Stop the Bleed: Even a Mascot Can Do It

Several years ago, I was walking through the hospital with one of my trauma surgeons, having just finishing filming a Stop the Bleed educational piece for a local news station. As we passed through the hospital lobby, we came upon the Iowa State University mascot. He was visiting kiddos at Blank Children's Hospital and spreading cheer to Hawkeye and Cyclone fans alike.

We couldn't miss the opportunity to demonstrate that truly anyone can stop the bleed. So our fearless trauma surgeon instructed Cy in how to apply a CAT tourniquet.

(He did ok. In Cy's defense, it is hard to turn a windlass rod repeatedly so the tourniquet is tight enough to curtail arterial bleeding while wearing fluffy gloves, but hopefully Cy's tourniquet would have at least slowed the bleed!)

In all seriousness, though, learning to stop the bleed could mean the difference between life and death. Just as all citizens should know how to do CPR and use an AED, everyone should learn basic hemorrhage control skills and even carry a tourniquet with them in their vehicle. While mass shootings get the attention of the media, you are more likely to use this skill at home (e.g. if the neighbor cuts himself with a chainsaw while awkwardly perched in a tree trying to cut a branch) or in public (e.g. you are the first person at the scene of a car accident and treat someone who sustain a severe leg injury).

"People can rapidly bleed to death. In fact, hemorrhage is the leading preventable cause of death following injuries. Waiting for EMS to arrive is losing the time when bleeding should be controlled." -- Dr. Richard Sidwell

To get trained to Stop the Bleed, find a location near you: American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed