First Aid for serious bleeding

• Apply direct pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage.
• Lift the wound as high above the person's heart as possible.
• Compress the "pressure point" on the inside wounded arm or leg. The pressure point is an artery that supplies most of the blood to that limb. By applying pressure with the palm of your hand, you can reduce the bleeding.

Do not apply a tourniquet unless you suspect that the person is going to bleed to death without one.

• Treat the person for shock and keep an eye on their breathing.
• Wear latex gloves so that you do not transmit or recieve any infectious diseases from the person that is bleeding. You may want to wear a face mask as well.
• If the bandage that you are using wets through, do not tear it off and apply another one. This may disrupt any of the blood clots that have formed. Instead, apply another bandage on top of the first one.
• Always follow up with a doctor immediately after cases of severe bleeding. Treat the person for dehydration. The wound will need to be cleaned regularly and treated with antibiotics to prevent infection.

• Always have a First Aid Kit handy. Be sure that it has the proper supplies to deal with serious bleeding. This includes several large gauze pads, and if possible, a pressure dressing.
• If an object like a screwdriver, steel rebar, etc... is stuck in someone's chest. Do not attempt to remove it, this may cause further bleeding and possibly make their lung collapse. Instead, surround the object with gauze and apply steady pressure. Don't push so hard that the person can not breathe.
• The legality of carrying IV fluids if you do not have the proper certification is pretty questionable, but if you are going to be in a very remote area, or you work in law enforcement, you may want to consider bringing some along with you. You would also need to bring infusion needles. Do not try to use them if you do not know what you are doing. Some schools offer 30+ hour classes on this subject alone.