First aid for bleeding from vessels
Types of bleeding: capillary – oozing over the whole surface; venous – dark red blood flows steadily; arterial – bright red blood spurts in pulses and is very dangerous. First rule: keep yourself safe and call 103 or call an adult. If possible wash your hands and wear gloves (to avoid contact with another person’s blood). Place a clean cloth, bandage or gauze on the wound and press directly and firmly; if the cloth soaks through, do not remove it – add another on top and keep pressing. For an arm or leg, if no bone is broken, the wound can be held above heart level. A tourniquet is applied only by a trained person, in life-threatening bleeding when pressure does not help; an ordinary person should not apply one on their own. For a nosebleed the person sits, leans the head forward and pinches the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes; if bleeding does not stop or follows an injury, go to a doctor. If a bleeding person is pale, dizzy or weak, lay them down, keep them warm and wait for 103. No medicines are given.
Role play (with adults): practise pressing a clean cloth and bandaging a dummy with a drawn “wound” in red paint. Safety: no sharp objects; do not handle real blood.