First Aid for Severe Bleeding Certification Manual: Aftercare
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Recognizing Types of Bleeding
- 3. Recognizing Severe Bleeding
- 4. Equipment - Dressings & Bandages
- 5. Equipment - Tourniquets & Hemostatic Agents
- 6. Initial Emergency Actions
- 7. Steps to Control Bleeding
- 8. Recognizing & Treating Shock
- 9. Aftercare
- 10. Common Mistakes
- 11. Conclusion
- MyCPR Now™ Glossary
Decontamination and Blood Exposure
Contact with another person’s blood can expose a responder to bloodborne pathogens. Use disposable gloves or another protective barrier when available, avoid touching your face during care, and safely remove contaminated PPE after EMS takes over. Wash your hands with soap and running water immediately after removing gloves.
Cleaning Yourself and Your Clothing
Wash blood from intact skin with soap and running water. Lather and scrub for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry your hands. Do not use bleach or harsh disinfectants on the skin.
If blood contacts the eyes, flush them with clean water, saline, or sterile eyewash. Flush blood from the nose or mouth with water. If blood contacts broken skin, enters through a puncture or needlestick, or contacts the eyes, nose, or mouth, seek prompt medical evaluation. Report workplace exposures according to the employer’s exposure-control procedures.
Carefully remove clothing contaminated with blood while avoiding contact between the contaminated material and your skin. Launder or dispose of the clothing according to the garment instructions and applicable workplace or local procedures.
Clean and disinfect reusable equipment and contaminated surfaces using an appropriate disinfectant and following the product instructions. Dispose of contaminated single-use materials according to workplace or local procedures.
Steps to Remove Disposable Gloves:
- Grasp the outside of one glove near the wrist without touching your bare skin.
- Peel the glove away from your hand, turning it inside out.
- Hold the removed glove in the palm of your remaining gloved hand.
- Slide two fingers of your ungloved hand underneath the remaining glove at the wrist. Do not touch the contaminated outside surface.
- Peel the second glove away from your hand, turning it inside out and enclosing the first glove inside it.
- Discard the gloves in an appropriate waste container according to workplace or local procedures.
- Wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds.