Specialists at WMC’s Level I trauma center recently trained local emergency personnel on techniques that help mitigate excessive bleeding caused by a traumatic injury.
VALHALLA N.Y. (November 1, 2021) – Specialists from Westchester Medical Center’s Level I trauma center recently trained Westchester County Police Department Emergency Services Unit personnel on techniques that help mitigate excessive bleeding caused by a traumatic injury. The effort is a component of Westchester Medical Center’s Stop the Bleed education initiative for which the Westchester Medical Center trainers are certified by the American College of Surgeons.
The Westchester County Police Department Emergency Service Unit provides specialized support to the department and local jurisdictions for motor vehicle accidents, extrications and other emergencies. Westchester Medical Center has already trained personnel from several local law enforcement agencies and future training sessions for Westchester County Police Department personnel are planned.
A panel of trauma care experts developed the Stop the Bleed training program after the 2012 Sandy Hook (CT) Elementary School mass shooting, in order to improve survival chances for individuals with severe bleeding.
“We are placing a special focus on the training of law enforcement personnel as this group is often the first to arrive at a trauma scene. Loss of blood due to a traumatic injury is a leading cause of death in the United States* and the sooner blood loss is mitigated after injury, the likelihood of a positive outcome increases for the victim,” said Kartik Prabhakaran, MD, Trauma Medical Director for Westchester Medical Center. “We also encourage schools and other community organizations to consider a Stop the Bleed training as the skills can be used in many situations where blood loss is concerning.”
Law enforcement agencies and other organizations interested in scheduling a Westchester Medical Center Stop the Bleed training session should contact Marc Musicus, EMS & Injury Prevention Coordinator, at 914.493.8419 or [email protected].
*Donley ER, Loyd JW. Hemorrhage Control. [Updated 2021 Jul 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535393/
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