One could be forgiven for spotting a first-aid kit tucked away in a cupboard, mounted high on a wall, or strategically positioned near an emergency station.

The presence of a first-aid kit and related tools in the workplace is a best practice.

But first aiders must be more than equipped; they must be trained and ready.

Educating employees on something as seemingly basic as the 3 types of bleeds is a good start. Knowing the difference between arterial, venous, and capillary bleeding helps employees not only understand the emergency at hand but also recognize when to call for professional help and how to manage that emergency while waiting for help.

It all boils down to preparedness. Let’s look at the science behind the 3 types of bleeds, why knowledge is power, and the importance of first-aid training such as the ACS Stop the Bleed program.

Why the First-Aid Kit Is Only Part of the Equation

The circulatory system contains a network of blood vessels that delivers oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Arteries carry the blood away from the heart, while veins return it. Connecting arteries and veins are capillaries, the smallest and most numerous type of blood vessel.

Damaging any of these vessels will result in bleeding.

There are 3 types of bleeds: arterial, venous, and capillary.

1. Arterial Bleeding

Arterial bleeding can result in copious amounts of blood loss due to the pressure in the arteries. The bleed could be pulsating or spurting. As much as it is essential for first aiders to understand that arterial bleeding is only a fraction of all forms of bleeds, recognizing it saves lives.

2. Venous Bleeding

Venous bleeding often presents as a steady stream. It could be less flashy than arterial bleeding, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Like arterial bleeding, it results in significant amounts of blood loss.

3. Capillary Bleeding

It usually results in blood “oozing” slowly and steadily from the site of the injury. This type of bleed can be treated with firm direct pressure and proper wound care. Arterial, venous, and capillary bleeds are the different classifications that define an injured blood vessel. Understanding these kinds of bleeding, however, only goes so far.

What Is the Difference Between Knowing and Recognizing Dangerous Bleeding?

It is true that being able to identify which type of blood vessel has been injured is a good skill. However, the first-aid responder should not aim to be a diagnostician. Their job is to determine if the situation is an emergency.

According to the American Red Cross, in relation to potentially life-threatening external bleeding, the responder should assess the quantity and quality of the blood loss and look for signs or symptoms of shock.

In short, it doesn’t matter what the blood looks like as long as enough blood is not being lost. That’s not to say that the different kinds of bleeding shouldn’t be understood since there are different responses to different types of bleeding.

The key takeaway here is that the person injured needs enough pressure applied to the source of bleeding for the bleeding to stop or for it to apply other life-saving procedures that are appropriate to the circumstance.

When it comes to direct pressure, which we will examine shortly, there is no reason not to teach it. After all, it is an easy-to-learn and highly-effective first-response procedure. Direct pressure also serves as a precursor skill for other first-aid procedures.

But What if Direct Pressure Isn’t Enough to Control Serious Bleeding?

In some instances, it may become necessary to take steps beyond direct pressure.

The ACS Stop the Bleed program recommends three actions – namely direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet use – to buy time before professional help can be administered.

A tourniquet can offer a measure of control over serious or life-threatening limb bleeding.

It is generally applied above the injury site and placed between the wound and the heart without being placed directly over a joint.

Direct pressure, and other techniques such as wound packing and tourniquet application, should be practiced regularly in case of an emergency.

A Closer Look at Workplace Bleeding Emergencies and Preparedness

Preventing accidents in the workplace should always be the priority. The truth is, preventing an injury is the best thing a business can do for its safety program. However, even the best workplace safety and health programs are not foolproof.

An employee could drop a heavy object, a tool could malfunction unexpectedly, or there might be a vehicle-related incident. In short, there is no way of controlling or predicting what might happen in the workplace, and any of these events could lead to an emergency requiring first aid.

This is where preparedness comes in. Preparedness involves making sure that personnel knows the location and contents of the first-aid kit, where the first-aid cabinet is, who is competent to give first aid, how emergencies are to be managed, and how emergency procedures can be activated.

It also involves the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, eye wash, CPR training, training on bloodborne pathogens, and more.

There’s a long list of everything required to run a proper workplace first aid program. From the first aid cabinet, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), PPE, emergency eyewash equipment, CPR & first-aid training, bloodborne pathogens awareness training to first aid and safety procedures, it is possible to acquire all these first-aid supplies and services from UniFirst First Aid + Safety, which caters to all first aid needs from first aid and AEDs, PPE, safety training, fire safety to testing employees.

A Culture of Readiness

There is no question that reading about first-aid procedures is not the same as practicing them. The latter offers a far greater insight into the skills needed to respond to an emergency.

Being present during a drill also helps, because when the incident does occur, the responder will know what to do.

After all, practice makes perfect, and every company should be prepared to handle a medical emergency. That may explain why so many are turning to the ACS Stop the Bleed program to understand and practice direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application using hands-on training.

So the next time an employee sees a first-aid kit, they remember how to apply direct pressure to a wound, a life-saving first-response procedure. More broadly, they understand emergency management as it pertains to life-threatening bleeding.

Conclusion

The 3 types of bleeds – arterial, venous, and capillary apply to injured blood vessels in the body. They offer a basic understanding of normal physiology as well as the pathology of external bleeding.

However, businesses should be more concerned about the actions that can be taken to limit blood loss and prevent shock after an injury.

Equipping first aiders with the correct first-aid supplies, training them, and ensuring that employees know what to do if a serious injury occurs goes a long way in helping companies prevent an unfortunate event from becoming a full-blown emergency.

Let the expert team at UniFirst First Aid + Safety assist you. Our first aid experts are ready to support your safety program by providing first-aid supplies, AEDs, PPE, safety training, fire safety products, and more.

FAQs About the 3 Types of Bleeds

What are the three types of bleeding?

There are three types of external bleeds – arterial, venous, and capillary. Bleeding can also be internal, which is generally more serious but not always easily visible.

Is arterial bleeding bright red?

While it is true that arterial blood is bright red, you should not rely on the color of the blood to determine which type of bleeding you are dealing with.

Can venous bleeding be life-threatening?

Yes, it can. Losing too much blood is dangerous; therefore, life-threatening bleeds from broken veins, arteries, or capillaries should all be taken seriously.

Can capillary bleeding be life-threatening?

While capillary bleeding typically results from a break in the smallest blood vessels and can lead to slow, steady loss of blood, it presents less risk than venous or arterial bleeds. The threat depends on the injury type, its location, depth, and the condition of the person being injured.

Are there things businesses can do to be prepared for life-threatening bleeding emergencies?

Beyond first-aid supplies, employers can ensure they have appropriate PPE, that employees are trained and can respond accordingly, and that there are procedures in place to manage potential incidents.

How can individuals learn bleeding control?

Specialized first aid or Stop the Bleed-style training can equip individuals with some of the skills required in emergency response to external bleeding and how to apply direct pressure to a bleed. The ACS Stop the Bleed program focuses mainly on teaching people the procedure to direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application.