How anyone can help to ‘stop the bleed’ and save lives

If you’re a subscriber to our weekly updates you’ll have seen how expert wound care can be traced back to the Roman Empire. In 2021 this approach remains absolutely paramount in the battle to save lives in the event of a catastrophic bleed.

No matter how fast the arrival of emergency services to a scene of trauma, bystanders will always be first on the scene.

Did you know that uncontrolled bleeding is a major cause of preventable deaths? Around 40% of trauma-related deaths worldwide are due to bleeding or its consequences, which means hemorrhage is the most common cause of preventable death in trauma. It takes just two to five minutes for someone to bleed out.

These are bleak statistics; however we can all be trained, be equipped, be ready, and be empowered to save someone’s life. We can all help to stop the bleed and be the bystanders who fill that gap before emergency services arrive.

And that is the goal of National Stop The Bleed Day on May 20th, which is a one day call to action. The ethos is that anyone can be trained and be ready to save someone’s life in the event of trauma – a friend, a family member, colleague or the person next to you waiting for a bus.

This also happens to be our mantra at TyTek Medical! Our range of time critical emergency medical supplies were engineered for the military and are now available in civilian environments. Having the proper equipment at hand, along with proper training and awareness, makes a big difference in allowing anyone to be ready to help someone in an emergency bleeding situation.

As recently as today (23rd March), the tragic events in a supermarket in Colorado, where ten people have been killed in a shooting, including a police officer who was first on the scene, only reinforces the need for bystanders to be equipped and educated in bleed control.

Just like the tragic events in Manchester Arena and the Las Vegas shooting, emergency services were initially denied access to the areas until they were declared safe, so it is left to quick-thinking bystanders who happened to be equipped with first-aid training to save the lives of those injured in the attacks.

Our aim at TyTek Medical is to prepare you for the very worst circumstances. Remember, you can save a life by taking simple actions immediately by applying:

• Pressure with hands
• Dressing and press
• Tourniquets

You can also visit National Stop The Bleed Day website to see how you can get involved on May 20th.