Feb 17
2025
5 Ways to Control Bleeding in Extreme Emergencies
Knowing how to control bleeding quickly and effectively—and having the right equipment on hand—saves lives in the case of a traumatic accident. There are several effective ways to control bleeding in an emergency.
How you control bleeding largely depends on the severity and source of the bleeding. Informing yourself about how to treat a penetrating chest wound, head injury, or an injured limb prepares you for different critical situations.
Important: Assess the Situation Before Giving Emergency Care
Bystander emergency care is critical to the outcome of a bleeding emergency. As the first responder, the actions you take between calling 9-1-1 and the EMTs arriving will potentially save a life. Take the following steps to assess the gravity of the situation and decide what care to give:
- Examine the wound(s) and the injured person: Quickly assess the nature and severity of the injury, including the size and depth of the wound. Look for signs of shock like pale skin, a rapid heartbeat, or shallow breathing. Check for any other injuries or conditions that may be contributing to the bleeding. Remember that severe wounds may not be immediately obvious.
- Identify the severity of the bleeding: Determine if the bleeding is severe, moderate, or minor based on the amount of blood loss and the injured person’s condition. Consider the location and type of injury and which of the following strategies you should use to control the bleeding.
Apply Direct Pressure
Using gauze or a cloth to apply direct pressure to the wound is sometimes enough to control moderate bleeding. The best bleeding control kits contain different types of gauze and bandages to pack and maintain pressure on wounds.
How to Apply Direct Pressure to a Wound
- Use sterile gauze (or a clean cloth) to apply direct pressure to the wound site.
- Apply steady, firm pressure for at least 5-10 minutes or until the bleeding stops (if this occurs sooner).
- Raise the wound above heart level to reduce blood flow if possible.
- If the bleeding doesn’t slow to a trickle after a minute or so, proceed to wound packing and/or tourniquet application (depending on the location of the wound).
Wound Packing
Wound packing is a technique used to control severe bleeding, particularly from deep wounds. It involves filling a wound cavity with sterile gauze or other absorbent material to apply direct pressure to the bleeding source and promote clotting.
Wound packing is particularly effective for controlling bleeding from deep wounds like gunshot or stab wounds or other penetrating injuries that prove difficult to control with only direct pressure.
How to Pack a Wound
To pack a wound, stuff a deep wound with regular or hemostatic gauze or a clean cloth if gauze isn’t available. Apply pressure directly to the top of the wound with both hands. Push down as hard as you can until an EMT relieves you.
Wound packing can be highly effective. However, as Brian Graddon, ex-firefighter paramedic, SWAT medic, and CEO of True Rescue explains, wound packing isn’t always the best course of action for treating certain wounds: