During primary assessment instruction students can watch and then practice opening manikin airways and delivering effective ventilations. It is much more difficult to simulate severe bleeding control and to overcome one of medicine’s most pervasive myths.

I honed my technique for teaching severe bleeding control over dozens of Wilderness First Aid classes for Wilderness Medical Associates:

1. With the class gathered around me I say, “Imagine our patient has a large bleeding wound on his thigh. What should I do?”

2. Class answers, “put on a dressing and press hard.” I comply.

3. Me, “Dressing is now totally soaked with blood, what should I do?”

4. Class, “Apply another dressing.”

5. I add another dressing.

6. Me, “This dressing is now totally soaked through with blood. What should I do?”

7. Class, “Apply another dressing.”

8. I repeat steps 5, 6, and 7.

9. After four or five dressings have been applied and bleeding is still copious and a few students are expressing puzzlement about the efficacy of this treatment. I ask, “What has not happened?”

10. Brave student, “You haven’t controlled the bleeding.”

11. Me, “What should I do next?”

12. Brave student, realizing a medical myth is about to crumble timidly states, “Find the actual source of bleeding.”

13. Me, “So I am going to remove these blood soaked dressings to find the source.”

14. Most of class gasps. One already trained expert will always say, “But you will break apart the clots.”

15. Me, “Which clots?” Insert dramatic pause. “If there were clots and bleeding was controlled we wouldn’t have four or five blood soaked dressings.

16. Me, “Find the source of bleeding and apply well-aimed direct pressure.”

Read more about effective bleeding control and watch an amazing video, in an excellent post, from the Rogue Medic.

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This is a guest post by Jeanette Kozlowski. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

While iPhones have been known to save a social life or two, who’d a thought you could use the decade’s trendiest gadget to save real lives, too? Inspired by Mashable’s list of “7 iPhone Apps That Can Save Lives,” here are the best free and paid applications to help you in everyday rescue missions.

Calling all iPhone-aholics: Know of a really great app that’s helped you on the job that isn’t mentioned? Feel free to post it in the comments section!

Pocket First Aid & CPR – $3.99
Created by the American Heart Association, the Pocket First Aid & CPR features hundreds of pages with illustrations and covers CPR, choking, bites, bruises, burns, seizures, diabetic emergencies and more. Moreover, there are videos and a place where you can save your own and others medical emergency information.

myLite Flashlight – Free

Dubbed the “Swiss Army Knife of flashlights,” myLite provides illumination when you need it the most. Obviously it won’t be as bright as your standard flashlight, but what it will do is allow you to adjust color and brightness. As mentioned by its creator DoApp Inc., other uses for myLite include sending out SOS messages and showing off on the dance floor.

Police Scanner – $2.99
This app grants you on-the-go access to law enforcement, fire and EMS dispatch frequencies. While on-call volunteer firefighters and emergency responders can listen in, they won’t be able to broadcast or respond. Frequencies include both national and international streams.

CPR & Choking – Free
If someone is actually choking, it might not be the time to pull out your iPhone. Despite that fact, it serves as a proper review for those who already have had CPR training. Developed by doctors and educators at the University of Washington, this life-saving app includes short video demonstrations on how to perform CPR properly.

EMS Logger Plus – $2.99
Building on the success of the free EMS Logger, EMS Logger Plus allows paramedics to document critical events without a pen and paper. This new version even includes a shaker-activated timer, which helps you time pulse and respiration. The app’s creator, an EMT student at the time, has also created similar applications for police and fire personnel that can be found here.

EMS Meds – $2.99
Written by the same EMT student who made EMS Logger Plus, EMS Meds is a perfect reference guide for paramedics that catalogs about 80 commonly used drugs by EMS personnel. In addition to the dosage guide, there are four calculators for dosage, body surface area, simple infusion and drip rates.

SirenFX – Police/Emergency Sound Effects – $.99
A catalogue of emergency sound effects can be a big help if you find yourself in an emergency situation without a siren. On the other hand, it appears its best use is to freak out your friends. In addition to a siren, sound effects include a police radio, air horn and wail.


Author: Jeanette Kozlowski is a freelance journalist and resident blogger for Cat5 Commerce, a niche retail operator. She spends most days monitoring the wires for new and exciting public safety developments to share on Tactical Pants Blog, an information hub for the law enforcement and public safety industry.

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Summer is a great time for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. As an EMS provider you know the importance of having the right supplies for emergencies. In this short video Greg Friese describers selection of a first aid kit for outdoor adventures.

Use the comments area to ask specific questions about selecting first aid kit supplies for your next outdoor adventure.

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