Stop the Bleed: Summer & trauma season

Bystanders can save a life.

This summer will look a lot different.

With more and more people across the state getting vaccinated, the safety protocols are being relaxed, and people are heading outside in time for the arrival of sun and warm weather.

COVID-19 aside, the summer months go by another name in hospital emergency departments: Trauma season.

Over those months, traumatic injuries sustained in household mishaps and accidents from outdoor physical activities increase by as much as 30 percent. This prompts patients to either call 911 or seek emergency treatment at their nearest trauma center.

These injuries often result in a bleed, making time critical. Just five minutes of bleeding can become life-threatening. In those instances, bystanders could be in the position of saving a life.

Stop the Bleed is a nationwide awareness campaign “intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.”