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When an emergency strikes, it is common knowledge that someone should call 911. However, what happens if first responders take a while to arrive and the individual requires lifesaving care immediately? A person who is severely bleeding can die from blood loss within 5 minutes or less. Do you know how to respond? Fortunately, the Stop the Bleed online course gives you the tools you need to take fast action.
What is Stop the Bleed?
The American College of Surgeons’ Stop the Bleed is an online training program that encourages and empowers individuals to learn basic bleeding control techniques. This course is free and has educated more than four million people worldwide on how to stop severe bleeding.
To help individuals learn and understand the material, this course uses video demonstrations, interactive learning, and quizzes. Stop the Bleed focuses on how to identify life-threatening bleeding, how to react, and three methods to stop severe bleeding.
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Safety First
One of the first things that Stop the Bleed teaches is the importance of safety. You are no help to others if you yourself are not safe.
When in an emergency situation, make sure you scan the area for hazards. This can include many things, such as structural damage, electrical wires, moving vehicles, and agitated people. If you are administering care and the situation becomes unsafe, stop what you are doing and put your safety first. If you are able, you can also try to move the injured person to a safer location.
Safety also means protecting yourself from blood. While the risk of blood-borne disease is low, it is still crucial that you take steps to protect yourself. Make sure to avoid contact with your eyes and mouth, and if gloves are available, use them.
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However, if blood does get on you, clean the infected area thoroughly with soap and water. Then, let anyone who arrives on the scene know that blood is present.
Alert 911
According to the National Emergency Number Association, in the United States, about 240 million phone calls are made to 911 each year. This translates to about 600,000 phone calls per day.
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It is important that if you are the only person present in an emergency, you call 911. Give the operator your location and make sure you listen to and answer the operator’s questions.
Identify the Bleeding
Before you can treat bleeding, it is important that you locate the source of the bleeding. Life-threatening bleeding typically occurs in the arms, legs, torso, neck, armpits, or groin. You can locate bleeding by looking for signs of continuous bleeding, large volume bleeding, or a pool of blood.
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Compress the Wound
The first action you should take after you have identified the bleeding is to apply direct pressure to the wound. Gauze, a towel, or a cloth such as a t-shirt can be used to compress the wound. It is important to keep pressure on the wound until the first responders arrive, even if the bleeding has stopped.
Packing the Wound
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If compressing the wound does not contain or stop the bleeding, packing the wound may be necessary—especially if the injury is larger. Using gauze or an absorbent cloth, pack the material into the wound. However, be cautious of bones or other fragments within the injury.
It is completely normal for the victim to feel discomfort during this procedure. Once the wound has been packed, apply direct pressure until the first responders arrive.
Apply a Tourniquet
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The last method that Stop the Bleed teaches for controlling bleeding is using a tourniquet. This device should be placed 2 to 3 inches above a wound, pulling tight until the bleeding stops. It is not recommended to use improvised tourniquets such as ropes, belts, or scarves. However, if you have nothing else, these items should be used with caution.
If bleeding still persists, a second tourniquet can be applied 2 to 3 inches above the first one. For further demonstration, Stop the Bleed has instructional videos on how to perform all three bleeding control methods.
Stop the Bleed Offers Essential, Free Training
Emergencies happen every day, and being prepared when a disaster occurs can mean the difference between life and death. Stop the Bleed is easy to follow along, simple to understand, educational, and the perfect way to gain basic information about how to stop severe bleeding. Best of all, it is free.
For more information, please visit stopthebleed.org.
The post “Are You Just Gonna Stand There and Bleed?” Not After Stop the Bleed Online Course appeared first on Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News.
