by Nicole Hackett, Student Public Relations Writer
Massive bleeding can kill within 10 minutes, making it difficult for emergency services to reach the victims before it is too late.
As a result, universities around the country are beginning to place Stop the Bleed kits throughout their campuses, including Cedarville University. Cedarville has placed Stop the Bleed kits next to its automated external defibrillators (AED).
— Doug Chisholm
Stop the Bleed is a national program that provides resources and training for any incident that may cause massive bleeding. Each Stop the Bleed kit contains tourniquets, trauma bandages and a coagulation powder that can be applied to a wound to help the blood congeal and stop flowing.
According to Doug Chisholm, director of campus safety, tourniquets could have saved 40% more victims who died in active shooting incidents in recent years. Because of this, basic, illustrated directions are included in each kit, enabling anyone to place a tourniquet if needed.
“Stop the Bleed kits gives us immediate access to tools that can make a difference in saving a life,” explained Chisholm. “When there is a serious wound, we only have minutes. So having these kits strategically located around campus can be the difference between life and death.”
Every Cedarville security officer has completed the Stop the Bleed training, Chisholm explained. School of pharmacy students are also required to complete the one-hour training.
“Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers in America and are often the first provider of care for many patients,” said Jeff Bates, associate dean of the school of pharmacy and associate professor of pharmacy practice.
The Cedarville pharmacy faculty and staff who train pharmacy students also work to train the greater Cedarville community. A training was hosted by the Cedar Care Village Pharmacy this May, and each summer the faculty and staff also train high school pharmacy camp students.
“Both future and current pharmacists must be prepared to care for society’s needs, which includes reacting effectively to an emergency situation,” Bates said.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,193 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.