Step 3 » GENERAL learning environment Category C (C, C1)

The hemorrhage can be external, when the blood flows outside the body, or internal, when the vascular rupture occurs inside the body (as happens in fractures or in the case of the rupture of an organ) and the blood accumulates inside the body. In this case we speak about an external hemorrhage at one of the limbs.

The hemorrhage produced at one of the limbs of an injured person will be stopped by:

• when the hemorrhage is small, by compressive action on the injured vessel with the help of the compressive dressing, the wound is covered with several sterile compresses or, in their absence, with pieces of clean cloth (handkerchiefs, clothes, etc.) which are compressed with the palm or with a bandage;
• when the hemorrhage is massive, by applying a tourniquet. The tourniquet is an elastic cord which is used for stopping the bleeding in the case of hemorrhages that cannot be stopped otherwise, usually in the case of limb wounds. It is applied above the wound to reduce arterial pressure in the wound area. In the absence of a tourniquet, one can use: a scarf, belt, belt strap, tie, string, elastic, etc. It is not applied directly on the skin but over a piece of bandage or other soft material and a note is necessarily attached on which the victim’s name and the exact time of applying the tourniquet are written. Although in the past it was recommended to loosen the tourniquet every 15 minutes to allow blood supply to the limb, the practice is no longer recommended nowadays because it may aggravate the victim’s condition. Consult the specialized personnel by calling 112 before performing this maneuver.

The correct answer is: C

Recommendations:

First aid course --> First aid course