Among the scary range of fatal crimes worldwide, the past few years have seen drastic inclines in the number of knife-related attacks, from 272 in 2007 to 285 in 2018, the highest since 1946! According to Loughborough University, a victim of stabbing can bleed to death in a matter of five minutes. Therefore, the first and foremost priority of the responder is to stop or control over-bleeding from the wound.

Mat Napo/Unsplash | Stabbing victims often bleed out pretty quickly, which is why, the first aid they get should be life-saving

In most situations, paramedics or police officials are usually the first responders to handle such a situation. But unfortunately, the slow speed they use to administer first-aid ends up putting the victim hanging between survival and death.

This is why, Joseph Bentley, a UK senior year college student, has come up with a new method to put a curb on the bleeding out of victims of violent knife attacks. He has crafted a device that can help first responders seal the victims' wounds so that they don't lose too much blood.

What is this life-saving device all about?

The device, called Rapid Emergency Actuated Tamponade (REACT), helps perform the function of gauzing to apply pressure to the wound so that the bleeding can be stopped.

Once the blood clots stop the bleeding and the victim is safely taken to a hospital, REACT can be removed or displaced from the wound. From there, the professionals can take over.

Loughborough University | Developed by a senior year student at Loughborough University, UK, REACT seals wounds so that bleeding can be stopped

How does REACT work?

REACT inflates a silicon balloon-like sleeve named tamponade, which applies adequate pressure to the wound and allows the blood to clot. Once the tamponade needs to be removed, it is extracted and deflated gently, allowing the clots to remain intact.

The brains behind the concept, Bentley explained that some of his friends were unfortunate victims of knife-related crimes (thankfully, none were serious). Their helplessness is what pushed him to do something about the issue.

He further explained that the sleeve can be placed in any part of the body to provide the best chance of reconstructive surgeries to the patients. He says it holds the potential to stop bleeding in under a minute, thus saving hundreds of lives every year.

Joseph added that currently, REACT is still a prototype, but he hopes that it will get through all the legal formalities ASAP so that the first responders can get their hands on it.

milan degraeve/Unsplash | It is being hoped that the device will be handed to over paramedic teams to help save as many lives as possible

Wrapping up

We’ve heard it often – all heroes don't wear capes, but we believe in this expression after reading about Joseph's invention. The invention can truly make a difference in stabilizing the stabbing victim's condition and save his life.