When to Use the ER? Uncontrolled Bleeding

When to Use the ER? Uncontrolled Bleeding

The sight of blood means danger in most cases but not all bleeding cases. This danger could range from the dysfunction of a body organ which culminates into more severity if not dealt with immediately and can even be fatal to the patient. Some bleeding cases, however, do not warrant a visit to the emergency room, which would then mean that doing so would be an unnecessary expense. But then how do you tell if your case of uncontrolled bleeding warrants a visit to the emergency room?

This article has considered these factors and has compiled a list of common bleeding conditions that may warrant a visit to the emergency room depending on how they are experienced, courtesy of Bellaire ER.

Nose Bleeding

Nosebleeds medically known as epistaxis are usually nothing serious and can be easily dealt with at home. During a nosebleed, the patient experiences blood trickling from one or both of their nostrils which can be heavy or light. The bleeding can go on for a few seconds to ten minutes or even more, which is where one can distinguish as to whether a visit to the ER is necessary or not.

To stop a nosebleed, you should take the following steps:

First, take a seat and hold the soft region above your nostrils between your thumb and index finger, for ten to fifteen minutes at least.
Then lean forward and breathe using your mouth. This step helps you direct the blood to run down your nose instead of draining it down the back of your throat.
Place a cold clothe, icepack or bag of frozen vegetables on the bridge of your nose to reduce and ultimately stop the bleeding.
Avoid lying down and try to stay upright instead so that you can reduce the blood pressure in the blood vessels of your nose, which works to prevent further bleeding.

These steps should stop the bleeding, which then renders the nosebleed, not emergency room worthy. However, if the bleeding persists then you must take the visit to an emergency room.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal bleeding is a symptom of a serious condition that affects your digestive tract whose organs includes; the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, duodenum, large intestines, rectum, and anus. Gastrointestinal bleeding can occur in any of these organs, which differ as a symptom of the condition it may represent. Some of these conditions warrant an emergency room visit whereas others can be dealt with under normal medical procedures. Here are some of the conditions, urgent and non-urgent, that exhibit gastrointestinal bleeding.

Stomach ulcers, which are painful sore that develop in the lining of your stomach. This condition is manageable within normal medical procedures.
Peptic ulcers. These are rather worse sores that not only line up at the stomach but also on the esophagus and small intestines. These type of ulcer, just like the former, does not warrant an emergency room visit.
Bleeding esophageal varices, which entails an increase in the pressure on the vein that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver, known as the portal vein. Increased pressure on the portal vein causes portal hypertension which can lead to their rupture and bleeding causing a life-threatening condition. This condition is to be considered a medical emergency thus warrants a visit to the ER.
Intussusception, which occurs when a portion of the intestines folds inside another part causing blockage. This condition also requires urgent medical attention thus should be dealt with within an emergency room.

Surgical Bleeding

After a surgical procedure, a patient may experience bleeding on the area operated on due to given factors. These factors include; injury or post-surgery medicine such as aspirin or anticoagulants also known as blood thinners. This kind of bleeding should be treated as a medical emergency, thus warrants an ER visit. For such a case, the doctor will examine you for the cause of bleeding using imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI or Ultrasound. However, to avoid such an eventuality you can follow these guidelines;

Always keep the area clean and dry.
Keep a dressing over the incision.
If it is bandaged, change the bandage every day.
Avoid using hydrogen peroxide or alcohol since they slow the healing process.
Avoid straining the incision.

Injury Bleeding

There are minor and major bleeding episodes where; the former are easy to treat and have no long-term consequence whereas the latter can be very dangerous and even fatal. Accidental cuts or puncture wounds caused by contact with sharp objects can cause extensive bleeding. If the bleeding cannot be controlled by putting pressure on the wound, then it is a medical emergency. That is because it causes decreased blood pressure and a drop in organ blood resulting in shock.

Conclusively, now you know what to do for the bleeding conditions you may commonly experience as compiled within this article. However, seeking professional assistance is the best solution, and Bellaire ER is the best institution to offer the professional assistance you may need on matters of medical urgency.