What's the Difference Between a First Aid Kit and Bleeding Control Kit?

It’s important to recognize that although both types of kits are potentially life-saving, there are key differences between a first aid kit and a bleeding control kit.

Let us be clear: they are not interchangeable!

First Aid Kits and the Injuries They Treat

First aid kits can be used to treat minor injuries like scrapes, minor cuts, burns, and sprains. For this reason, an individual first aid kit generally contains band-aids, gauze, triangular bandages, sting swaps, ointment, antiseptics, and analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications to keep a sick or injured person comfortable. The kinds of minor injuries that warrant a first aid kit usually don't require a doctor or hospital visit. After treating any small cuts, bruises, stings, or burns, the injured person can simply rest and return to their activities when they're feeling better.

While incredibly useful, first aid kits are not designed to stop life-threatening bleeding.

Bleeding Control Kits and the Injuries They Treat

Bleeding control kits, also called Stop the Bleed or blood stopper kits, are designed to help control life-threatening injuries such as gunshots or stab wounds, amputations, or any other massive hemorrhage that could kill within minutes if not treated. To stop heavy bleeding, trauma kits contain tourniquets, pressure dressings, and sometimes hemostatic gauze and chest seals to prevent a severely injured patient from bleeding out before emergency medical services arrive. The kinds of major bleeding that you would treat with a trauma kit always require medical care. Tourniquets should not be left on for longer than two hours and are only intended to stem the flow of blood from a wound until the victim can be transported to a hospital and treated by a medical professional.

What’s Inside a Bleeding Control Kit?

Bleeding control kits — such as our Blood Stopper Kit —  are designed to provide the user with immediate access to life-saving products that can control bleeding and traumatic hemorrhaging. Someone who is severely bleeding can bleed to death in as little as five minutes. Instead of being a witness, you can become an immediate responder because you know how to stop the bleeding. 

Basic Emergency Blood Stopper Kit:

1 - CAT Tourniquet

1 - Blood Stopper Trauma Dressing

2 - Nitrile Gloves 3 Mil

1 - Compressed Rolled Gauze

1 - ER™ Emergency Thermal Blanket

1 - Neon Orange Nylon Pouch

1 - STOP THE BLEED Sticker

Stop the Bleed, Save a Life

The American College of Surgeons started the STOP THE BLEED® program and have trained over 2.4 million people to stop bleeding on a severely injured person. No one wants to find themselves in a situation where they need a blood stopper kit. But if that moment ever comes for you, you’d be thankful to those who had the foresight to purchase one and help to save your life.