The Bleeding Scale

1. Grade

   1

   Grade 1

   Stops itself

   Paper cut, shaving nick, head on a cabinet door, scraped knee, hangnail, nicked a fingertip dicing, blister, splinter, torn nail

   What stops it

   Nothing. Under a minute on its own. On a blood thinner it acts like a Grade 2.

   Use

   A bandage

2. Grade

   2

   Grade 2

   Stops with pressure

   Knife slip into the palm, broken glass in the sink, box cutter, mandoline, dog bite, hand through glass, bad fall on gravel

   What stops it

   10 to 20 minutes of committed pressure. Soaks through towels. Still an ER trip for stitches.

   Use

   SEAL OTC 1.5 oz→

3. Grade

   3

   Grade 3

   Pressure is not enough

   Chainsaw kickback to the leg, angle grinder, table saw, car accident, glass and metal, gunshot, animal attack, neck, armpit, groin

   What stops it

   Pack it and hold two-handed pressure 3 to 5 minutes. Same SEAL medicine as OTC. PRO holds more.

   Use

   SEAL PRO 2.5 oz→

4. Grade

   4

   Grade 4

   Minutes to live

   Traumatic amputation, arterial spurting, arm or leg, crush or degloving injury, open fracture, artery involved, multiple wounds at once

   What stops it

   Spray SEAL. Get a tourniquet on. Call for help. Unconscious in 60 to 90 seconds if it is femoral.

   Use

   SEAL PRO, then a tourniquet

OTC and PRO are the same medicine. PRO is a bigger can for bigger bleeds, not a stronger formula.