What immediate assessment should be performed once a soft-tissue injury is identified?

Identifying the mechanism of injury and assessing for bleeding is crucial immediately after a soft-tissue injury is recognized. Understanding the mechanism helps in evaluating the injury's potential severity and guides the subsequent treatment approach. For example, different mechanisms, such as blunt trauma versus lacerations, can indicate varying risks and types of soft-tissue damage.

Additionally, assessing for bleeding is vital since uncontrolled bleeding can lead to serious complications, including shock. Rapid assessment allows for prompt intervention if significant hemorrhage is detected, making it an essential step in the management of soft-tissue injuries.

The other options, while relevant in certain contexts, are not the most immediate assessments. Administering pain relief medication is important but can only occur after a thorough evaluation to ensure the patient's safety and appropriateness of medication. Suturing a wound is not an immediate action and usually takes place after a careful assessment of the wound, including whether further interventions are necessary. Checking for allergic reactions to medications is also important but not pertinent at the very first assessment stage after a soft-tissue injury has occurred.