What is the purpose of hemostasis?

The main purposes of hemostasis are to prevent infection, avoid significant blood loss, reduce complications, maintain stable vital signs, and facilitate wound management.

1. Prevent Infection

When a wound is bleeding, it is more susceptible to external pathogens. Promptly stopping the bleeding helps minimize wound exposure and reduces the risk of infection.

2. Avoid Significant Blood Loss

When the body suffers traumatic injury with bleeding, failure to stop the bleeding promptly may lead to substantial blood loss, causing anemia, hypotension, and even life-threatening conditions. Therefore, timely hemostasis is essential to prevent excessive blood loss and protect overall health from further damage.

3. Reduce Complications

Significant bleeding may lead to complications such as anemia, weakened immunity, or organ ischemia. Prompt hemostasis helps lower the risk of these complications.

4. Maintain Stable Vital Signs

In cases of severe bodily injury, timely control of bleeding helps stabilize the patient's vital signs and provides crucial time for subsequent medical treatment.

5. Facilitate Wound Management

When a wound is actively bleeding, procedures such as cleaning, disinfecting, and suturing become difficult. Stopping the bleeding promptly allows for better wound care and promotes faster healing.

Once bleeding occurs, immediate medical attention should be sought. Commonly used hemostatic methods include digital pressure, pressure dressing, packing, and tourniquet application. Clinicians will assess each patient’s specific condition and select the most appropriate method to achieve rapid hemostasis.