NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — In response to violent incidents occurring in New Orleans, LSU Health and LCMC medical professionals have decided to host “Stop the Bleed” workshops.
These free sessions are meant to help teach everyday people how to properly handle penetrating injuries such as gunshot wounds before medical professionals are able to arrive on the scene.
“It’s meant for people who are medical providers, and it’s to teach lay rescuers how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and how to control it,” said UMC surgeon Dr. Alison Smith.
The latest workshop began with discussions on how to handle different wounds and how to quickly get help, followed by some actual hands-on lessons.
“As part of the course, we teach you how to pack wounds, how to apply tourniquets and how to hold pressure until you can get help. They practice putting the tourniquets on themselves, on their friends. We have models to help practice wounds as well,” Smith said.
Some volunteers say these skills are necessary for anyone of any age to learn in New Orleans due to the high crime rate.
“Certainly, here that’s a big issue. So, anything that can be done in order to advance some of those negative consequences is certainly something of the utmost importance and we’re glad to be able to offer some insight in that regard,” said LSU Dr. Michael Okoronkwo.
To continue promoting this skill to New Orleans youth, LSU medical team members have decided to host basketball games every Tuesday at the Rosenwald Center and offer “Stop the Bleed” workshops after.
“Public health is going to be super big. We try to implement stop the bleed so that they can save loved ones if they’re ever in that situation and we spread positive words and try to be an inspiration,” said LSU medical student Michael Alfred.
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