One of the best ways to treat external bleeding is to place clean material on the wound and apply firm hand pressure until the bleeding stops. Also, elevate the wound above the victim's heart. This will minimize the flow of blood to the affected area.A tourniquet should be used only in a severe emergency when nothing else will stop bleeding in an extremity. Applying a tourniquet can damage nerves and blood vessels and can result in the loss of an arm or leg. A tourniquet should be a last resort to control life-threatening bleeding that cannot be stopped by any other means.