “Ukrainian medical Center road safety."
Yuliy Maksimchuk.

There are 4 types of external bleeding depending on the type of damaged vessel - arterial, venous, capillary and mixed. Timely and competent stopping of arterial bleeding is particularly difficult, since the threat of death with this type of blood loss is very high.

What is arterial bleeding

The most dangerous looking is arterial, since when arteries are damaged, their walls do not collapse, blood is actively ejected in a pulsating stream, and blood loss increases very quickly, up to hemorrhagic shock and fatal outcome. Arterial bleeding is called bleeding in which the vascular wall of the artery is damaged and scarlet, oxygen-enriched blood flows out. Extensive bleeding can occur with injuries, cuts, and taking certain medicines.

Signs

Recognize arterial bleeding by external signs not difficult. Difficulty in diagnosis can be mixed, which can combine signs of capillary, venous and/or arterial. Main characteristics of external bleeding:

Features	Arterial	Venous	Capillary
Color of flowing blood		Dark red, burgundy	Dark red
Blood flow rate		Depends on the size and location of the vessel. Can be high or low.
Jet characteristics	Pulsating, blood fountaining	Voluntary, constant flow of blood without pulsation	Over the entire surface of the wound

Why is it dangerous?

Arterial bleeding is considered the most dangerous because due to high speed blood loss without timely proper medical care has a high risk of death. Untimely and/or incorrectly provided first medical aid (PHA) can worsen the patient’s condition and provoke situations such as:

hemorrhagic shock;
wound infection;
compression of limbs and tissue necrosis;
blood aspiration;
coma;
fatal outcome.

Temporary stopping of arterial bleeding using finger pressure at any location of the damaged vessel, with the exception of the head and neck, is carried out above the wound to the bone along which the artery runs. Points of finger pressure of arteries:

Localization		Subjacent bone	External landmarks
Above the ear or in temporal region	Temporal	Temporal	1 cm above and anterior to the outer ear canal
		Lower jaw	2 cm anterior to the corner lower jaw
Upper and middle neck, face and submandibular area	General sleepiness	Transverse process of the fourth cervical vertebra (carotid tubercle)	In the middle of the inner edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle at the level top edge thyroid cartilage
Shoulder joint, upper third of the shoulder, subclavian and axillary area	Subclavian	First rib	On the back of the clavicle in the middle third
Upper limb	Axillary	Head of humerus	Along the anterior border of hair growth in the armpit
	Shoulder	Inner surface of the humerus	Along the inner edge of the biceps
	Elbow	Upper third ulna	On the front surface of the forearm on the side of the 5th finger (little finger)
		In the lower third of the radius	At the pulse detection point
Lower limb	Femoral	Horizontal ramus of the pubis	In the middle of the groin fold
	Popliteal	Rear surface tibia	At the top of the popliteal fossa
	Posterior tibial	Posterior surface of the medial malleolus of the tibia	On the inner surface of the shin
	Artery of the dorsum of the foot	Along the anterior surface of the tarsal bones of the foot outward from the extensor thumb feet	Midway between ankles
Pelvic area and iliac arteries	Abdominal aorta	Lumbar spine	Pressing a fist to the left of the navel

Ways to stop arterial bleeding

Hemostasis is biological system body, which provides liquid state blood at normal conditions and stopping bleeding if integrity is violated vascular wall. With capillary and venous hemostasis, spontaneous hemostasis occurs, that is, stopping blood loss by the internal forces of the body.

In cases where hemostasis does not occur independently, methods of temporary and permanent bleeding stop are used. A permanent stop can only be made in a hospital setting, and a temporary stop is used as an emergency first aid. Methods for temporarily stopping arterial bleeding:

finger pressure of the artery;
fixed limb flexion;
application of a tourniquet.

Finger pressure of arteries

The finger pressure method is used in cases where it is necessary to stop mild bleeding. At the same time, they are guided by the “3D” rule - push-ten-ten. This means that you need to use all 10 fingers of both hands to press the vessel against the bone along which it runs for 10 minutes. For profuse (extensive) bleeding, this method is ineffective or ineffective.

Application of a tourniquet

The most effective way is the application of a tourniquet. In the absence of a special medical tourniquet, improvised means are used. In this case, it is worth remembering that the tourniquet must be wide. Applying a tourniquet for arterial bleeding is performed according to the following rules:

It is applied above the wound to clothing or to fabric wrapped around a limb, since applying it directly to the skin causes trauma to the underlying tissues.
The tourniquet is stretched and made 2-3 turns around the limb. The next turns are applied with tension.
After application, the pulsation of the arteries below the wound is checked. The application is performed correctly if the pulsation is absent or poorly defined.
The tourniquet should always be visible.
The tourniquet is applied for 30 minutes in winter, 60 minutes in summer, since with longer compression in the limb, necrosis processes begin. During long-term transportation, the tourniquet is removed for 10 minutes while simultaneously pressing the artery to restore blood circulation in the limb.
A note is always attached indicating the exact time the tourniquet is applied.

Fixed limb flexion

A method of temporarily stopping external arterial bleeding by fixed flexion of the limb is considered effective for wounds of the forearm, hand, leg or foot. When using this technique, it is worth considering that the flexion of the limb should be maximum, and a fabric roll should be placed in the elbow bend or popliteal fossa.

First aid for arterial bleeding

The first step to take when providing first aid is to call an ambulance. Hemostasis is performed according to the following algorithm:

Raise the limb and give it an elevated position.
Perform digital pressure on the artery.
Apply a tourniquet above the wound while simultaneously pressing the artery.
Check the pulse below the wound and attach a note with the time of application of the tourniquet.
Apply an aseptic bandage to the wound.

In the face and neck area

For wounds in the neck and head, it must be remembered that finger pressure must be applied below the wound. Stopping bleeding from the carotid artery is done using a tourniquet:

A roller is applied to the wound.
Hand with healthy side lay so that the shoulder touches the side surface of the face and neck.
A tourniquet is applied around the neck and shoulder.

Upper limbs

For hemostasis on upper limbs starting from the middle third of the shoulder, applying a tourniquet is effective. It can only be applied to the upper or lower third of the shoulder. If the subclavian artery is damaged, tight tamponade is used.

Temporarily stopping external bleeding in various ways. Ways to stop bleeding