External bleeding
The signs of external bleeding depend on the type of damaged blood vessel:
- oxygenated blood from an artery appears bright red and will spurt out in time with the person’s heartbeat
- deoxygenated blood from a vein appears dark red and will flow steadily out of the body
- bleeding from a capillary will appear bright red and flows steadily out of the body.
Internal bleeding
The signs of internal bleeding include:
- altered state of consciousness
- bleeding from orifices in the body, e.g., ears, nose, mouth
- blood in urine or stool
- bruising
- feeling weak or lightheaded
- nausea
- pain
- pale skin—all over or localised
- shortness of breath
- signs of shock that are unresponsive to treatment (see Shock).