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A gang member was cut on the left side of the neck during a fight and is bleeding heavily from the wound. His airway is patent and his breathing is adequate. You should immediately:
Apply a tight pressure dressing and secure it in place with tape
Apply high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask at 15 L/min
Cover the wound with an occlusive dressing and apply direct pressure
Perform a head-to-toe assessment to find and treat other injuries
The correct answer is: Apply a tight pressure dressing and secure it in place with tape
In this scenario, the immediate priority is to control the bleeding from the wound on the left side of the neck. Applying a tight pressure dressing and securing it in place with tape can help to compress the blood vessels in the injured area and minimize further blood loss. This can be crucial in preventing the individual from going into shock due to significant blood loss. While high-flow oxygen and assessing for other injuries are important steps in providing care to a trauma patient, in this specific case, the key is to address the life-threatening bleeding first. Covering the wound with an occlusive dressing and applying direct pressure may not be sufficient to control the bleeding from a cut on the neck compared to a tight pressure dressing. Therefore, the best immediate action to take in this situation is to apply a tight pressure dressing and secure it in place with tape to help control the bleeding effectively.