American Red Cross Releases First Aid for Severe Bleeding Online Course

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross has launched a new First Aid for Severe Bleeding online course so people can learn what to do until emergency help arrives.

"A serious injury can lead to life-threatening blood loss within minutes, so it's critical for people to know exactly what to do to stop the flow of blood and save a life," said Eunice "Nici" Singletary, MD, FACEP, member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, Chair of the First Aid Sub-Council and Professor of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia Health System.

The 30-minute online course contains content on how to recognize and care for life-threatening bleeding, including:

• When and how to apply different types of tourniquets
• When to use hemostatic dressing (a dressing with an agent on it for quickly clotting blood)
• How to recognize and care for someone in shock

People can register for the course at https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/severebleeding.

Bleeding Control Kits
In addition to the course, having bleeding control kits available is also recommended. The kits have the supplies needed to help control life-threatening bleeding and prevent further blood loss from someone with a traumatic injury. Personal kits contain tourniquets, gauze, trauma shears and nitrile gloves. Professional kits also include a hemostatic dressing.

Bleeding control kits are available at https://www.redcross.org/store/first-aid-supplies/bleeding-control.

Stop the Bleed
The course and the bleeding control kits are designed to help save lives. They also support the educational goals of the national Stop the Bleed campaign, which encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.

Other Training Offerings
The Red Cross recommends that everyone have the knowledge and skills to help in an emergency and save lives. A variety of First Aid and CPR/AED online, blended (online content and an in-person skills session) and classroom offerings are available at https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class. Offerings include the recently released First Aid for Opioid Overdoses online course on how to identify the signs and symptoms of a suspected overdose and the appropriate care to provide based on the responsiveness of the person.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross