For External Bleeding

A skin wound.

Dark red blood gushes or flows from veins.

Bright red blood spurts from arteries.

Blood oozes from capillaries. The bleeding usually clots off by itself.

For Internal Bleeding

Vomiting or coughing up true, red blood. This includes blood-tinged sputum.

A bruise on the skin of the chest or abdomen, especially if it is in a place where no blow was struck.

Fractured ribs.

Dizziness. Fainting. Weakness.

Lethargy. Excessive sleepiness. Mental status changes. These can occur with trauma to the head, even if it is mild.

Fast pulse. Cold, moist skin.

Stools contain bright red blood or are black (not due to taking iron).

Causes

For External Bleeding

Abrasions (scraped skin). Lacerations (cut skin with jagged edges). Punctures. (See Skin Injuries / Wounds.)

Knife, gunshot, or other wounds can graze or penetrate the skin. These can damage internal blood vessels and body organs.

Injury wounds.

For Internal Bleeding

A bruise. This is bleeding from and damage to tissues beneath the skin.

Damage to blood vessels and/or internal structures. This includes a blunt injury that does not break the skin, a bleeding ulcer, and an aneurysm.

Bleeding disorders. Taking blood-thinning drugs can result in both internal and external bleeding.

Treatment

When bleeding occurs, the goal is to find the source, stop or lessen the bleeding, and help the body cope with the loss of blood.

For severe bleeding, treatment includes first aid measures and emergency medical care.

For minor bleeding, treatment depends on the cause and other medical conditions present.

Bleeding disorders need to be treated by a doctor.

Questions to Ask

Are any of these problems present?

A body part has been amputated.

Bleeding from a wound is severe.

Blood spurts from the wound and it is not controlled with direct pressure.

Signs of shock.

(Note: Give first aid as needed.)

Are any of these problems present?

Bleeding comes from a deep wound (it appears to go down to the muscle or bone) and/or a bone is exposed.

The skin on or around the wound site hangs open.

A deformity is at the injury site.

Bleeding from what appears to be a minor wound continues after 20 minutes of applied pressure.