subject: How To Deal With Bleeding Skin [print this page] Bleeding from a skin wound may be stopped by applying direct constant pressure over it. You may have to do it continuously for about 2 - 5 minutes. Doing it with dirty or unwashed hands may open ways for infection later on. So, it is very important that you touch the wound with clean, washed hands. Whether you have to stop bleeding from your own body or from other's, begin by washing your hands with an antiseptic soap. Wear sterile latex gloves, if possible. Consider wearing glasses and a mask if the blood is spurting.
In case the wound is large and wide, pack the wound opening with a sterile gauze. Now, put your hands and a piece of sterile gauze on the wound and apply direct pressure on it. You may make use of a clean cloth instead of sterile gauze. Continue applying pressure in the given manner for a couple of minutes. Release the pressure slowly to check for bleeding. If the wound is still bleeding, keep applying pressure for another couple of minutes. If it has stopped, you may release the pressure off the wound after a minute or so.
If the wound is on the lower portion of the body, keep it elevated above the level of your heart. The gauze, which you have applied on the wound in earlier steps, might have got all wet with blood. Don't remove it as it might disturb the clotting, and might lead to bleeding again. Cover the gauze with a couple of bandages. Remove the gloves and mask and sterilize them by heating them wrapped in boiling water for about 20 minutes. This process makes them reusable.
