b'BleedingChapterOur blood vessels are sometimes called the highways of the body because these vessels transport all the vital necessities of life throughout the body. The blood travels through a network of veins, arteries and capillaries carrying life giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell throughout the body. When blood vessels become damaged, they bleed. Severe bleeding may result in death because blood loss decreases blood volume and blood pressure. This deprives vital organs of oxygen needed for survival.It is very important to control all external bleeding as quickly as possible, especially in children. The amount of blood in the human body varies according to weight and size. An average adult has approximately 6 to 8 litres of blood whereas an average 2 year old has only about 1 to 2 litres of blood.An adult can donate 500ml of blood however a similar amount of blood loss in a child will lead to serious life threatening shock.How the Body Responds to Minimise Blood LossThe human body has its own way to help control blood loss. With severe bleeding, the body constricts the ends of the damaged blood vessels and reduces blood pressure to that area in order to minimise blood loss.This helps to redirect blood to the vital organs such as the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys. It is the bodys defence response to protect vital organs, minimise shock and to enable a clot to form.For amputations (depending on how the amputation occurs), the arteries and veins can spasm, recoil and seal, thereby reducing blood loss.Some wounds are life-threatening and need urgent attention. Others may be minor but can still cause pain and if not managed correctly can become serious later.In life-threatening bleeding, control of bleeding takes priority over airway and breathing.68 Bleeding'