What are the 3 types of pressure used to stop bleeding and in what order of use?

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The method tested is a progressive approach to stopping external bleeding that starts with the least invasive, most reliable step and escalates only as needed. First, apply direct pressure right on the wound with clean cloth or gauze. This physical compression directly slows or stops the bleeding by letting the blood clot and by pinching the vessel at the site of injury.

If bleeding continues, move to pressure points. These are spots where you can compress the arteries upstream from the wound to reduce blood flow to the injured area. This step helps gain more control when direct pressure alone isn’t enough.

If the bleed is still not controlled and remains life-threatening, you may need a constricting band (tourniquet) applied around the limb, proximal to the wound. This stops arterial inflow to the entire injured portion of the limb and is used as a last resort when other methods fail.

Elevating the limb can support bleeding control but is not part of the sequence of pressure methods itself, and applying a tourniquet before attempting direct pressure and pressure points would be inappropriate.