Before Greek physician Galen (129-210 AD) came along, it was widely believed that air circulated in our arteries. Galen was the physician to the School of Gladiators, which helped him realize it was blood flowing in there.
We’ve learned a lot about bleeding over the ensuing millennia. According to the CDC, traumatic injury is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. for people under 50, and a large number of these folks die from severe bleeding. An injured person can fatally bleed out in 5 minutes.
If you think the best thing you can do for someone who is bleeding is to call 911, you are wrong. A study published recently in JAMA Surgery found that the best EMS response times are in urban areas, where the average elapsed time from 911 call to arrival of professional emergency personnel is 7 minutes. Calling 911 is essential, but then what?
My good friend and colleague Tim O’Neill, himself a traumatic amputee, is not one to sit around and ponder that question. Tim has been building and donating Stop the Bleeding Kits (at about $25 each) to first responders in his own area. His goal is to build and deliver another 500 more in 2021, and to expand his efforts to other communities.
Tim’s motto is simple “Save a Life … Change Your Life!” If you want to do more than just ponder this information, you can help at
The clock is ticking…
