The three main principles of the treatment of external bleeding are:

• Look
• Apply
• Elevate

1. Look at the wound to check how large it is. Check that the wound has nothing in it (such as debris or a foreign body).
   
   
2. Apply direct pressure to the wound. If the victim is able to press on the wound, encourage him or her to do so. If not, then apply direct pressure yourself, initially with your fingers and, if you have it handy, with a sterile dressing or a piece of clean cloth. Applying direct pressure to the wound enables the blood to clot and therefore stems the blood flow from the cut. Once applied, a sterile dressing (or whatever you have handy) should ideally be held in place with a firm bandage or improvised bandage such as a scarf or a tie.
   
   
3. Elevate the wound. If the injury is an arm or leg, raise the wound above the level of the heart. It is harder for the blood to pump upward and this therefore reduces the blood flow and thus the fluid loss from the body.
   
   
4. Treat for shock. Keep the victim warm and continually at rest. Reassure the victim.

PROTECTING YOURSELF

Whenever possible, you should avoid direct contact with blood or other body fluids such as vomit. This is to protect both you and the person that you are treating. There are several ways of doing this:

• If available, use gloves. These come in many different sizes and materials (particularly useful if you have an allergy to latex) and should be kept in every first aid kit.
  
  
• If the person bleeding is able, ask her to apply direct pressure to the injury herself.
  
  
• Use bandages, dressings, or other materials, such as a handkerchief or T-shirt, as a barrier between your hand and the wound.
  
  
• Keep injuries in your own hands covered with plasters or dressings.