Skill Section: Wilderness First Aid
Skill 4/17: Major Bleeding
Learning Intention: To practise how to recognise and treat major bleeding
Success Criteria: By the end of this session everyone should be able to: recognise and safely treat a major bleed; understand and minimise the risk of cross-infection to both the casualty and the first aider.
Activities: 1.Presentation/Discussion: Major Bleeding (10) 2.Demonstration (5) 3.Practical (20) 4.Review Success Criteria (5)
What is major bleeding? Blood running freely or spurting e.g. from a deep wound or artery Internal bleeding Immediate danger: blood loss Secondary risk: infection Other symptoms: increased heart/breathing rate; clamminess, shock, fainting
Treatment Put on disposable gloves (if available) Sit (or lie) casualty down Examine ELEVATE & APPLY PRESSURE
Treatment Cover with large sterile pad(s) + bandage(s) If not enough dressings, or if dressings bleed through, improvise (anything absorbent will do e.g. towel, fleece) This is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY: contact supervisor/999
Complications If there is a foreign object in the wound that you cannot remove without pulling, leave it alone & apply a ring bandage if possible. Puncture and gunshot wounds may have both an entry & an exit wound Outdoor clothing is often waterproof & may conceal pooling blood.
Video Clips: How to Stop Bleeding (2.39) First Aid: Major Bleeding (7.37)
Questions?
Next Session: Skill 5/17: Practical Scenarios
Practical: Group A: 1 Casualty 3 Observers Group B: First Aiders Checklist for Observers: Did they ASSESS the situation? Did they approach the casualty safely? Conscious Casualty: Did they ask relevant questions? Unconscious Casualty: Did they check BREATHING/CIRCULATION Did they COMMUNICATE appropriately? Did they TAKE appropriate ACTION e.g. treat the casualty effectively (SEEP!)