In the last decade, a number of organizations and campaigns (e.g. Stop the Bleed, citizenAID) have begun to promote the need to prevent people bleeding to death from severe external injuries that could be treated by first-aiders. Keeping up with best practice on severe and catastrophic bleeding can be tough if you’re not working within a clinical or rescue team setting. On my last outdoorsy First-Aid at Work refresher with Outwardly Mobile, I was able to find out more about how to get some training on haemostatic products. As with many medical devices, there is a huge and bewildering range but we were given good guidance and I went off and did a short online course on the use of Celox gauze.
The course was useful but left me with some questions, so I was very glad to be able to follow on with a longer course with Celox Training Academy with a highly experienced paramedic. The course was split over two sessions and covered both theoretical and practical aspects of control of severe bleeding. I do find the anatomy and physiology elements of first-aid of great interest, as it helps me to grasp underlying mechanisms. This can be helpful when I am trying to recall procedures or checks in the field.
The second part of the course reviewed a wide range of dressings and kit other than Celox, which extended my knowledge of kit and techniques for using my emergency field dressings. A number of new types of tourniquet were introduced, along with advice about the right one for different roles. Another particularly useful part of the discussion was reference to the FPHC statement on use of tourniquets in pre-hospital settings.
Having completed the course, I am definitely more clued-up and confident in the management of severe bleeds, which is the outcome you want from any first-aid course. Thanks to Toni and the other members of the Celox Academy team.
I am a palaeobiologist in my early 40's carrying out research work. I am based in Scotland.
Hills of Hame 
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