What is bleeding? Classification of bleeding. First aid

There is probably no person who does not know what bleeding is. In everyday life, in production, quite often we get injuries, as a result of which the skin integuments are damaged, and, accordingly, the blood vessels passing through them.

To provide first aid at such moments to yourself or your loved one, you must be able to distinguish between types of bleeding and know what to do in each case to stop the blood flow.

What is bleeding?

Almost everyone is able to give the right answer to this question. This is an outpouring of blood through the walls of blood vessels as a result of damage to their integrity. The nature of these injuries may or may not be traumatic.

If injury is excluded, then the vessels may suffer if there is a disease process in the body.

Types of bleeding

The classification of bleeding is different, depending on what factor is taken into account. Usually considered:

• Reasons for bleeding.
• A kind of blood vessel that has been damaged.
• How does the outflow of fluid relative to the external environment.
• Bleeding time.
• The nature of the flow of blood.
• The severity of damage.

According to all the criteria considered, bleeding is divided into subgroups.

If we consider the causes of bleeding, then the following types are distinguished:

1. As a result of the development of pathological processes in the body:

• Peritonitis.
• Inflammation.
• Tumors

2. Mechanical damage to the blood vessel:

• Wounds after a cut.
• Abrasions.

3. If vascular permeability is impaired:

• Scarlet fever.
• Sepsis.
• Vitamin C Deficiency

Bleeding can occur from any vessel, and since there are several varieties in the body, there are:

1. Arterial bleeding.
2. Venous
3. Capillary.
4. Mixed.
5. Parenchymal

Bleeding in relation to the external environment can be:

• External bleeding.
• Inner.
  

When considering types of bleeding, depending on the time of occurrence and nature, the following groups are distinguished:

1. The primary pathology, in this case, bleeding occurs immediately after an injury or injury.
2. Secondary is characterized by the appearance of blood loss in a few hours, or even days after the operation.

The nature of bleeding happens:

• Acute when blood flows out in large portions in a short period of time.
• Chronic bleeding usually lasts for several days, sometimes months. Blood flows out in small portions.

Another classification of bleeding by severity:

1. Lung, little blood is released.
2. Average, a person can lose up to 1-1.5 liters of biological fluid.
3. Heavy, flows more than 1.5 liters.
4. Dangerous bleeding is detected with the loss of more than 2 liters of blood.

Causes of bleeding

Most often, the perpetrators of bleeding are various injuries and wounds, for example, cuts, gunshot wounds, the consequences of careless handling of sharp-cutting objects.

This applies to both external bleeding and internal bleeding. But there are cases when blood loss begins without external influence, that is, spontaneously, some bleeding diseases provoke, for example:

• In the genital area (uterine bleeding).
• Tuberculosis.
• With oncological pathologies of the lungs.
• Ectopic pregnancy.
• With an ulcer, bleeding in the stomach.
• Blood diseases.

Separately, we can say about nosebleeds, they can be triggered by the following factors:

• If the vascular plexuses in the nasal septum are too superficially located.
• Injuries to the nose.
• A foreign body in the nose, which often happens in preschool children.
• Various tumors in the nasal cavity.
• Curvature of the nasal septum.
• The damaged structure of the nasal mucosa, for example, with syphilis, tuberculosis, diphtheria.
• Chronic liver disease.
• High blood pressure.

The reasons clearly demonstrate that such bleeding can signal serious problems in the body.

Bleeding symptoms

If external bleeding is always easy to diagnose, because blood flows from the damaged vessel to the outside, then it is not so easy to detect internal blood loss.

Since internal bleeding often occurs after injuries, accidents, severe bruises, for example as a result of a fight, it is necessary to know at least some indirect signs in order to help in time and deliver the victim to the hospital.

There are some symptoms that may indicate damage to internal organs:

1. Pallor of the skin.
2. Weakness.
3. Dizziness.
4. The appearance of a cough with an admixture of blood.
5. Pain in the abdomen.
6. Cold sweat.
7. The pulse becomes frequent.
8. Blood pressure decreases.
9. Anemia is increasing.

All these signs cannot, of course, accurately indicate the presence of internal bleeding, but you will have to undergo an examination to find out.

First aid for arterial bleeding

This type of bleeding is the most dangerous, since arteries are large vessels through which blood moves under high pressure. It is quite simple to determine such bleeding: blood does not flow out, but beats with a fountain and has a bright red color.

Help with bleeding from large arteries is aimed at stopping blood loss, as a person can quickly lose a lot of blood, which can be critical for his life.

To prevent the loss of a large amount of blood, often carry out the following actions:

• Give the affected area an elevated state.
• Impose a tourniquet.
• Maximum limb bend.

If arterial bleeding is detected, it is necessary to stop the blood loss as soon as possible, for this you need to press the artery with your finger above the site of the injury. But this is only a temporary measure, which is not able to eliminate bleeding, in order to completely eliminate it, it is necessary to impose a tourniquet, if possible.

Apply a tourniquet also with knowledge of the matter, adhering to some recommendations:

1. A tourniquet is applied above the site of injury so as to completely compress the damaged artery.
2. You can not apply a tourniquet with bleeding on a naked body, be sure to put a napkin under it or do it directly on clothes.
3. When applying a tourniquet, it is necessary to make several turns until the blood stops completely and the ends are firmly fixed.
4. Be sure to make a note indicating the time of application. In the warm season, the tourniquet can remain on the limbs for up to 1.5-2 hours, and in winter only about an hour.
5. If time is up, and the victim has not yet been taken to the hospital, then the tourniquet must be loosened for a few minutes, and then tightened again. Subsequent attenuation may be shorter in time.
6. After applying the tourniquet, the victim will still have to be taken to the hospital.

Venous bleeding

This external bleeding is characterized by darker blood compared to arterial bleeding, it flows in a continuous stream without tremors. Despite the fact that stopping venous bleeding is much easier, but it also poses a certain danger to human life.

With vein injuries, especially those located on the neck, there is a risk of embolism. This is the absorption of air through the wound, which can also enter the heart, and this is already fatal.

Since the veins have sufficiently soft and elastic walls, it is possible to stop these bleeding after a wound with a pressure bandage. A sterile napkin should be applied to the wound and wrapped tightly with a bandage on top. In this case, the ends of the damaged veins close, bleeding stops.

First aid measures for capillary bleeding

Everyone probably knows that such bleeding is considered the safest. It does not require emergency medical care, for its relief one napkin or bandage and an antiseptic are enough.

Such bleeding accompanies almost everyone in childhood. Who does not remember his knees, elbows constantly knocked down after falling from a bicycle or playing catch-up games.

Treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide and apply a clean cloth or wrap with a bandage. Usually, after such a procedure, young researchers are ready for further feats.

Doctor's actions to stop bleeding

After the victim is taken to the hospital with bleeding, the actions of medical workers are as follows:

• Inspection of the site of injury.
• Wound cleansing to prevent infection.
• Eliminate bleeding conditions.
• Applying a tight bandage or sutures, if required for an extensive wound.
• Prescribing antibiotic therapy in case of danger of bacterial infection of the wound.
• If necessary, the introduction of tetanus toxoid injection.

After all the assistance measures provided, the victim is usually released home. This does not apply to situations with internal bleeding. In this case, the elimination of the cause of blood loss and treatment of the disease that triggered the bleeding is required. The victim can be left in the hospital for an indefinite time, which will be required for treatment.

Stopping internal bleeding

Help with internal bleeding requires special experience and attention, since the life of the victim depends on this. The difficulty is that such blood loss is quite difficult to detect. They are signaled only by indirect signs that were considered above.

When providing first aid for internal bleeding, it is necessary to provide the victim, first of all, peace.

1. If bleeding is in the abdominal cavity, then the victim must be laid on his back and cold applied.
2. With chest bleeding, you must give the person a semi-sitting position.
3. If there is blood in the oral cavity, then put the victim on his stomach, and turn his head on his side.
4. As soon as possible, take the person to the hospital, since all first aid measures are not able to completely stop this bleeding, and this can be life threatening to the victim.

On the way to the medical institution it is necessary to constantly monitor the patient’s condition, pay attention to his appearance, consciousness, periodically check the heart rate and strength, if possible, blood pressure.

First aid for nosebleeds

When blood comes from the nose, and especially bleeding with clots, it is necessary to take all measures to stop it soon. To do this, you must do:

1. To seat the victim and lean forward a little, this will not allow blood to drain into the oral cavity and it will be clearly visible from which nostril it flows.
   
2. You can not throw your head back, this leads to the drainage of blood into the throat, which can cause a gag reflex.
3. On the nose you need to put something cold, it could be a piece of ice, a wet towel.
4. You can try to press the wing of the nose to the septum from the bleeding side. If the whole thing is about the features of the vascular plexus, usually after 5-10 minutes the bleeding stops.
5. In the nasal passage, you can install tampons moistened with hydrogen peroxide or vasoconstrictive drops.
6. If bleeding from the nose is caused by the presence of a foreign body in it, then you should not try to get it yourself, you can only advance it even deeper.
7. After the bleeding is stopped, you can not blow your nose and perform heavy physical exertion, so as not to provoke blood loss again.
8. If any measures to stop the blood do not help, then the victim must be hospitalized urgently to find out the cause of the bleeding.

Bleeding with peptic ulcer

With a stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer, one of the complications is ulcerative bleeding. It occurs in 15-20% of patients during an exacerbation of the disease. Although there are cases when this happens in the remission period after strong physical exertion or nervous tension.

Such bleeding can be determined by the following signs:

• Vomiting blood.
• The stool is almost black, this is usually observed 6-8 hours after the onset of bleeding.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea and sometimes fainting.
• Heart palpitations.
• Pallor of the skin.
• Blood pressure decreases.
  

When these signs appear, especially the first two, it is urgent to call an ambulance team. Before arriving on the epigastric region, you can put a cold heating pad or ice, lay the patient on his side. At this time, you can’t eat anything and refrain from drinking.

In most cases, perforation of an ulcer requires surgical intervention, which can save a person's life.

Consequences of bleeding

Any bleeding requires an immediate stop, as this can threaten a person's life. With blood loss, the following symptoms begin to appear:

1. As a result of blood loss, blood pressure drops sharply.
   
2. Hemoglobin levels are falling, which can harm the brain.
3. With sluggish bleeding, when they last a long time, the body adapts, but anemia develops.
4. With internal bleeding, there is a danger, especially when localization is not established, that this will lead to compression of the brain, lungs, heart. This will lead to disruption of the internal organs.
5. Leaking blood inside the body is an excellent medium for the reproduction of bacteria.
6. If the victim is not given first aid, and then medical assistance, then this can end in disastrous condition, even fatal.

Memo for everyone

Everyone can face a situation when they have to provide first aid for bleeding. You can create for yourself a kind of memo that will help you navigate in a difficult situation.

1. If the victim is shocked as a result of blood loss, then he urgently needs to be taken to the hospital.
2. If internal bleeding is suspected, help should also be provided by qualified doctors.
3. If a person has received a bite, as a result of which bleeding has developed, it is necessary to compress the wound, rinse well in cold water and give it a position above the heart.
4. In the presence of slight bleeding, it is enough to treat the wound with peroxide and bandage it.
5. In the event of a laceration or severe cut, a sterile dressing should be applied and the person should be taken to the hospital so that the doctors provide qualified assistance. Over the dressing, you can squeeze the wound to reduce blood loss.

Everyone in life may have a situation when they need help, so any competent person should have basic knowledge on what bleeding is and what help the victim needs. The life of a loved one may depend on this.