FERGUSON, Mo. – A St. Louis trauma surgeon is teaching people how to respond ‘Stop the Bleed’ in the event of a shooting, car crash, or workplace injury. In some cases, it only takes a few simple steps to save a life.
“A lot of people are learning it, but it’s not getting big enough,” explained Dr. Laurie Punch, a professor at Washington University and trauma surgeon at Barnes Jewish Hospital. “It’s not getting out there, part of it is public demand has to be there and public funding,” she explained to participants at her June 10 Stop the Bleed Seminar.
Adrienne Johnson was motivated by her own deeply personal experience with gun violence to take part in the workshop.
“If there was somebody there who could have stopped the bleeding, they could have saved my son's life, but that wasn’t the case,” said Johnson, whose 18-year-old son Tah’on Williams was robbed and killed on his way back to his Spanish Lake home. “So, I want to learn how to help somebody and save a life,” Johnson added.
Dr. Punch uses the ABC method which stands for alert, bleeding and compression. First, you are to call 911. Then, you must identify where the bleeding is coming from. Lastly, you use a roll of gauze or even a clean T-shirt to press down on the open wound.
For anyone who would like to learn more about our local Stop the Bleed chapter, and how you can get involved, visit StopthebleedSTL.org.
