Stabbed: How to attend to the wound of a victim.

Anyone who has been stabbed needs immediate help, their life could be at risk.

Helping someone who’s been stabbed is pretty straightforward. Follow these sure to remember, quick and easy steps in the case that you, a friend, a family member or anyone you know is in the unfortunate circumstance of having a fatal wound.

There are 3 main steps to help someone who’s been stabbed:

1. Make sure to apply pressure on the wound. Use your top, toilet paper or a towel while avoiding dirty rags or any contaminated material to avoid infection.
2.  Call 10111, ER24 084 124 and press your Blue Security Panic App Button
3.  Keep pressure on the wound until an ambulance arrives.

What if there is an object in the wound?

If there is an object in the wound, don’t remove it as this could make the bleeding a lot worse. Apply pressure around it. A loss of 2 pints of blood will lead to shock and a loss of 2.5 litres to 3 litres of blood will cause death. Thus, avoid further bleeding by leaving the weapon in the stab wound.

What does it mean if the person looks pale, feels cold and is dizzy?

This means there isn’t enough blood flowing through the body. This physical response to an injury is called shock, and it can be life-threatening.

If you suspect someone is going into shock:

• Call the emergency service again to stress the urgency of the situation.
• Lie the stabbed victim down and lift their feet higher than the rest of their body. This keeps their legs higher than their heart, which helps increase blood flow to their brain and heart.
• Reassure them that everything is going to be alright and provide a positive outlook on the situation to keep the victim in the best mindset they can possibly be in.
• Continue to apply pressure to the wound to stop the blood coming out.

Is there anything else you can do?

The best thing you can do for a victim who has been stabbed is to keep applying pressure to the wound and wait for an ambulance to arrive. Talk to the victim as if they are not a victim and play down the situation to keep them from panicking further.