Anyone Can Prevent Death by Learning to Stop the Bleed

Severe bleeding can lead to death in a matter of minutes. But it doesn’t have to, and those who learn “the CPR of bleeding” can save lives.

That’s the message from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) during this, the fifth annual Stop the Bleed month. For more than a decade, ACS has spearheaded training around the globe — now 138 countries total — with life-saving, stop-the-bleeding methods.

The techniques are taught to nations impacted by war but also in the United States where lives can be saved from the growing number of mass shootings, as well as accidents that occur in the home, in industrial settings, in educational environments, and even in the woods or around the city.

“We believe that if we can train people to not only be capable of intervening when they see bleeding, but also be empowered to do something, we can prevent death,” Dr. David Shapiro, chief medical officer at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Conn., said in a press release.

“It’s an important program that is easy and straightforward but also quite profound in its effect,” he said.

Just like people have learned to do chest compressions to restart the heart, anyone can learn hold pressure on a wound to prevent death before a first responder arrives.

“It’s important to know that you don’t have to be a surgeon or a medical professional to learn these techniques,” Shapiro said. “Anyone can learn these skills. We’re guided by the philosophy that if you’re empowered and trained in how to help control bleeding until emergency medical services arrive, you can help save a life.”