If you see someone bleeding, it can be overwhelming. But you don’t have to be scared. With a few steps, you can manage any bleeding wound. Before you touch blood, remember to protect yourself from exposure. Clean gloves or a waterproof barrier can protect you from blood exposure. For the injured person’s sake, work with clean hands and products to prevent wound infection.

Bleeding wounds in the following situations require you to call an ambulance:

Severe bleeding, especially if blood spurts out of the wound.
The person is already weakened from the bleeding.
Deep stomach or chest wounds
Foreign objects stuck in the bleeding wound, leaving the object in the wound, but try stabilising it so that it doesn’t cause a bigger or deeper wound.

While waiting for the ambulance or before transporting the injured person, try to stop or slow the bleeding as directed below.

Stop bleeding with the following steps:

Apply direct pressure on the bleeding wound with clean gauze, cloth or tissues.
If the bleeding is coming through the material, add extra material over the material already on the wound. Don’t remove the material directly from the wound as the bleeding can worsen.
Limb wounds can be lifted above the heart to help reduce the bleeding.

Once the bleeding is stopped, wound care can be done as follows:

Clean the wound thoroughly with saline water (a teaspoon of salt per cup of cooled boiled water)
Apply an antibiotic ointment
Cover with a clean dressing.

Further treatment from a doctor is needed when:

The wound is deep or gaping
In the person’s face
Debris or dirt is in the wounds
Infectious changes of the wound
Bite from an animal or a human
A wound which can involve a muscle or tendon
Numbness around the wound can indicate nerve involvement
If the injured person didn’t receive a Tetanus injection in the previous five years.

These basic steps will help you attend to most wounds you might be exposed to.