TempoLife › First aid guides › severe-bleeding
Severe bleeding
Controlling heavy bleeding while help is on the way.
In an emergency, call your emergency number first — 112 across the EU. This is general information, not a substitute for hands-on first-aid training or professional medical care. If you are unsure, call for help and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
When to use this
Use for heavy bleeding that soaks through cloth or spurts from a wound.
Step by step
- Make sure it is safe, and wear gloves if you have them.
- Apply firm, direct pressure on the wound with a clean pad or cloth, using your hand.
- Call 112 (or ask someone to) as soon as possible.
- Keep pressing. If blood soaks through, add more padding on top and keep the pressure — do not remove the first dressing.
- Help the person lie down, raise the injured part if you can, and keep them warm while you wait.
What not to do
- Do not remove a large embedded object — press around it instead.
- A tourniquet is a last resort for uncontrollable limb bleeding and is best applied by trained responders.
Emergency numbers
112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and much of the world, often even without a SIM or signal from your own network. Some countries keep additional local numbers.
| Where you are | Emergency number |
|---|---|
| European Union & EEA (incl. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania) | 112 |
| United Kingdom | 999 (112 also works) |
| United States & Canada | 911 |
| Australia | 000 |
| New Zealand | 111 |
Other first-aid guides
Adult CPR
What to do when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
Choking (adult)
Clearing a blocked airway in a responsive adult.
Burns and scalds
First aid for heat burns and scalds.
Heat stroke
A life-threatening overheating emergency.
Hypothermia
Warming someone who has become dangerously cold.
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
A rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Source: Steps paraphrase widely-accepted guidance from bodies such as the European Resuscitation Council and national Red Cross societies. General information, not a substitute for training. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
When should I use this?
Use for heavy bleeding that soaks through cloth or spurts from a wound.
When must I call emergency services?
As early as you safely can. Across the EU that is 112. For anyone unresponsive and not breathing normally, call first (or have someone call) and start CPR straight away.
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