Severe bleeding can cause fatal blood loss in minutes. Act before you look for supplies — direct pressure with your bare hand is faster than digging for a bandage.
- Direct pressure, immediately. Push down hard on the wound with whatever is available — a cloth, shirt, or your palm. Don't stop to check if it's working; hold continuous, firm pressure for at least 5-10 minutes before you re-check.
- Pack the wound if pressure alone doesn't stop it. For deep wounds, pack gauze or clean cloth directly into the wound cavity, then apply pressure on top. This works where surface pressure on a deep wound doesn't.
- Elevate above heart level if it's a limb wound and doing so doesn't cause more injury.
- Tourniquet as a last resort for life-threatening limb bleeding that doesn't stop with pressure and packing. Apply 2-3 inches above the wound (not directly on a joint), tighten until bleeding stops, and note the time applied — it will need to stay on until a medical professional removes it. A tourniquet is genuinely painful and risks the limb; it is correct to use one over letting someone bleed out.
- Do not remove embedded objects. Stabilize them in place and bandage around them — removing can restart or worsen bleeding.
This is a summary, not a substitute for training. A hands-on Stop the Bleed or Wilderness First Aid course will teach you the physical technique in a way text can't.