If there are any major leaks you will have to take steps to control the bleeding. Ideally you will have ‘rubber’ gloves on for this.

Typically most bleeding can be slowed down or stopped with [in this order] direct pressure on the wound. Use the cleanest cloth available to cover the wound and apply pressure for at least 5 full minutes by the clock. The cloth will provide a matrix for the blood to clot into. After the 5 minutes reduce the pressure without disturbing the cloth [dressing], if the leaking does not resume you may tie [bandage] the dressing in place. If it starts bleeding again reapply pressure and elevate the wound above heart level. Most of the time I go ahead and do both from the start as it saves time and blood. Over 90% of all bleeding can be controlled this way. Hopefully EMS will arrive while you are doing this.  A tourniquet is a last ditch effort at this level to save a life and may result in losing the limb, but that is better than dying.

Many other injuries respond well to

RICE

• Rest,
• Ice,
• Compression and
• Elevation

Rest means to reduce how much and how ‘hard’ you use the affected body part. An example of this would be staying off of a sprained ankle instead of running a marathon.

Ice has the effect of constricting blood vessels in the affected area which will decrease bleeding and swelling, which in turn will lessen the pain levels and damage.

Compression also lessens the amount of blood and extra cellular fluid in the area. Compression will force much of the fluid away from the damaged area kinda like wringing water out of a towel.

Elevation slows bleeding and helps fluid in the tissue to migrate back into healthier tissue via gravity.