First aid advice please?

[FESus]

DS has badly skinned/cut his knee.

This was about 8 hrs ago. It’s wrapped in a thick gauze, tape and then a bandage on top. It won’t stop bleeding and has soaked through all of it.

He has his leg elevated. Is there anything else we can do?

Take him to a and e

If its still bleeding after 8 hours, I'd take him to the walk in centre.

Phone 111

Blood should have clotted.

Agree a & e for this unusual bleeding

call 111 and get proper advice, unless they tell you to A&E please don't bother them!

It isn’t a particularly deep cut though. Just a large area which has been skinned off.

Wouldn’t A&E just redress it?

I’ll try and get a pic

yep, go.
he's had an accident and the wound needs to be seen and treated.
still bleeding after all this time means either a deep wound or clotting issues.
good luck.

Sounds like it needs a proper pressure bandage. Call 111 and ask for advice. It should have clotted by now, but a large area would need more pressure.

Have you tried steristrips to hold it together? Even so, I'd still get it checked after all this time. Is he on any regular medication that could affect his blood clotting?

I'd ring 111 to be on the safe side.

Agree that 8 hours is well into medical attention territory.

has it not stopped bleeding or have you been changing the dressing as it becomes blood soaked and inadvertently opening it up again?

If it is the former you need medical advice not the internet.

If it is the latter, stop removing the old bandage, just keep putting fresh bandages over the existing one and then seek medical advice if it is still soaking through

Yes have been changing bandages as they get soaked through

Those grey lumpy bits are flaps of skin which is where the blood is coming from

Are the flaps of skin clean underneath? No gravel etc? Have you got any steristrips, they're perfect for this

Soaked as in pouring out or soaked as in you can see the red colouring?

For a large scrape like that, the blood needs to pool so it can clot. If you keep taking the gauze off to change it before it has clotted and dried, then you're just ripping off the scab before it forms.

Gauze it, wrap it and apply pressure.

@FESus ok - as a first aider we are taught not to change them only to layer them up. The problem with changing them is they stick to the wound and as you lift them up they damage the clotted areas and cause them to bleed again - like picking at a scab. As grim as it sounds, if they are soaking through, leave them in place and put a clean one over the top.

WebMD says this;

Stop Bleeding
Apply direct pressure on the cut or wound with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze until bleeding stops.
If blood soaks through the material, don’t remove it. Put more cloth or gauze on top of it and continue to apply pressure.
If the wound is on the arm or leg, raise limb above the heart, if possible, to help slow bleeding.

Once you are certain it has stopped use warm water to soften the area before trying to remove the bandages - I would probably leave them til tomorrow

Try not to panic!

It might need properly cleaned at A&E to ensure no gravel or dirt, and properly dressesd (my DS, with slightly worse “gravel rash” had to have it cleaned then redressed every few days for 3 weeks.

Yes as @Fiffyshadesofgreymatter says. When it bleeds through put a new dressing on top don't take soaked dressing off.

This is not a Graze ( Abrasion) but an Avulsion (Flapping Skin), Seek Medical Advice Now. Current Bleeding Control Protocols have changed and Elevation has been eliminated as ineffective. Pressure, Dress.... Seek help. After take a Paediatric First Aid Course yourself.

Thanks for all your help.

We redressed it and it had stopped bleeding this morning

HandilSafety I am no doctor but they don't look like children legs, not sure a Paediatric First Aid course is appropriate

Thanks but that's not Quite what I suggested anyway, also Paediatrics means up to 16 Years. We tend to do a bit on Adults on our Paediatric First Aid Courses too but thanks for your Input.