What should be your first action when treating a casualty with severe bleeding?

When treating a casualty with severe bleeding, the immediate priority is to control the hemorrhage, making the application of a tourniquet the most crucial step. Severe bleeding can lead to rapid loss of blood volume and can be life-threatening within minutes. Applying a tourniquet effectively restricts blood flow to the affected limb, which greatly reduces the risk of further blood loss and increases the chances of survival.

While assessing the airway and administering oxygen are also important components of trauma care, they come after addressing life-threatening hemorrhage. In situations where bleeding is uncontrolled, it is essential to stop that bleeding before moving on to airway management or oxygenation. Therefore, the decision to apply a tourniquet as the first action is critical for ensuring the best possible outcome for the casualty.