Trauma is the leading cause of death for people aged 1-44 in the USA. It is also the leading cause of potential years of life lost (PYLL) because it kills young people with many years of life yet to live.
Most deaths from injury are preventable. We may not even notice many of the innovations made over the years to improve our safety and reduce the risk of injury. These include such things as safety belts, smoke detectors, safer vehicles and highways, safety devices on many of our appliances, and many more.
However, once somebody is actually injured, then an entire system of care is required to save that injured persons life and health. Sometimes that requires simple first aid measures, and sometimes it requires activation of the trauma system, and transport by emerging medical systems to a trauma center. For patients who are severely injured, the single largest and most preventable cause of death is bleeding.
When Seconds Count.
When somebody has heavy bleeding, seconds count. In California measures have already been taken by emergency medical services paramedics and law-enforcement officers to be trained to use and carry special bleeding control kits containing dressings and tourniquets. This national program is called Stop the Bleed. The use of bleeding control kits by paramedics for bleeding patients in Los Angeles County led to more that a 3-times lower risk of death.
Lessons learned on the Battlefield, brought to daily life.
The concepts for Stop the Bleed were relearned from recent conflicts. Military surgeons saw the preventable deaths and introduced basic measures to stop bleeding for the wounded that could be performed by their buddies or themselves – three basic techniques that can easily taught and learned by almost anybody. Today Stop the Bleed training is available at little or no cost, you can find live and on-line courses here: Stop the Bleed Training.
So why trauma kits and AB-2260?
While an individual trained in Stop the Bleed can stop bleeding before the arrival of paramedics, there can be issues. Without a kit, the trained individual must rely on direct pressure only, can only treat one victim at a time, cannot easily move the victim needing direct pressure, and may tire quickly if not other trained individuals are not available.
What is in these trauma kits?
A trauma kit, containing wound packing, a tourniquet, gloves, shears and a mask can make bleeding control easier and safer.
Where are these AB-2260 trauma kits supposed to be?
AB-2260 is a bill introduced into the California Legislature by Assembly Member Freddie Rodriguez and coauthored by Senator Ben Hueso. These legislators have brought CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) laws to California. AB 2260 proposes to place Trauma Kits in the same public buildings with an occupancy of 200 people of more, where as AEDs can be found. This includes assembly buildings with an occupancy of 300 or more, or
business buildings, educational buildings, factory buildings, institutional buildings, mercantile buildings and residential buildings with an occupancy of 200 or more, excluding single-family and multifamily dwelling units.
What will AB-2260 cost?
The cost of a AB-2260 trauma kit is expected to be between $25-35, if no optional advanced hemostatic agent dressings are included, $50 if they are. Compared to the cost of an AED which costs $900 to $2000, the AB-2260 kit comprises less than 4% of the cost of an AED, while greatly increasing its utility. AEDs have a lifespan of about 10 years. AB-2260 trauma kits have an indefinite expiry date if no advanced hemostatic agent dressings are included, 2-5 years if they are. AB-2260 does not mandate the inclusion of advanced hemostatic agent dressings.
Have these Trauma Kits been installed anywhere else?
In California, public “Stop the Bleed” kits have been placed in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco International Airports, in County of San Diego public buildings, in the San Diego Convention Center, and in UC San Diego Health buildings.
- Texas and Indiana have passed laws to have STOP THE BLEED® kits and training in schools.
- Georgia has included the cost to install STOP THE BLEED® kits in schools as part of the state’s budget.
- The state of Illinois Terrorism Taskforce is installing STOP THE BLEED® kits in schools.
- Arkansas passed a bill requiring high school students to participate in STOP THE BLEED® training as a requirement for graduation.
A federal bipartisan bill, the Prevent Blood Loss with Emergency Equipment Devices (BLEEDing) Act, has been introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) to help provide states with funding to expand access to bleeding control kits in public places in communities around the country.
Who is supporting AB-2260?
We are the California Chapters of the American College of Surgeons, non-profit associations representing California’s surgeons. We will derive no monies from the passage of AB-2260.
Other supporters include:
Northern California Chapter, American College of Surgeons
San Diego Imperial Chapter, American College of Surgeons
Southern California Chapter, American College of Surgeons
California Medical Association
California Society of Anesthesiologists
American College of Surgeons
American Society for Anesthesiologists
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association
American Urological Association
American Trauma Society
Trauma Center Association of America
