What is happening?

What to do

1. Heavy bleeding or weakness: emergency help now. No pressure on eye, skull dent or protruding abdominal organs. Other wounds: firm pressure with clean cloth while someone calls.
2. Eye or skull dent: no pressure. Organs protruding from abdomen: no pressure or pushing back. Cover loosely with clean damp gauze. Emergency help now. Do not pack these wounds.
3. Open chest wound: emergency help, leave exposed to air. No plastic or sealing dressing. Existing covering with worse breathing: loosen/remove that covering. Leave embedded objects.
4. Use gloves if at hand. Find the wound and press firmly with gauze or clean cloth. For an embedded object, press either side, not on it. Another person calls. Alone, use speakerphone.
5. Keep firm pressure at the bleeding point. If bleeding continues, get guidance to check where you press. Do not pile up many layers or lift the pad just to look.
6. Child/baby or short stump: pressure and emergency help now. Tourniquet only suitable size and trained/guided use. No room clear of joint/wound: follow dispatcher. Do not improvise fit or site.
7. Life-threatening arm/leg bleeding despite pressure: use a commercial tourniquet if trained or dispatcher-guided. Place 5–7 cm above the wound, never over a joint. Tighten until bleeding stops, record time and do not loosen.
8. Tourniquet in place, still bleeding: report now. If trained, check fit/position. Available second goes above first per instructions. Never loosen first. Keep visible and record times.
9. If pressure is insufficient, hemostatic gauze may help with suitable equipment and trained or guided use. Do not improvise packing chest or abdominal wounds.
10. Help them rest without unnecessary movement. Cover with a blanket. Tell the dispatcher about pallor, cold skin, confusion or worsening breathing.
11. If unresponsive: call emergency services. If breathing is abnormal, start CPR with dispatcher guidance.
12. No suitable tourniquet or unable to use it: continue firm pressure and request help now. Alone, ask someone to press for you. Do not leave for equipment or loosen for pain/long waiting.