Bleeding and wounds

1. If you have disposable gloves, put them on. If clothing covers the wound, cut it away or remove it so that you can see where the blood is coming from.
2. Press firmly on the wound with a clean pad, a folded clean cloth or clothing. Keep pressing until the bleeding stops.
3. If something is stuck in the wound, such as glass or metal, do not pull it out. It may be limiting the bleeding. Press firmly on either side of it instead.
4. Ask someone to call for an ambulance if the bleeding is heavy or does not slow down. If you are alone, put the phone on speaker so that you can keep pressing.
5. Help the person to sit or lie down. If you do not think a bone is broken, raise the injured arm or leg higher than the heart.
6. When the bleeding is controlled, tie a bandage over the pad firmly enough to keep up the pressure, but not so tight that it cuts off the blood flow. If blood soaks through, keep pressing and get medical help.
7. Every 10 minutes, check beyond the bandage. Press the skin or a nail until it turns pale: the colour should come back within 2 seconds. If it does not, loosen the bandage and tie it again.
8. Heavy blood loss can cause shock. Lay the person down, raise their legs, loosen tight clothing and cover them with a blanket. Keep checking how they respond. If they stop responding and are not breathing normally, start CPR.

What not to do:

• Do not pull out anything stuck in the wound.
• Do not lift the pad to check whether the bleeding has stopped.
• Do not try to clean a large wound. Press on it and get medical help.
• Do not push back anything that is coming out of a wound in the belly. Cover it with a clean, moist cloth, press gently and get urgent help.
• Do not move a person who may have a head, neck, back or leg injury unless they are in danger.
• Do not tie a tight band round a limb for an ordinary cut.

Firm pressure controls most bleeding, so always start with that. A tourniquet is a strap that squeezes a limb tight above a wound. It is only for life-threatening bleeding from an arm or leg, for example when blood is pumping out, soaks through bandage after bandage, or a limb has been torn off, and firm pressure has not worked.

If one is needed:

• Call for an ambulance, or ask someone to, and follow the operator's instructions.
• A tourniquet from a first aid kit is best. If you do not have one, tell the operator, who can guide you.
• Put it on the limb between the wound and the body, close to the wound. Never put it over a joint.
• Tighten it until the bleeding stops. It will hurt, so warn the person.
• Note the time you put it on and tell the ambulance team. Do not loosen it. Leaving it on too long can injure nerves and tissue, so it is for life-threatening bleeding only.

Go to hospital straight away, and do not drive yourself, for a bad cut on the face or the palm of the hand, or if there is numbness near the wound or you have trouble moving it.

1. Wash and dry your hands. Press on the cut with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops.
2. Rinse the cut with clean tap water or bottled water. Clean the skin around it with soap and water, wiping away from the wound.
3. Pat it dry with a clean cloth or gauze.
4. Cover it with a clean dressing or plaster. Keep it clean and dry, and change it when it gets wet or dirty. It can come off after a few days, once the wound has closed.

A doctor can close a wound with stitches, staples, skin glue or strips. See a doctor urgently if:

• the cut is larger than about 5 centimetres
• there is soil or dirt in the wound, or it stays dirty after cleaning
• it was a bite from a person, or from a wild or stray animal
• the cut becomes red, swollen and more painful, or there is pus
• you feel unwell or have a high temperature

Tetanus bacteria live in soil and manure and can get into any wound, especially a large, deep or dirty one. Vaccination is the main protection. If you are not sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date, tell the doctor, who will decide whether you need an injection. A stiff jaw, painful spasms or trouble swallowing or breathing after a wound need emergency care.