Bleeding Control: How to Save a Life in Minutes

Massive bleeding is the leading cause of death in trauma. Severe hemorrhage can kill in less than three minutes — many casualties die before medics or rescuers arrive.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Learn how to stop the bleed — it’s simpler than you might think, but it takes practice and a bit of your time. A saved life is worth it, every single time.

Signs of Life-Threatening Bleeding

• A pool or rapidly growing stain of blood; clothing soaked through.

• Blood spurting or flowing in pulses from a wound.

• Traumatic amputation of a limb.

• Signs of shock: casualty is losing consciousness, pale, weak, and cold.

Watch a short video on the basics of bleeding control

Your Own Safety Comes First

1. Make sure you’re safe. If the area is dangerous, stay under cover. Assess the situation and your abilities. Move the casualty to safety only if it’s possible without risking yourself.

2. You can also direct the casualty to move to cover on their own and, if possible, provide self-aid. If they are confused, you may need to shout clear, simple commands.

3. Wear quality nitrile or rubber medical gloves in your size. Keep a pair with you at all times. Avoid gloves that tear easily — such as thin plastic, vinyl, or latex gloves.

4. Cover exposed skin with clothing. Protect your face from blood splashes with a mask, scarf, goggles, or helmet visor.

5. If someone else’s blood gets on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible and seek medical advice.

Call for Help

Tell someone nearby to call emergency services, or use your phone on speaker mode so you can continue giving aid with both hands free.

Find the Source of Bleeding

If clothing or other factors prevent you from clearly seeing the wound, cut or tear the clothing away to expose it. Trauma shears are ideal for this and should be part of every first aid kit.

Remember:

• There may be more than one wound.

• Darkness, sand, gravel, grass, or water can hide blood and make the loss seem smaller than it is.

Watch a TCCC blood sweep demonstration

Direct Pressure

Massive bleeding can often be stopped by pressing firmly on the wound. Place your hands directly on the source of bleeding, using gloves or a barrier to protect yourself.

Apply a bandage or clean cloth to the wound and press hard. Maintain pressure until medics arrive.

Direct pressure works well for extremities, as well as neck, groin, armpit, or buttock wounds.

Do not press on penetrating head wounds. Direct pressure is also unlikely to help with internal bleeding inside the chest or abdomen.

Direct pressure can also be a temporary method while preparing a tourniquet or wound packing.

Direct the casualty to apply pressure to the source of bleeding themselves while you prepare — putting on gloves, locating your first aid kit, cutting away clothing, and so on.

Wound Packing

If direct pressure isn’t enough — especially for large or deep wounds, or when you can’t stay with the casualty — wound packing with a hemostatic dressing is often more effective:

Pack the wound tightly with a CoTCCC-recommended hemostatic dressing, then maintain pressure on top.

If no hemostatic dressing is available, use standard gauze or clean cloth.

If trained, you can replace hand pressure with a pressure bandage — but keep in mind that hands-on pressure is more reliable in holding the packing in place.

Wound packing is most effective for junctional areas (neck, armpits, groin, buttocks) but can also be used on limbs.

Do not pack penetrating wounds to the head, chest, abdomen, natural openings, eyes, or ears.

Watch a TCCC wound packing tutorial

List of CoTCCC-recommended hemostatic dressings

Limb Tourniquets

Massive bleeding from arms or legs can also be stopped with a tourniquet:

Use only high-quality tourniquets recommended by the Committee on TCCC.

Do not use improvised devices — do everything you can to have a proper tourniquet in your kit.

List of CoTCCC-approved tourniquets

Apply the tourniquet at least 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) above the wound. If the exact location of the wound is not clear, place the tourniquet as high as possible on the limb. Do not apply a tourniquet over joints, objects in pockets, knee/elbow pads, or other gear.

It’s best to learn proper tourniquet use in hands-on training.

Tourniquet application technique:

• Place the tourniquet 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) above the wound, or as high as possible if the wound site is unclear.

• Tighten the strap as much as possible and secure it.

• Twist the windlass until the bleeding stops.

• Secure the windlass and strap firmly in place.

• Confirm that there is no pulse below the tourniquet.

• Record the application time on the tourniquet and also write it on the casualty’s forehead with an indelible marker.

Monitoring and Control

Remember that any any treatment used to stop bleeding can fail — especially if the casualty is moved, carried, rolled over, or transported in a vehicle.

• Check the casualty frequently until help arrives.

• Inspect all wound packs, bandages, and tourniquets often.

• If bleeding starts again, act immediately to stop it.

Make sure you get the opportunity to attend practical training — it’s the only way to build real skills and muscle memory.

Train Before You Need It

Skills like these need hands-on practice to build muscle memory.

"In a critical moment, you won’t rise to your expectations — you will fall to the level of your training."

About the Author

Sava — Instructor in first aid and tactical medicine since 2017. Certified in TCCC ASM, CLS, CMC (NAEMT); BLS, PBLS, BIC (ERC); and Stop the Bleed (American College of Surgeons). Has trained more than 10,000 people. Advocate for making lifesaving skills accessible to everyone through tools like LifesaverSIM.