Catastrophic Bleeding

FALSE: Sit/lie the patient down and apply direct pressure.

FALSE: DO NOT insert haemostatic dressings into

• Open skull wounds. It will damage the brain.
• Open chest wounds. It will damage the lungs.

FALSE: The wrapper should stay with the patient. One way to do this is to tuck the wrapper it into the trauma dressing bandage.

FALSE: After inserting the haemostatic dressing you must still apply direct pressure. The time varies depending on the make/model of the dressing, so read the instructions. Apply a trauma dressing over the top.

TRUE: All medical dressings have an expiry date. Check that those in your first aid kit are still in date. Haemostatic dressings have a particularly short shelf-life.

FALSE: Trauma dressings and tourniquets need to be applied directly onto skin. Work as a team, with someone applying direct pressure by hand, as clothing is cut away. If direct pressure is working, then after 10 minutes you can complete the application of the bandage. Otherwise look to use haemostatic guaze and/or tourniquet and update the ambulance service.

FALSE: A tourniquet will cause intense pain. The tourniquet can also cause nerve damage. If the tourniquet has to be kept on for too long, the limb will need to be amputated. The tourniquet can save someone’s life but always try to stop the bleeding first by using direct pressure.

FALSE: The tourniquet must not be slackened until the patient gets to hospital.

TRUE: Check that the bleeding has stopped. If not, use a haemostatic dressing or a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. A second tourniquet can be used if the first tourniquet has not stopped the bleeding. Update ambulance control that you cannot control the bleeding. Check that the patient is still breathing.

TRUE: A patient can die quickly from catastrophic bleeding. Make sure that you have quick easy access to a major trauma/catastrophic bleeding kit.