During a club hockey practice, a 28-year-old female athlete sustains a horizontal forearm laceration. The athletic trainer should do which action until EMS arrives?

• A. Elevate the athlete's legs
• B. Elevate the athlete's affected arm
• C. Apply a tourniquet
• D. Clean the blood off the ice

Answer: (B)

Managing external bleeding from a limb is best supported by elevating the injured extremity while applying direct pressure with a clean dressing. Elevating the forearm above heart level uses gravity to help slow blood flow to the wound, which reduces bleeding and swelling and can make the bleeding easier to control while waiting for EMS.

In this scenario, lifting the affected arm directly addresses the source of bleeding from the forearm and complements any direct pressure you’re applying with a dressing. A tourniquet is reserved for life‑threatening, uncontrollable bleeding and is not the first step when bleeding can be managed with elevation and direct pressure. Worrying about cleaning the blood off the ice isn’t the priority and can delay essential care.

So elevating the injured arm aligns with controlling the hemorrhage and buying time until EMS arrives.