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Why having bleeding control knowledge is vital to save lives

Why having bleeding control knowledge is vital to save lives

When it comes to a medical emergency, you never know where you are going to be. Whether you’re the first on the scene, in a public space or the workplace - understanding bleeding control is an essential skill that shouldn’t be underestimated to have under your belt when it comes to basic first aid knowledge. 

It’s known that many of us wouldn’t know what to do in case of an emergency medical scenario, for reasons such as lack of confidence and competence or nearby medical supplies. But learning basic first aid isn’t as scary as it seems, and you could save a life.

Whilst many different types of injuries require certain treatments, it’s important to remember as a zero responder, you’re not expected to contain the medical knowledge of a trained professional. However, certain types of injuries when left could be a matter of life or death, so it’s vital to possess the know-how on treatment before the first responders arrive. 

Medical research has revealed that there is a platinum ten-minute period once a catastrophic bleed has started. If you can react effectively at this time, you will be able to save lives. Generally, the median time for EMS to arrive at your door after making the initial call is six minutes in suburban and urban settings and 13 minutes in rural communities. Therefore, every second counts and we’re here to educate, equip and empower you on bleeding control.

First steps: identify the bleed and remember ABC

It’s important to firstly note that your safety is paramount, as if you get injured it is only adding to the problem to solve. An easy acronym to remember is the ABC steps:

A: Alert - Call 911 (or equivalent in your country) and never assume that somebody else has called already, this only delays the process. When speaking to a first responder, be as clear as possible with your location to speed up efficiency.

B: Bleeding - Identify where the bleeding is coming from, as this will determine what method you will need to control it. Don’t forget to check the places close to the ground and be sure to remove clothing if necessary to access the wound. Once you have the location of the bleed, see if it is life-threatening or not. Life-threatening includes:

  • Blood which is spurting out of the wound
  • Blood which won’t stop flowing out of the wound
  • Blood which is pooling on the ground
  • Bandage or clothing which is soaked with blood
  • Any loss of limbs
  • Bleeding which is causing confusion or unconsciousness

Keeping blood inside the body keeps oxygen and nutrients inside, as well as bringing healing properties, so every second counts when it comes to bleeding control.

C: Compress - Apply pressure to stop further blood loss. 

A traumatic injury can happen anywhere, so bleeding control is a vital skill to have.

Whether you’re in the workplace, traveling, attending a concert or at home - a medical emergency can happen wherever you are. In many cases these can be accidents, however unfortunately over recent years more and more attacks and deliberate occurrences have taken place which have affected many lives forever. Whilst we cannot prevent these horrific events from happening, we can provide support through education and medical supplies. 

We have prioritized point-of-injury medical supplies as a result of deliberate and accidental traumatic injuries, so zero responders can access supplies as quickly as possible and save lives. 

TyTek’s medical supplies were developed for the battlefield, so we know they are suitable to provide care to anybody who experiences a traumatic injury. It’s important for ease of access to medical supplies, however it’s also key that any bystander or zero responder to such injuries are able to use products effectively. Our bleeding control supplies are user-friendly to any skill level, but if you’re looking for extra education then you can download our brochure or visit our education hub. 

As a result of recent increase in stabbings in the U.K., we hosted a bleeding control workshop

In September, we hosted a ‘how to treat a severe bleed’ workshop as a result of rising knife crime which sparked the necessary conversation of change. In particular, where our U.K. office is based in Wolverhampton has seen a rise in violence resulting in fatalities including youngsters. The ‘Zero Responder’ scheme was set up which involves three organizations, Yes 2 Life, from Birmingham, the American Choose Love Foundation, and TyTek Medical. 

How to treat a severe bleed workshop by TyTek Medical

"The event proved that there is a real appetite in our community to be educated, equipped and empowered to stop a catastrophic bleed, in fact 100% of the attendees surveyed said that the event have significantly improved their competence and confidence in this scenario. 
“In the time it takes to play a soccer match, one of the attendees said that he’d gone from having zero knowledge to being a zero responder and that’s very powerful!" - Matt Eccles, Director of TyTek

If you’re interested in attending any workshops or educating yourself more on bleeding control, please visit our youtube channel or sign up to our newsletter to receive important updates on future events.

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