What is primary hemorrhage?

• A. Primary hemorrhage - occurs immediately after a surgical procedure due to cut blood vessels.
• B. Reactionary hemorrhage - occurs a few hours after procedure where the blood clot has been displaced.
• C. Secondary hemorrhage - occurs a few days after and is due to infection at the site.
• D. There is no hemorrhage.

Answer: (A)

Primary hemorrhage refers to bleeding that occurs during or immediately after a dental procedure when blood vessels that were cut or damaged bleed before a stable clot can form. It signals that hemostasis was not fully achieved at the time of the operation, so continuing bleeding is seen right away. This is distinguished from reactionary hemorrhage, which happens a few hours later when a formed clot becomes dislodged or destabilized, and from secondary hemorrhage, which occurs days later often due to infection or breakdown of the clot. In practice, managing primary hemorrhage involves applying firm gauze pressure, identifying the bleeding vessel, and using techniques such as suturing or local hemostatic agents to achieve immediate control and prevent ongoing blood loss.