Understanding Blood Absorption on Different Surfaces

This demonstration highlights how various surfaces affect the visibility and perceived volume of blood loss, providing valuable insights for accurately assessing a patient's condition.

Blood Absorption Demonstration Overview

We explore the impact of different surfaces on blood spread and absorption using identical volumes of blood across four distinct materials: sand, gravel, blankets, and brick.

Observations on Various Surfaces

• Ground Soil (Sandy Surface): Blood spreads significantly, indicating potential for overestimation of blood loss.
• Gravel: Creates a distinct pattern with limited spread, possibly underestimating blood loss.
• Ambulance (Emergency/Rescue) Blanket: Absorbs blood with medium spread, illustrating the importance of considering material soaking.
• Brick Paving: Shows no absorption, presenting a large pool, potentially misleading in assessing the volume of blood lost.

Comparing Absorbency of Different Dressings

The demonstration extends to the absorbency of a standard ambulance dressing versus a military-grade bandage, revealing significant differences in their capacities to manage blood loss.

Ambulance (Trauma/Emergency) Dressing vs. Military-Grade Bandage

• Ambulance (Trauma/Emergency) Dressing: Quickly saturates and leaks, indicating limited absorbency for significant blood loss.
• Military-Grade Bandage: Effectively retains the blood without leakage, demonstrating superior absorbency for severe injuries.

Conclusion and Implications for Emergency Response

The surface on which blood is lost can dramatically affect the appearance of the volume lost. This understanding, coupled with selecting the appropriate dressing for the severity of the wound, is crucial for effective emergency treatment and blood loss management.