- What to do if the knife has already been removed
- What to do if the person stops breathing
- How to treat the stab wound
The most important care after a stab is to avoid removing the knife or any object that is inserted in the body, as there is a high risk of making the bleeding worse or causing more damage to the internal organs, increasing the risk of death.
So, when someone is stabbed, what you should do is:
- Do not remove the knife or other object that is inserted in the body; Apply pressure around the wound with a clean cloth to try to stop the bleeding. If possible, gloves should be worn to avoid direct contact with blood, especially if there is a cut in the hand; Call medical help immediately by calling 192.
If during the period when the ambulance does not arrive, the person becomes very pale, cold or dizzy, one should lie down and try to raise the legs above the level of the heart, so that the blood can reach the brain more easily.
However, this can also increase bleeding from the wound, so it is very important to maintain pressure around the wound, at least until the arrival of the medical team.
In addition, if the person has been stabbed more than once, the wound that is bleeding more should be treated first to try to stop a life-threatening bleeding.
What to do if the knife has already been removed
In case the knife has already been removed from the body, what should be done is apply pressure on the wound with a clean cloth, to try to stop the bleeding until medical help arrives.
What to do if the person stops breathing
If the person stabbed stops breathing, basic life support with cardiac compression should be started immediately to keep the heart pumping. Here's how to do cardiac compressions correctly:
If another person is available, you should ask to keep the pressure on the wound while compressing, to prevent blood from flowing through the wound.
How to treat the stab wound
After hemorrhage and damage to internal organs, infection is a major cause of death in stabbed people. For this reason, if the bleeding has stopped, after applying pressure to the site, it is very important to take care of the wound. To do this, you must:
- Remove any type of dirt that is close to the wound; Wash the wound with saline to remove excess blood; Cover the wound with a sterile dressing.
When caring for the wound it is very important, if possible, to wear gloves not only to avoid transmitting bacteria to the wound, but also to protect yourself from contact with blood. Here's how to make a dressing correctly.
Even after bleeding and dressing the wound, it is very important to wait for medical help or go to the hospital, to assess whether there is any important organ affected and whether it is necessary to start using an antibiotic, for example.
