ArtsQuest Colleagues Learn to ‘Stop the Bleed’

ArtsQuest employees, the folks behind Musikfest, the Banana Factory Arts Center and so much more, have joined the growing number of people taught by the trauma team at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Muhlenberg how to Stop the Bleed^®.

Inside the Blast Furnace conference room at ArtsQuest on a recent summer weekday, LVH–Muhlenberg trauma colleagues, assisted by Bethlehem paramedics, used a combination of foam pool-noodle floats, gauze and tourniquets to demonstrate how to help save a life in the event of life-threatening bleeding.

Stop the Bleed is a national, grass-roots awareness campaign that encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.

“Being prepared is something we’re all about,” says Maria Wescoe, trauma and injury prevention coordinator at LVH–Muhlenberg in Bethlehem. “We’re here to prepare you in case you need to stop the bleed.”

Someone can bleed to death in as little as five minutes in certain situations, especially those injuries involving an artery. ArtsQuest employees who attended the training now know how to slow that clock, or stop it, until professional medical help can get there. The No. 1 cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding, Wescoe says.

In partnership with the Bethlehem Health Bureau and the Fleming Family Trauma Fund, ArtsQuest received 150 Stop the Bleed kits for use at Musikfest and all its venues. The kits include a variety of items, including gauze and a tourniquet.

LVHN is a longtime partner of ArtsQuest, which operates Musikfest – an annual outdoor August music festival that over 10 days brings more than 1 million visitors to Bethlehem.

As a Musikfest partner, LVHN staffs and manages Healthplatz, a place where Musikfest attendees can get aid for things such as minor scrapes, bruises, cuts, insect stings, minor burns, nosebleeds and minor sprains.  Blood pressure checks also are available. In both Festplatz and Familienplatz, LVHN offers a space for mothers to breastfeed if they wish and to change their baby’s diaper. 

Since the beginning of LVH–Muhlenberg’s trauma program in 2020, the trauma team has educated more than 1,500 people in Stop the Bleed and provided more than 600 Stop the Bleed kits to schools, police departments and community groups.

“We speak all the time about active shooters,” Wescoe says. “But the truth is, every day in our homes we cook meals, chop vegetables, mow the grass, work in the garage, and crawl on ladders. There are lots of places that can potentially have a bleeding incident. Even just a simple fall can result in hemorrhage.”

The first rule is don’t become a victim yourself, Wescoe says. “Get away. Call for help and take the victim if you can,” she says.

All life-threatening bleeding is not treated the same. It depends in large part on the location.

Arms and legs: For massive blood loss coming from the extremities, Wescoe says the first choice is a tourniquet placed two to three inches above the wound. Don’t put the tourniquet directly on a joint, such as an elbow or knee, because it could damage the joint. Try to remember to write the time you applied the tourniquet on the limb.

Neck, underarms and groin: A tourniquet wouldn’t work here. Wescoe says the first choice is packing the wound, meaning to fill it with gauze or some other readily available absorbent material. Get down to the source of the bleeding with the packing. Even a clean sock would work in this situation. After packing, apply pressure.

Core body: Vital organs such as the heart and lungs are in this area, so packing may do more harm than good. Cover and apply pressure and wait for medical professionals to arrive. Some emergency kits may include a chest seal bandage or a bandage containing a clotting agent.

Impaled object: Never try to remove an impaled object because it could cause more severe bleeding and tissue damage. Take bleeding-control measures as appropriate.

Amputation: Apply a tourniquet above the amputation site, even if the bleeding has stopped.

Calling for help: Stay on the phone when you call 911 and provide as much information you can about the victim and your location. You can always put the phone on speaker to get advice and instructions. Staying on the phone with the 911 dispatcher does not delay emergency response.

Find the bleeding: Always check for bleeding. In colder weather, bulky clothing can conceal the source of bleeding. An injured skier or hiker would be a good example.

The training was well received by ArtsQuest colleagues. “I found it very useful. You never know when an emergency might happen,” says Lisa Brown, an administrative assistant.

“It dispelled some myths I had growing up about tourniquets,” says Tim McNair, ArtsQuest Chief Financial Officer. “It’s great training for events or even around the house. It was definitely worth my time today.”

If you’re interested in receiving Stop the Bleed training from the LVH–Muhlenberg trauma team, contact Wescoe via email below.

Email Maria Wescoe