'Stop the Bleed' campaign in Pomona teaches techniques on how to save a life

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- Knowing how to stop someone from bleeding in emergency situations can make the difference between life and death.

The "Stop the Bleed" campaign in Pomona is teaching people techniques and simple skills to save a life.

Dr. Michael Jimenez, a trauma surgeon at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, demonstrated with a nurse how to stop the bleeding of a wound on an arm or leg in a dire situation.

First, start with a tourniquet.

"You go ahead with the velcro strap and twist it around. You twist and keep twisting and what it does it forms a tourniquet," Jimenez said. "That compresses the vessel and once the wound stops bleeding, once you see the blood stopping, that's when you know it's appropriate."

Jimenez says if there is bleeding coming from another body part, use gauze to stop the bleeding and start to fill the wound with gauze.

"Never forget that holding pressure over the wound and over the bleeding site is principle and key in stopping the hemorrhage," he said.

This campaign is to teach the public on the ABCs of how to treat someone who is losing a lot of blood.

Dr. Jimenez says remember "A, alert, so you want to go ahead and alert the authorities 911. B bleed, so find the bleed and than compress. So Alert the authorities, find the bleed and compress that wound."

First-aid kits with gauze and tourniquet are available online or at stores ranging in price from $15 to $45.

The one thing Jimenez points out is when you go out to a large gathering, be aware of your surroundings and know where the exits are.

Done the right way, he says, these simple, basic, skills could save a life.