Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

7 Bleeding, Wound Care and Trauma

Nosebleed A nosebleed may develop simply by blowing the nose or blunt trauma or for no apparent reason. It may also be a sign of a much more serious injury to the skull. When you begin to examine the nose during the secondary assessment, carefully note the MOI and the colour of the blood. If the blood is mixed with a light yellow fluid or the MOI affected a different area of the head away from the nose, you should suspect a skull fracture. Allow the nose to bleed and begin first aid. (See Muscular and Skeletal Injury, Chapter 8). Otherwise, if there is no reason to suspect a separate head or neck injury: 1. With the patient seated, have them lean forward to allow blood to drain from the nose and mouth. • Have the patient pinch the entire fleshy part of their nose between their thumb and forefinger.

2. If the nose bleed is the result of the nose being hit or struck, have the patient use a cold pack or cold compress over the nose to reduce swelling and pinch the entire fleshy part of the nose between their thumb and forefinger. • Wait ten minutes to allow the blood to clot. • Once bleeding has stopped, advise the patient not to blow their nose for several hours as it may dislodge the clots and resume bleeding. • Get medical help if bleeding does not stop or keeps reoccurring.

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