Lancaster General Health’s Stop the Bleed Training Teaches Bystanders How to Save Lives

After the shooting at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, stories emerged of bystander courage that took place before first responders arrived. Concertgoers used shirts, belts and other makeshift tourniquets to stop the bleeding of those who were shot or severely injured.

Eric Bradburn, DO, medical director of the LG Health trauma program, discusses “Stop the Bleed” techniques with local reporters.

“In the case of severe bleeding, if a victim does not receive care within 10 minutes, they can bleed to death before professional help arrives,” said Eric Bradburn, DO, medical director of the Lancaster General Health trauma program. “What the shooting showed is that in an emergency situation, bystanders become the first responders.”
 
Knowing how to attend to a wounded person properly and quickly stop blood loss can save a person’s life. LG Health offers “Stop the Bleed” training sessions to community groups, schools and police to help educate the public on what to do in a bleeding emergency, such as a mass shooting or car accident.
 
The White House launched the nationwide “Stop the Bleed” campaign in 2015 to train, equip and empower people to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. This fall, police and school nurses across Lancaster County were trained on the three basic “Stop the Bleed” techniques: direct pressure to a wound, wound-packing techniques, and tourniquet application. 
 
Bradburn and the Trauma team hope to raise awareness about bleeding control to the level of awareness surrounding CPR and AEDs, and equip more people with the knowledge and tools to help in a bleeding emergency.