Bleeding control should be as common as CPR, group says
In a world experiencing terrorist attacks, increased violence and never-ending vehicle crashes, trauma surgeon Dr. Matthew Neal thinks everyone should be trained to control severe bleeding.
Neal gave a “Stop the Bleed” presentation on Friday during a county-sponsored training session for law enforcement officials, librarians, pastors and citizens.
“The idea is exposure so people leave with the understanding that this needs to be as common as CPR,” Neal said.
He said the Stop the Bleed program has given the presentation in four states and 72 counties in the region.
The program touts the training as well as placing bleeding control kits in every public school and other public places.
Neal said while it takes an ambulance about eight minutes to arrive on the scene of an accident or emergency, arterial bleeding from an arm or leg can cause death in three minutes.
“It’s critical for the public to understand what to do in the instance of uncontrolled bleeding,” Neal said.
He said it is particularly imperative for law enforcement to be trained, as they are often the first emergency responders to arrive at a scene.
Neal said in preventing an injured person from bleeding to death from a laceration, gunshot wound, amputation or any injury, police and good Samaritans should remember their ABCs.
Alert, find the bleeding and compress are the three steps to remember in uncontrolled bleeding, he said.
