Re-post- 10 Hemorrhage Control Myths

Dennis Filips, MD | Joe Holley, MD, FACEP | From the December 2014 Issue | Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Reposted

Bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in both civilian and military trauma.1 There’s a clear consensus that control of bleeding is the top priority during patient care; every second of uncontrolled bleeding worsens outcomes.2 There are many ways to control bleeding, and each technique has advantages and shortcomings.

Advanced trauma life support (ATLS) guidelines simply recommend to “stop the bleeding,” but the various methodologies used to control external hemorrhage are often poorly understood. The use of tourniquets and hemostatic dressings are frequently quoted as the new panacea to control external bleeding, but there isn't a clear understanding of their limitations and what wounds are appropriate for their use.

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