Taylor Swift is talking about it. Dr. Oz is talking about it too, and so are our physicians and trauma nurse practitioners. National Stop the Bleed Day is May 23, and it’s one of the largest public service campaigns in our country.
In fact, May is the first ever National Stop the Bleed Month, featuring training courses around the country to teach bleeding control techniques to the general public, with an additional focus on May 23, our nation’s second annual National Stop the Bleed Day.
Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Dr. Oz, as well as our own physicians and nurses, are talking about the importance of this campaign because they know that tragedy can strike at any time and by any means, whether from a car accident, a mass shooting, a natural disaster, or a sporting accident.
If a loved one was bleeding uncontrollably, would you know how to quickly stop the bleeding? If you did, you might just save his or her life.
Most Common Cause Of Preventable Deaths
Uncontrolled bleeding is the most common cause of preventable deaths. Consider these facts about hemorrhaging from trauma:
- The average time to bleed out is 2 to 5 minutes
- The average time for first responders to arrive is 7 to 10 minutes
- 40% of trauma-related deaths are because of bleeding or its consequences
- Bystanders can fill the gap and save a life with Stop The Bleed tactics
The Stop The Bleed initiative is trying to reduce the number of preventable deaths by educating the public about how to help someone who’s bleeding uncontrollably, and our Evansville Surgical Associates’ trauma nurse practitioners and physicians are helping to spread the word by encouraging you to take part through a quick training or by sharing with others.
Training & Kits
You, your company, your organization, or your school can learn how to stop massive bleeding with easy access to Stop The Bleed training and supply kits. With just one class and some basic, military-grade supplies, you’ll know what to do if someone is bleeding uncontrollably.
Classes are offered through the American College of Surgeons, the American Red Cross, FEMA, and The National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health. In addition to in-person trainings, the American Red Cross offers online courses and FEMA offers a “You Are the Help Until Help Arrives” web-based training program. The National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health offers an online resource center for Stop the Bleed education, including a short tutorial and access to further resources.
You can order Stop The Bleed supply kits with military-grade bleeding control tools for the critical initial minutes when a person is injured and bleeding. The kits include a tourniquet, compression bandage, and the QuikClot® Bleeding Control Dressing that Taylor Swift carries.
You may be able to save a life if you know how to correctly apply pressure and a tourniquet. For instance, police officers often carry Individual First Aid Kits, which include bleeding control devices like tourniquets. By using these kits, police officers have been able to save lives in shootings and accidents.
But it’s not just up to police officers, first responders, and medical professionals to prevent someone from bleeding to death. The more civilians who know Stop The Bleed techniques the more chance we’ll have to stop deaths that could have been prevented by quick action. It’s civilians like you who may happen to be present when a trauma event occurs that will make the difference between life and death in those critical first few minutes.
Sign Up
To take part in one of the many programs that culminate on National Stop the Bleed Day, sign up and join the many people and organizations who are taking action to be ready to Stop the Bleed.
By taking just one class and being prepared with supplies to stop bleeding, you’ll have the power to save someone’s life.
Deaconess Midtown and St. Vincent-Evansville hospitals trust Evansville Surgical Associates to provide life-saving surgical support in their trauma and emergency departments 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Our Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)-certified surgeons are specially trained to handle critical, life-threatening injuries and illnesses, wherever and whenever they happen.
Established in 1969, Evansville Surgical Associates celebrates 50 years of providing leading-edge comprehensive and compassionate surgical care. Learn more about our physicians and our practices by visiting our website, or by calling us at 812.424.8231 or 800.264.8231.
