Call 911 now.
Put the phone on speaker so you can keep helping. The dispatcher can talk you through what to do.
Call 911Do this now
- Call 911 or have someone call. Put the phone on speaker.
- Press hard on the wound with a clean cloth or your hands. Lean your body weight into it.
- Keep pressing without stopping. If blood soaks through, add more cloth on top — don’t lift the first layer.
- For an arm or leg that won’t stop bleeding, use a tourniquet 2 to 3 inches above the wound (not on a joint). Tighten until the bleeding stops and note the time.
- Keep the person lying down and warm until help arrives.
Call 911 if:
- Blood is spurting, pouring, or pooling, or soaks through cloth quickly
- Bleeding doesn’t slow after several minutes of firm pressure
- The wound is deep, from a serious injury, or on the neck, chest, belly, or groin
- The person seems confused, very sleepy, pale, cold, or clammy
Deep wounds
If the wound is deep, like in the thigh, armpit, or groin, pack it: stuff clean cloth or gauze firmly into the wound, then press hard with both hands.
Tourniquets
Use a manufactured tourniquet if one is available. It will hurt — that is normal. Don’t loosen or remove it once it’s on; medical professionals will do that. If you don’t have a real tourniquet, keep pressing hard on the wound. Mayo Clinic advises against makeshift tourniquets like belts or scarves.
Avoid
- Don’t remove an object stuck in a wound. Press around it, not on it.
- Don’t keep lifting the cloth to check the wound.
See the full severe bleeding guide.