“The only situation more tragic than death … is the death that could have been prevented – that’s why the first one to stop the bleeding and apply the dressing is important.”
On Saturday, August 20, 2022, the Alliance for Innovation (AFI) Foundation in cooperation with the Shooting Section of the Central Military Sports Club LEGIA Warsaw conducted the first Stop the Bleed course in Warsaw, certified by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The course is developed by the Committee on Trauma, The American College of Emergency Physicians (CEP), The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). The Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC). Additionally, the course was held under the patronage of the Polish Society of Medical Simulation (PTSM).
The aim of the training is to prepare participants to stop massive bleeding and dress wounds. The training is based on the experience gained from the US military, related to operations in the battlefield theater (conduct in a tactical environment burdened with massive bleeding).
The most common preventable cause of death after trauma is bleeding, which is why it is so important to acquire the correct skills related to the implementation of correct bleeding management.
Thanks to participation in the training, participants had the opportunity to improve their knowledge on the management of hemorrhages and achieve practical skills in: locating wounds, putting on the recommended tourniquets and using improvised materials, packing wounds (cut, penetrating, shot), applying individual dressings. During the workshop, medical simulation methods and equipment in the form of bleeding wound trainers were used, such as a wide spectrum of tourniquets, individual materials, gas, bandages and improvised means.
In the near future, AFI will present an offer of extended training, concerning first aid in emergency situations of health and life threats, and simulation training of advanced proceedings. During the training, low-fidelity medical simulations (workshops) and high hyperrealism will be used, reflecting the actual conditions of crisis situations.
