Hey Prepper Nation,

 

Cuts in the skin can be minor or catastrophic, superficial or deep, clean or infected.  Most significant cuts (also called lacerations) are associated with bleeding, sometimes major.  Bleeding can be venous, which manifests as dark red blood, draining steadily from the wound.   Bleeding can also be arterial, which is bright red and comes out in spurts that correspond to the pulse of the patient. As the vein and artery run together, a serious cut can have both. The first course of action is to stop the hemorrhage.

 

Oftentimes, direct pressure on the bleeding area might stop bleeding all by itself.  The medic should always have nitrile gloves in his/her pack, to prevent the wound from contamination from a “dirty” hand.  If there are no gloves, grab a bandanna or other barrier and press it into the wound.  Additionally, pressing on the “pressure point” for the area injured will help slow bleeding.

 

Pressure points are locations where major arteries come close enough to the skin to be compressed by pressure.  Pressing on this area will slow down bleeding further down the track of the blood vessel.  Therefore, we can make a “map” of specific areas to concentrate your efforts to decrease bleeding.