By what means may hemorrhage be controlled?

-
Hemorrhage

Q. By what means may hemorrhage be controlled?

A. The principal means to be employed for arresting hemorrhage are pressure, ice or cold water, hot water, and the ligature. The means to be employed differ somewhat according to the part in which the hemorrhage occurs. As a general rule, the bleeding part should be elevated, and pressure applied at the point of in­jury. Very hot or very cold applications should be made. Pressure acts by closing the blood vessels and allowing the blood to coagulate. Cold at first causes the blood vessels to contract; but if applied continuously for a long time, the blood vessels are paralyzed and become relaxed. In using the ligature, apply it either above or be­low the injury if it occurs in a limb, according, as the bleeding comes from an artery or a vein. If an artery is wounded, the blood will flow in jets; if a vein is injured, the blood will be dark in color and will flow in a steady stream. If the vessel is an artery, the ligature or pressure should be applied between the wound and the heart; if a vein, it should be applied on the op­posite side. A slight hemorrhage from a wound may generally be very easily controlled by pressure upon the injured part with the fingers or a compress of folded muslin.

Bleeding from the nose may generally be checked by holding the head erect, snuffing cold water up the nostrils and holding the arms as high as possible.

Hemorrhage from the stomach, indicated by vomiting of blood, requires perfect rest, the application of ice over the stomach, and swallow­ing small bits of ice in rapid succession. Hemorrhage from the lungs requires heat at the extremities; restraint from coughing; the application of cold to the chest, ice pills, and the inhalation of an atomized solution of tan­nin, or the vapor of turpentine.

Hemorrhage from the bowels generally re­sults from hemorrhoids. Cold water should be injected into the rectum, and the patient should be kept quiet in a horizontal position.

Bleeding from a rupture of varicose veins in the lower limbs is sometimes very severe. It may be relieved by a tight ligature both above and below the point of rupture.

Popular posts from this blog

Is chronic catarrh of the larynx curable?

-
Chronic Laryngitis Q. Is chronic catarrh of the larynx curable? A. In most cases this disease may be cured, even when of long standing, except in cases in which the inflammation is due to tubercular infection. Many of these cases are also curable if taken in time. A skilled specialist must be consulted.
Read more

Of what use are the tonsils and should they be removed?

-
The Tonsils Q. Of what use are the tonsils and should they be removed? A. The tonsils are lymphatic glands. Their function is to protect the body against the great number of microbes which collect in the mouth. They are also connected with the functions which promote the growth and development of the body. Diseased tonsils are a constant menace to the body, proving an open door for the entrance of harmful organisms. Tuberculosis germs and other disease-producing bacteria often find their way into the body through the open portal pro­vided by diseased tonsils. The tonsils harbor disease germs, such as pneumonia and diptheria, also the germ of influenza or la grippe. These germs are lying there ready to develop whenever the vital resistance is lowered by cold, exhaus­tion, indigestion, or any other depressing cause. Diseased tonsils are often a cause of rheumatism and probably other serious maladies. Tonsils which frequently become raw or in­ flamed or which are constant...
Read more