Knowing how to control bleeding from a serious injury is important for everyone. This year marks May 5th annual National STOP THE BLEED® Month and May 6th annual National STOP THE BLEED® Day on May 25. 

Following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where 20 first-graders and six educators were killed with AR-15 rounds, a concerned local trauma surgeon, Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, FACS, who was Chair of the Connecticut State Committee on Trauma and an American College of Surgeons (ACS) Regent knew there was an opportunity to use this tragic event for good. As surgeons are experienced, take-charge problem solvers who are dedicated to improving the lives of the patients they serve, in the months following the shooting, Dr. Jacobs urged his ACS colleagues to support and lead an effort to mitigate losses associated with a mass shooting event. The ACS board approved his plan to convene a Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Intentional Mass Casualty and Active Shooter Events.  

A panel of national experts, including physicians; emergency medical services (EMS) personnel; military leaders; and law enforcement officials, including representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security, met to evaluate the response to such emergencies.  Using data and evidence from existing military and recent civilian experiences, the conferees identified early control of hemorrhage as critical to improving survival from these incidents. The committee’s position was articulated in what is now known as the Hartford Consensus I.

Tragically soon after the group’s initial meeting, the Boston Marathon bombing occurred. As a result, the committee’s consensus statement was expanded to focus on improving survival, not just from active shooter events but all intentional mass casualty situations. Today, the chief tenet of the Hartford Consensus is that no one, under any circumstances, should die from uncontrolled bleeding, whatever the cause.

STOP THE BLEED® program officially launched in October 2015, when President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden issued policy directives stating the need to be prepared to help victims of intentional and accidental causes of severe bleeding. The STOP THE BLEED® program, a partnership between the ACS and the National Security Council, trains individuals on a three-step process similar to what military troops learn before deployment.

Today the ACS point to the STOP THE BLEED® program as a model for surgeon leaders looking to initiate a new program. Leaders of the ACS achieve their stature within the organization by consistently identifying healthcare issues that they believe require the surgeon’s perspective, collaborating with other experts on an issue, achieving consensus, developing a strategic plan, operationalizing the plan, and continuing to work with relevant committees and leadership to sustain the program.  STOP THE BLEED® is a shining example of recognizing an opportunity, mobilizing the right resources, and empowering the individual through training to provide care during those initial critical minutes.  

The STOP THE BLEED® campaign has trained over 2.6 million people worldwide, including notable organizations such as the Chicago Cubs, who in March 2023 became the first MLB team to install STOP THE BLEED® kits and training for ballpark staff and Cubs associates on how to respond if someone is bleeding from an injury.  STOP THE BLEED® training teaches people how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and respond effectively using basic tools and techniques. The program aims to empower the general public to help save lives by learning the basic skills to control bleeding in emergencies before professional help arrives.  

The need for STOP THE BLEED® training arises from uncontrolled bleeding being the leading cause of preventable deaths in trauma situations. In many cases, bleeding can be stopped or slowed down by someone on the scene before paramedics or other medical professionals arrive. However, studies have shown that bystanders often hesitate to intervene in bleeding emergencies due to a lack of knowledge or fear of causing further harm.

STOP THE BLEED® training helps to overcome this hesitation by providing people with the knowledge and skills needed to take action and potentially save a life. This training is especially relevant in situations such as mass shootings, accidents, or natural disasters where multiple people may be injured, and medical personnel may not be immediately available.

ACLS Academy’s STOP THE BLEED® training is a blended learning course where an in-person hands skill session online follows the course work. 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

What stops bleeding? In a STOP THE BLEED® course, you’ll learn three quick techniques to help save a life before someone bleeds out: (1) How to use your hands to apply pressure to a wound; (2) How to pack a wound to control bleeding; (3) How to apply a tourniquet correctly. These three techniques will empower you to assist in an emergency and potentially save a life.

WHO CAN TAKE THE COURSE

A STOP THE BLEED® course is for people interested in learning this lifesaving skill, including students, teachers, and community groups. ACLS Academy is committed to training anyone old enough to understand what the course teaches and is interested in learning how to STOP THE BLEED® and save a life.

HOW TO TAKE THE COURSE

This STOP THE BLEED® Interactive Course is free. The interactive course is a virtual alternative to the in-person lecture presentation. The STOP, THE BLEED® Interactive Course guides individuals through the three methods of bleeding control using video demonstrations, interactive learning, and spontaneous quizzes. Once you complete the course, please attend a STOP THE BLEED® skills session to receive your certificate of completion. Please remember to bring the e-mail with your quiz results to the Skills-Only Course!

Join this worldwide movement to take action in a life-threatening scenario to help STOP THE BLEED®.  Our ACLS Academy STOP THE BLEED® course information and registration are here.