First Aid for Severe Bleeding Certification Manual: Common Mistakes
- 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
Common mistake shown: The responders are not wearing disposable gloves or using another protective barrier.
Common Severe-Bleeding First Aid Mistakes
Severe bleeding requires immediate, organized action. The responder should prioritize scene safety, activation of emergency medical services, and firm direct pressure. A commercial tourniquet or wound packing may be needed when appropriate and according to the responder’s training. Delays, repeated checking, and incorrect equipment use can allow additional blood loss.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Entering an unsafe scene
- Delaying direct pressure while searching for equipment
- Delaying the call to 911
- Failing to use disposable gloves or another protective barrier when one is available
- Applying light or intermittent pressure instead of firm, continuous pressure
- Repeatedly lifting the original dressing to check the wound
- Building a large stack of dressings over a bleeding wound
- Removing an embedded object
- Applying pressure directly on an embedded object instead of around it
- Applying a tourniquet to the head, neck, chest, or abdomen
- Placing a tourniquet directly over a joint
- Failing to tighten a tourniquet until the bleeding completely stops
- Loosening or removing a tourniquet after it has been applied
- Covering a tourniquet so EMS cannot see it
- Failing to record the tourniquet application time
- Using wound packing in an inappropriate location or without training
- Packing a wound of the chest or abdomen
- Failing to recognize and provide care for shock
- Giving food, drink, medication, nutrients, or supplements to a person showing signs of shock
- Failing to monitor responsiveness and breathing
- Failing to begin CPR and use an AED when a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally
- Leaving the person before EMS takes over
- Failing to properly wash or flush a blood exposure and seek medical evaluation when appropriate
Avoiding these mistakes helps preserve the priorities of severe-bleeding care: protect the responder, call 911, control the bleeding, monitor the person, and continue care until EMS takes over.
Remember
Severe-bleeding care is built around a small number of critical priorities:
Remain safe → Call 911 → Control the bleeding → Care for shock → Monitor until EMS arrives