Stop the Bleed Media Resources

Latest Stop the Bleed News

Read recent press releases on the ACS Stop the Bleed program.

Uncontrolled bleeding from traumatic injuries is a leading cause of preventable death. During bleeding emergencies, minutes can mean the difference between life and death. 

Recognizing the power that everyone has to prevent deaths from severe bleeding, ACS Stop the Bleed program teaches the public to safely respond to bleeding emergencies with three methods: After calling emergency personnel and ensuring the scene is safe, apply direct pressure to the wound, pack the wound with gauze or clothing, and apply a tourniquet if appropriate. These methods are simple enough for everyone to learn and effective in helping control bleeding during the critical time from injury to the arrival of emergency personnel. 

ACS Stop the Bleed administers the premier bleeding control course and is the largest global provider of bleeding control training and kits. 

Essential Facts About Stop the Bleed

• Adequate blood supply and flow in the body is essential for survival. Someone can die within minutes if they lose a significant amount of blood. 

• In trauma care, bleeding injuries are a leading cause of preventable death. 

• The ACS Stop the Bleed program teaches the public how to recognize and respond to a bleeding emergency using training materials developed with input from multiple medical specialties, including trauma surgeons and emergency medicine personnel. 

• As of April 2025, the ACS Stop the Bleed program has trained nearly 5 million individuals and continues to grow locally, nationally, and globally. 

• Bleeding control education is a nationwide movement. As of April 2025, 14 states have passed bleeding control legislation, which varies in scope per state but makes efforts to provide kits and lifesaving education about bleeding control more widely available. 

• ACS Stop the Bleed has a growing global footprint and is being taught in at least 141 countries, from the battlefields in Ukraine to communities in rural Sierra Leone. 

• ACS Stop the Bleed kits, which include packing gauze, gloves, and other items, can be purchased online for personal and/or organizational use. The ACS is also working to expand the presence of these kits in public buildings throughout the country. 

• An updated version of the ACS Stop the Bleed course, launched in March 2025, facilitates training and increases accessibility among people of all backgrounds, cultures, and languages by providing a more image-based course that relies less on text.  

Our Experts

Multiple experts with diverse experience in the field of trauma care are available for media members interested in learning more about ACS Stop the Bleed and optimal trauma care. Media members may contact pressinquiry@facs.org to schedule an interview with one of our experts.  

Why Learning Bleeding Control Matters

The average human body contains only about 5 or 6 liters of blood. Severe blood loss can occur within minutes and can be catastrophic: blood is literally life. Loss of a significant amount of blood depletes the ability of vital organs and cells in the body to function properly, setting off a series of life-threatening events that can lead to worsening clinical outcomes and even death. Controlling bleeding helps by keeping the blood inside the body. 

Research Summaries

Trauma experts estimate that thousands of lives could be saved every year with improved access to trauma care, including having adequate bleeding control applied at the scene of injury. 

ACS Committee on Trauma members have researched the effectiveness of Stop the Bleed and other measures aimed at improving trauma response. For specific inquiries on statistics, please contact the ACS Public Information team at pressinquiry@facs.org. 

• Teixeira PG, Brown CV, Emigh B, Long M, Foreman M, Eastridge B, Gale S, Truitt MS, Dissanaike S, Duane T, Holcomb J. Civilian prehospital tourniquet use is associated with improved survival in patients with peripheral vascular injury. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2018; 226(5):769-76.
• Fisher AD, Bulger EM, Gestring ML. Stop the bleeding: educating the public. JAMA. 2018; 320(6):589-90.
• Lei R, Swartz MD, Harvin JA, Cotton BA, Holcomb JB, Wade CE, Adams SD. Stop the Bleed training empowers learners to act to prevent unnecessary hemorrhagic death. The American Journal of Surgery. 2019; 217(2):368-72.
• Stop the Bleed Training Has Saved Lives from Sierra Leone to Connecticut. ACS Press Release. October 3, 2020.
• Bulger EM. A Growing Body of Evidence Supports the American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed Program. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2021; 233(2):239-40.
• Jacobs L, Keating JJ, Hunt RC, Butler FK, Pons PT, Gestring M, Bulger E, Eastman A, Kerby J, Hashmi Z, Fridling J. Stop the BleedⓇ. Current Problems in Surgery. 2022; 59(10):101193

Frequently Asked Questions for Media Members

What is the ACS Stop the Bleed program?

ACS Stop the Bleed is a national program to empower, educate, and train the public on bleeding control techniques. During an hour-long course, attendees are taught how to respond safely to a bleeding emergency with three methods: After calling first responders and ensuring the scene is safe, apply direct pressure to the wound, pack the wound with gauze or clothing, and in the cases of more severe bleeding injuries, apply a tourniquet if the injury is to an extremity and the wound continues to bleed. These techniques help control bleeding and can save lives by preventing catastrophic blood loss.  

Classes are typically offered at no cost and are held in person or online. There is also an interactive, 25-minute version of the lecture portion of the ACS Stop the Bleed course available online.  

Are journalists allowed to attend ACS Stop the Bleed training sessions? 

Yes, journalists are allowed to attend ACS Stop the Bleed training sessions and are encouraged to experience firsthand how the course is taught (and to get trained themselves!). However, before attending, journalists must receive permission and identify themselves as media at all times during a course session. The course instructor and other session attendees may need to sign a waiver to agree to be photographed or interviewed. Please email pressinquiry@facs.org if you are interested in attending an ACS Stop the Bleed course as a media member. 

How can I learn more about ACS Stop the Bleed? 

Please send all media inquiries to pressinquiry@facs.org. To help us identify the right experts for you, we encourage journalists to share as many details as possible about their story, deadline, and what they hope to achieve by speaking to an expert. 

Are photos or b-roll videos available for media members? 

Yes! Please email pressinquiry@facs.org to receive access to videos and photos that may be reprinted with our permission. In your email, please outline your story, specific request for video and photos, and the intended use.