Md. Medical Officials Want Bleeding Training As Common As CPR Training
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Whether it's a traffic accident or a shooting, doctors at Shock Trauma want the public to learn how to slow the bleeding of trauma victims.
The program is called "Stop the Bleed."
Friday's tourniquet training day was taught to many by those who head up the University of Maryland's schools and departments.
According to University of Maryland Baltimore President Dr. Jay Perman, "All of us, not just the medical professionals, need to be prepared to help, on the spot."
"If you have a major arterial injury you can bleed to death in a few minutes," said Shock Trauma's Dr. Thomas Scalia. "Three, four, five minutes."
The training by the Shock Trauma staff is offered free of charge to school nurses, students, stadium crews, any and all members of the public. The program began in the aftermath of the massacre of young children at Sandy Hook Elementary.
According to Scalia, "Many of those children died of extremity hemorrhage. Something we know we can prevent if we have expertise and equipment available at the point."
And if specialized equipment is not available Scalia says "use your shirt and push. The main maneuver to stop bleeding is pushing."
The strategy behind the program is to make this training as common as CPR.
"We've all learned about the importance of CPR," said Perman. "We ought to be capable with regard to hemorrhage."
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