Hemilios: What I have to do in case of a bleed

How to stop bleeding

Even with careful treatment, bleeding is sometimes hard to control and avoid. If you are injured or if you recognize any of the symptoms of an internal bleeding, the most important thing is to inform your parents or any adult next to you immediately. For example, if you are at school, you should tell your teacher, or if you are at a friend's house, you could inform their parents or call your own parents.

Remember: It is important to describe symptoms clearly to get an accurate diagnosis (that is, you feel something 'tickling' in your joint or you feel that the area is swollen, hot and painful).

Once an injury happens, you should also report the time of the injury and what exactly happened. (did you fall and hit your leg? did someone accidentally push you? did you cut yourself with the scissors?)

First aid tips about bleeding

If you have an external bleed, that is, if you have blood from a wound or scratch on your skin:

Stay calm. Don't be scared of the running blood. It will slowly stop!

Don't touch the bleeding wound with bare hands.

An adult wearing gloves will cleanse the wound with an antiseptic (the antiseptic is a liquid that kills germs, such as iodine).

You will need to press the bleeding point and hold it high until the blood stops.

Ice helps the bleeding stop faster. Therefore, you will need to put some ice or an ice pack on the wound, after wrapping it with a clean towel (towel is used because the ice should not rest directly on to your skin!).

"Even if the blood from the wound takes time to stop, you don't have to be afraid or scared. After all, bleeding that doesn’t stop fast is the most common symptom of haemophilia!"

If you feel the symptoms of bleeding in a muscle or a joint, you have only 4 simple words to remember:Rest – Ice – Pressure – Lifting!

To get well soon after a bleeding joint, you will need to stay home for a while and move it as little as possible. Therefore, it may be necessary to wear an orthopaedic cast or walk on crutches for some time.

Ice

Wrap an ice pack in a damp towel and put it over the bleed to help reduce the pain and stop the bleeding. You can do that at home by yourself, if you get advise from your mum. Just place the towel with the ice on your joint for 5 minutes!

Compression

Pressure helps stop the bleeding. This is why you may need to wear an elastic bandage around the joint that will push the area gently, until the bleeding stops.

Elevation

If the joint bleed is in your foot or hand, you should lie down and rest it on pillows.

If blood runs out of your nose (nosebleed):

Sit on a chair and hold your head with your chin down

Press the nostril that bleeds for at least 20 minutes

References:

Srivastava A, Santagostino E, Dougall A, et al. WFH guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia, 3rd edition. Haemophilia. 2020:00:1-158
https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.14046

Learning the symptoms of bleeding

Initiated by:

#askhemilios

This information is intended to inform and update the public and may in no way serve as a substitute to consultation with a doctor or other professional health service.

M-SG-00000340-06-2021