A person can bleed to death from an injury in as little as five minutes. That means every second counts when it comes to stopping uncontrolled bleeding, and anyone – a friend, family member or even a bystander – can help save someone’s life.
Think of it as you would with basic first aid, CPR or the Heimlich Manoeuvre – knowing the steps to getting bleeding under control fast can significantly increase a person’s odds of survival.
Traumatic accidents can happen anywhere – in the kitchen or garage, in a motor vehicle, or during outdoor recreational activities such as cycling or hiking. No matter how safe you are trying to be, everyone is at risk of potential injury, which can result in bleeding from extremities such as the neck, groin, armpits, chest and abdomen.
That’s where an initiative such as Stop The Bleed comes in.
In a nutshell, Stop the Bleed trains people how to stop a person from bleeding to death. It was initiated by the American College of Surgeons in 2015 after the active shooter event at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Stop the Bleed has been adopted by Trauma Services BC to help teach basic life-saving skills to health-care professionals and members of the public.
“Bystanders or loved ones are often in the best position to provide early assistance to an injured person who is bleeding. Having the skills, confidence and basic equipment to stop someone’s bleeding early can mean the difference between life and death,” says Kyla Gowenlock, Interior Health’s network director for Trauma Services. “I encourage everyone to take the Stop The Bleed course and stock their car or backpack with the basic equipment. Anyone can be trained to save a life.”
The A-B-Cs of stopping uncontrolled bleeding
A – Alert – Call 9-1-1
B – Bleeding – Find the bleeding injury
C – Compress – Apply pressure to stop the bleeding
Create a bleeding control kit
Here are the top five items you should have in your home first aid kit, in your car, or with you during recreational activities:
- Gloves
- A tourniquet – you can purchase one online at Stop the Bleed, or purchase the Combat Application Tourniquet, but a tie or belt would also work – anything you can tighten to provide circular pressure
- Gauze for packing wounds
- A plastic bag
- Pressure bandage (Ace wrap, anything to apply pressure)
Learn more
You can join a free, online course to learn how you can stop someone from bleeding out. Learn more at stopthebleed.ca.
*Images courtesy Provincial Health Services Authority/Trauma Services BC
Sahra joined IH just two months after graduating from Okanagan College, and has served in many roles with IH that led her to where she is today.
/stories/we-are-ih-recruitment-advisor-finds-purpose-growing-careers
Interior Health has non-judgmental drug checking services throughout the Interior region. Samples as small as a grain of rice can be tested.
/stories/stop-guessing-drug-checking-saves-lives
Lillooet Hospital holds a special place in Jessica McLellan's heart. A 3rd-generation resident of Lillooet, she has served as LDHF's chair since 2018.
/stories/foundation-spotlight-series-lillooet-district-hospital-foundation
Righting wrongs gives Sharon a sense of purpose at work. There is no typical day in labour relations which makes the job exciting and a great fit for her.
/stories/we-are-ih-labour-relations-specialist-strengthens-relationships
Many of us embrace our 50s and 60s as an opportunity for adventure. Even if you’re feeling healthy now, it’s a good idea to plan your future health decisions.
/stories/six-ways-plan-age-related-health-decisions
Like many expectant moms, Emily Canzian attended prenatal classes and did a lot of preparing for her son Luca’s birth.
/stories/new-moms-journey-through-first-days-breastfeeding
STAY CONNECTED
Receive news, alerts, public service announcements and articles right to your inbox.
