Bleeding
External bleeding is an injury that is easy for a person to identify and is one of the most serious. All adult human beings possess 5–6 quarts of blood. The average, healthy adult can lose a pint of blood without any problems. A pint of blood is the amount withdrawn from a blood donor. However, if a quart or more of blood is lost rapidly, shock and possible death will most certainly occur without emergency care.
One of the best ways to treat external bleeding is to place clean material on the wound until the bleeding stops. By elevating the wound above the victim’s heart, blood flow will normally subside.
There are two major pressure points used to control bleeding: the brachial point in the arm and the femoral point, located in the groin. These are the points where a tie or belt is dramatically used in movies to control excess bleeding. These pressure points should only be used if elevation and direct pressure have not stopped the bleeding.
Shock