Stop the Bleed Consensus

Aim: To discuss important interventions and techniques to control hemorrhage in trauma patients. Background: Although there have been dramatic advances in trauma care over the last two decades, there are still a significant number of patients each year who succumb to death from hemorrhagic shock. Hemorrhage due to trauma is the leading preventable cause of death in the military setting, accounting for up to 90% of potentially preventable deaths; in the civilian setting, hemorrhage is second only to neurologic injuries as a cause of death due to trauma. In April 2013, the American College of Surgeons released the Hartford Consensus, with recommendations to enhance survivability from mass casualty incidents and active shooter scenarios. One of the four reports recommended an improvement in the implementation of bleeding control to prevent death from hemorrhage in patients with traumatic injuries. Review results: Advances in hemostatic resuscitation, antifibrinolytic medications, and more rapid transport times have all decreased mortality from hemorrhage. There has also been better bystander training through the more recent “Stop the Bleed” campaign, with its emphasis on early extremity hemorrhage control, including tourniquet use in the field. While previous studies have shown a decreased mortality in patients who were transported to the hospital quicker, decreasing the time to hemorrhage control remains one of the greatest barriers to improving patient mortality. Conclusion: In this consensus, the methods of hemorrhage control are discussed for use in the prehospital setting and the emergency department. Additionally, surgical procedures are described that may enhance hemostatic control in the operating room and lead to better outcomes during and after damage control surgeries.