Final answer:
The initial action to control bleeding from open abdominal injuries is applying direct pressure to the wound. This technique is preferable over others like using a cold pack or packing the wound with gauze. Monitoring for increased redness and other signs of infection is important in later stages of healing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bleeding from open abdominal injuries should initially be controlled with applying direct pressure to the wound. When managing such injuries, an ice pack or chemical cold pack should not be the first method, as direct pressure can significantly reduce blood loss. While applying a sterile dressing is beneficial after bleeding has been controlled, and packing the wound with rolled gauze might be necessary for significant bleeding, direct pressure is critical to control bleeding initially.
After initial bleeding is stopped, the body's wound-healing response includes a series of actions such as inflammation to fight infection and begin tissue repair, followed by proliferation to rebuild the wound with new tissue, and finally maturation where the wound fully heals. It is important to monitor for symptoms like increased redness, swelling, and pain as these can indicate infection or other complications after a cut or abrasion has been cleaned and bandaged.