page_title: Emergency bleeding control
section_title: Pressure points
hierarchical_section_title: Emergency bleeding control / External wound management / Pressure points
caption_attribution_description: English: A schematic showing the arterial pressure points. The providing of pressure on one of these points near the location of a cut will stop the bleeding. The wounded body part will also need to be held as high as possible (keep it above above the heart). The schematic was made based on an image in the book "The Sailor's Handbook by H.C. Herreshoff, and the image http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Nervous_system_diagram_%28dumb%29.png was made as a basis.
context_page_description: Emergency bleeding control describes actions that control bleeding from a patient who has suffered a traumatic injury or who has a medical condition that has caused bleeding. Many bleeding control techniques are taught as part of first aid throughout the world, though some more advanced techniques such as tourniquets, are often taught as being reserved for use by health professionals, or as an absolute last resort, to mitigate associated risks, such as potential loss of limbs. To manage bleeding effectively, it is important to be able to readily identify types of wounds and types of bleeding.
context_section_description: In situations where direct pressure and elevation are either not possible or proving ineffective, and there is a risk of exsanguination, some training protocols advocate the use of pressure points to constrict the major artery that feeds the point of the bleed.  This is usually performed at a place where a pulse can be found, such as in the femoral artery.  There are significant risks involved in performing pressure point constriction, including necrosis of the area below the constriction, and most protocols give a maximum time for constriction (often around 10 minutes).  There is particularly high danger if constricting the carotid artery in the neck, as the brain is sensitive to hypoxia and brain damage can result within minutes of application of pressure. Pressure on the carotid artery can also cause vagal tone induced bradycardia, which can eventually stop the heart. Other dangers in use of a constricting method include rhabdomyolysis, which is a buildup of toxins below the pressure point, which if released back into the main bloodstream may cause kidney failure.
caption: The arterial pressure points
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