Why is it essential to keep the patient calm after a soft-tissue injury?

Keeping the patient calm after a soft-tissue injury is crucial primarily to reduce heart rate and minimize bleeding. When a person is under stress or anxiety, their body may enter a fight-or-flight response, which can lead to an increased heart rate and blood pressure. This heightened state can exacerbate blood loss from an injured area because the body is pumping blood more rapidly and potentially causing more bleeding at the site of the injury. By helping the patient to remain calm, you can effectively lower their heart rate and mitigate the overall bleeding, which is vital for their stabilization and recovery.

The other options, while they may contain valid points in certain contexts, do not directly address the primary physiological response related to soft-tissue injuries. Preparing a patient for surgery may not always be an immediate concern; detailed medical history can be important, but it doesn’t have the same urgent connection to the physiological state of the patient after an injury. Promoting relaxation and stress relief is beneficial but is more of a secondary benefit that supports the overall objective of managing physiological responses to the injury.