Newswise — University of Alabama at Birmingham trauma surgeons Jeff Kerby, M.D., and Virginia Strickland, M.D., have provided on-site Stop the Bleed kits and training at local Alabama schools, and they are pushing for further distribution of these trauma kits both in Alabama and nationwide. 

Just last week, Kerby and Strickland provided a Facebook Live training on Stop the Bleed trauma kits and discussed the need for funding around the country for this initiative. 

“We know in some cases, shooting victims in these mass casualty events bled out and died before first responders could arrive to perform emergency medical treatment,” said Kerby. “With shooting scenes on lockdown and shooters still on the loose or unaccounted for, there is all too often a delay in emergency personnel’s reaching the injured. But if the survivors are prepared and equipped to respond, they may be able to keep a victim alive until other resources are available.”

Kerby and/or Strickland are available for phone and/or radio and video interviews from our UAB News Studio, which can broadcast live to anywhere in the world. A complete list of UAB experts is available here

The Stop the Bleed campaign is organized by the American College of Surgeons and Hartford Consensus. Because victims can quickly die from uncontrolled bleeding — as soon as five or 10 minutes after injury — the campaign aims to provide the general public with the knowledge and tools to respond quickly in the event of an emergency, even before trained professionals can arrive. Stop the Bleed is modeled after the very successful efforts to place AEDs — automated external defibrillators — in public places.