[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 53 (Thursday, March 29, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL STOP THE BLEED DAY

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                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2018

  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, as national Stop the Bleed day approaches on 
March 31, I encourage my colleagues and friends to get trained on how 
to control bleeding in a trauma situation to help end preventable 
deaths. The American College of Surgeons' Stop the Bleed program offers 
training to the public on how to control bleeding in an emergency using 
simple techniques that can be learned by almost everyone, such as 
direct pressure, bandaging, and even tourniquets.
  In the United States, traumatic injuries cause the death of more than 
180,000 people each year. While tragically some traumas result in near 
instantaneous death, many others occur in the first few hours or days 
and they are most often caused by uncontrolled bleeding. Traumatic 
injuries and bleeding can have many root causes including shootings, 
vehicle crashes, falls, workplace accidents, and natural disasters.
  As an emergency physician, I have seen these heartbreaking cases time 
and again. In trauma care we think of the ``Golden Hour,'' the time 
during which, if prompt medical attention is provided we have the best 
chance of saving a life. The Stop the Bleed campaign teaches members of 
the community how to respond to a bleeding emergency, and just as we 
see with CPR, the earlier the intervention begins, the greater the 
chance of eliminating preventable death. This is especially important 
in the moments before the arrival of medical personnel.
  Please join with me and consider getting trained to Stop the Bleed.

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