Boston Group Tries To Make Tourniquets Commonplace
BOSTON (CBS) – Simple actions can save lives in mass casualty incidents like the shooting at the concert in Las Vegas. A local doctor and the mother of a Boston Marathon bombing survivor are teaming up to make tourniquets commonplace.
Many first responders in the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival reported using fingers to plug bullet wounds and control bleeding. The shooting highlights the urgent need for knowledge in an emergency.
Dr. Eric Goralnick, Medical Director of Emergency Preparedness at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Audrey Epstein Reny, a founder of The Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation are teaming up for the Stop The Bleed Initiative.
Goralnick would like to see tourniquets wherever defibrillators are kept.
"Stop The Bleed Initiative is really empowering laypersons, empowering the public to recognize life threatening bleeding and act," said Dr. Goralnick. "Trauma is the number one killer of those under 45 in the United States so not just these tragic events like these active shooters but trauma, these things can help."
Reny's daughter, Gillian, was injured at the marathon bombing and was saved by an Iraq war veteran who knew how to use a tourniquet.
"We were so fortunate and grateful that the first responder that helped us was trained properly on how to apply a tourniquet and it made a huge difference in her outcome," Reny said.
For more information on the initiative visit Stepping Strong's Facebook page.
