Members of the University of Kentucky HealthCare Trauma team are hosting an event Thursday evening to help community members learn what to do during life-threatening emergencies.
The event is being organized for Stop The Bleed Day, a national event that organizes hands-on simulations. Those exercises help participants learn how to control severe bleeding.
UK Trauma Education Coordinator Amie Peel is a conference organizer. She says the event is meant to teach how to be a “helpful bystander.”
“There's that vital gap between a patient's injury when they could potentially bleed out, which could be as little as five minutes, until EMS can arrive anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes depending on when they're notified and where you're located,” Peel said.
If the situation is safe, Peel says the steps to stop bleeding include calling for help, recognizing how bad the bleeding is, and applying pressure. That includes packing and holding pressure, or using a makeshift tourniquet.
Peel says the class is meant to give bystanders the confidence and security to help those around them.
“What's very sad is the number one cause of a preventable death after an injury is bleeding,” Peel said. “So that's where we're looking at helping the public understand what they can do, because many are always willing to help. They just don't know how.”
Those interested can stop by at any time during the event. It’s scheduled Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Lexington Fire Department Station 20, or 3001 Arrowhead Drive.
Online training, as well as a schedule of other Stop The Bleed Events, is available here.
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