Severe Bleeding in the Field Part 1: What to Do When Seconds Matter

Whether you’re hunting in the backcountry, spending the day at the shooting range, or simply enjoying the outdoors, accidents can happen when you least expect them. A knife can slip while field dressing an animal. Someone can take a fall. A firearm-related accident can cause a life-threatening injury.
When severe bleeding occurs, knowing what to do in those first few minutes can make a critical difference.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a medical professional to take the first steps.

First: Make Sure the Scene Is Safe

Before helping someone else, make sure you aren’t putting yourself in danger.
If the injury involves a firearm, make sure the firearm is safe and no additional threat exists. If you’re dealing with a fall, vehicle, animal, or other hazard, make sure the scene is safe enough for you to approach.
You can’t help someone else if you become injured yourself.

Recognize Severe Bleeding

Not every cut is an emergency, but severe bleeding requires immediate action. Signs of potentially life-threatening bleeding can include:

• Blood that is flowing continuously or rapidly
• Blood that is pooling around the injured person
• Blood soaking through clothing or other material quickly
• A deep or large wound
• Bleeding that doesn’t stop with normal pressure
• Signs of shock, such as pale or clammy skin, weakness, confusion, or dizziness
  When in doubt, treat significant bleeding seriously.

Call for Help

If the injury is severe, call 911 or your local emergency number as soon as possible.
If you’re hunting or shooting somewhere remote, knowing your location before an emergency happens is extremely important. GPS coordinates, a marked trail, nearby landmarks, or a hunting property address can help emergency responders find you faster.
If you’re with someone else, have one person call for help while another begins treating the injury.
If you’re alone, call for help and put your phone on speaker, if possible, while you begin providing first aid.

Apply Firm, Direct Pressure

For severe bleeding, your first priority is to stop the blood loss.
Use clean gauze or another appropriate dressing and apply firm, direct pressure directly to the wound.
Don’t be afraid to use pressure. A serious bleeding wound may require significant pressure to control the bleeding.
Keep pressure on the wound, and don’t constantly lift the dressing to check whether the bleeding has stopped. Removing it repeatedly can disrupt the clot that is beginning to form.
If blood soaks through the gauze, don’t remove the original dressing and start over. Continue applying pressure and add additional gauze or dressings as needed.

If the Wound Is Deep

Some wounds are too deep for simply placing gauze over the top.
In certain areas of the body, gauze may need to be placed into the wound and firm pressure maintained to help control bleeding. This is known as wound packing and is an important skill that hunters and shooters should consider learning.
We’ll cover wound packing and other bleeding-control techniques in more detail in future articles.

Don’t Forget About Shock

Severe blood loss can lead to shock, which is a life-threatening condition. While waiting for emergency medical help:

• Keep the injured person as calm as possible.
• Keep them warm if conditions allow.
• Don’t give them food or drinks.
• Continue monitoring their breathing and responsiveness.
• Stay with them until help arrives.
  Even if the bleeding appears to be under control, a person with significant blood loss still needs medical evaluation.

Be Prepared Before You Need It

The worst time to realize you don’t have the right supplies is when someone is already bleeding.
A basic hunting or shooting first-aid kit should include supplies specifically intended to help control serious bleeding. At a minimum, that means having quality gauze and a tourniquet readily accessible—and, just as importantly, knowing how to use the equipment you carry.
That’s one of the reasons we developed our Ally Munitions Hunt Saver and Life Saver First Aid Kits. They’re designed with the outdoorsman and woman in mind, giving you essential first-aid supplies you can keep in your hunting pack, range bag, vehicle, or wherever your next adventure takes you. These kits also come with the information you need to handle these situations.

Remember: Act, Don’t Panic

When something goes wrong in the field, it’s easy to freeze. Blood can be scary, especially when you’re dealing with someone you know.
Take a breath. Make sure the scene is safe. Call for help. Apply direct pressure. Stay with the injured person and continue providing care until professional help arrives.
You don’t have to be a medical professional to make a difference. You just need to be prepared to act.
From everyone at Ally Munitions, be safe and be prepared!