Stop the Bleed Month: How To Pack a Wound

May is National Stop the Bleed Month, and to continue our STB video series, Caleb is again joined by Chris Hoyne from North American Rescue to tell us about an important technique for stopping severe bleeding. Using a training device that simulates a wounded person, Chris demonstrates wound packing. The goal is to apply consistent direct pressure to the wound with your hands. If the wound is large that may not be enough, so you have to fill the wound cavity with gauze. This helps direct the pressure to the source of the bleeding. Chris uses NAR's Quick-Clot Combat Gauze to show us the technique for inserting the gauze while maintaining pressure on the wound. The Quick-Clot gauze are treated with a hemostatic agent that helps cause the blood to clot and stop the bleeding.

 

Once the wound is packed with the gauze, apply pressure to the top of the gauze pack AND DON'T LET UP until first responders arrive. No peeking to see if the bleeding has stopped. When you let up the pressure to do that, you run the risk of the clot blowing out, and you are back to square one. The victim will not thank you for that!

 

CAUTION: In this video, Chris and Caleb discuss an emergency first aid technique, but this is NOT sufficient information for you to go ahead and apply it in an actual emergency. Learn how to properly treat severe bleeding wounds by taking a training course, such as those offered by Stop the Bleed. To find an STB course near you, go to https://www.stopthebleed.org/