Trauma is a leading cause of death, and in potentially preventable trauma deaths insufficient bleeding control has often been noted. For bleeding-related injuries, providing aid quickly is crucial since people may die from haemorrhage within minutes. One group that has been identified as able to provide quick aid is bystanders and other people present at the scene of injury. In such settings, using bleeding control (b-con) equipment such as tourniquets is effective to help control bleeding. Thus, b-con kits including such equipment has been recommended to be placed in public areas. However, for publicly placed b-con kits to be effective people must be able to find the kits quickly. This leads to the aim of this thesis, which is to explore how b-con kits can be made easier to find for the public by using signage and b-con kit placement. Two studies were conducted to explore this topic. In the first study, signage for marking b-con kits was developed since no standardised or well-recognised signage for b-con kits existed. Three b-con kit signage designs were developed in accordance with existing standards and regulations for safety signage. Then, the three signage designs were evaluated by a survey. One design, depicting an injured arm, was found to be most effective for marking b-con kits. In the second study, the effect of signage use and b-con kit placement on time to find a b-con kit was examined by an experiment carried out in a virtual environment (VE) using virtual reality (VR). The study found that providing directional signage made people find the b-con kit faster. The study also found that placing the b-con kit at a reception (a central location) made people find the b-con kit quicker compared to when the b-con kit was placed between emergency exits (a more peripheral location). The study also examined if people would find the b-con kit faster when b-con signage was used for directional signage compared to when general first aid signage was used, but no significant difference was found. In addition, the VE was validated. The results of the validation showed that the findings in the study would likely transfer to real world settings. In conclusion, using signage and placing b-con kits strategically were found to be effective ways to aid the public in finding publicly placed b-con kits, which may help people provide possibly life-saving aid to haemorrhage victims.

A terapia antiplaquetária dual, cada vez mais tem sido utilizada como uma forma de abordagem terapêutica em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana (DAC), e principalmente em portadores de stents farmacológicos. Drogas antiplaquetárias, quando associadas, aumentam o risco de sangramento, isto faz com que muitos profissionais recomendem a suspensão da medicação antes de qualquer procedimento cirúrgico odontológico, entretanto, a suspensão desta terapia expõe os pacientes portadores de stent coronariano à riscos adversos de eventos trombóticos. Por consequência, permanece desafiador e controverso o manejo odontológico cirúrgico de pacientes coronariopatas em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual. Diante disso, foi realizado uma pesquisa clínica com o objetivo de avaliar quantitativamente o sangramento trans-operatório de extração dentária de pacientes em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual (AAS + clopidogrel). Este estudo caso-controle, incluiu 38 pacientes com DAC sob terapia antiplaquetária dual com AAS e clopidogrel (grupo de estudo = GE) e 35 pacientes com doença cardiovascular sem nenhum uso de medicação antiplaquetária (grupo controle = GC), ambos com indicação de extração dentária. No dia do procedimento cirúrgico, foi realizado exame de hemograma completo, coagulograma e agregação plaquetária por turbidimetria, utilizando agonistas de adrenalina, adenosina difosfato e ácido araquidônico, no GC e pelo Verifynow no GE, e no, trans-operatório mensurada a quantidade de sangramento por meio da coleta de sangue aspirado. O GE demonstrou um sangramento mais intenso do que o GC, estatisticamente significante, com média de quantidade de sangramento 1,0 e 0,6 ml/min, respectivamente. Métodos hemostáticos locais foram suficientes para controlar o sangramento e em nenhum dos casos houve episódios de hemorragia no trans e/ou pós-operatório. A agregação plaquetária, no GC, apresentou características de hipoagregabilidade, sendo estatisticamente significante apenas o efeito da adrenalina na quantidade de sangramento ocorrido durante o procedimento cirúrgico (p-valor 0,018). No GE, a agregação plaquetária não demonstrou resultados estatísticos significantes, no entanto, foram encontrados 11 (28,94%) pacientes considerados resistentes à terapia com ácido acetilsalicílico com valores de ARU entre 550 a 700 e 12 (31,57%) pacientes considerados não respondedores ao clopidogrel, com valores de PRU acima de 230. De acordo com os nossos resultados, pacientes portadores de DAC, em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual, AAS + clopidogrel, apresentam maior quantidade de sangramento, mas que pode ser controlado com medidas hemostáticas locais, não sendo necessária a suspensão da terapia antiplaquetária para extração de até três dentes. / Dual-antiplatelet therapy has been used as a therapeutic approach for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), mainly for those bearing pharmacological stents. The association of antiplatelet a drug increases the risk of bleeding, and for that reason many professionals withdraw the medications prior to any dental surgical procedure. Though, when this therapy is discontinued, patients with coronary stent are exposed to adverse risks of thrombotic events. As a consequence, dental surgical management of patients with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy remains challenging and controversial. On this basis, a clinical research was developed with the aim to evaluate the amount of bleeding that occurs during the intraoperative period of tooth extraction procedures in patients with CAD who are either undergoing dual-antiplatelet therapy (AAS + clopidogrel). This case-control study comprised 38 patients diagnosed with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy, AAS and clopidogrel (study group = SG) and 35 patients with cardiovascular disease, but not on antiplatelet therapy (control group = CG), both requiring tooth extraction. A complete blood count, blood clotting test and platelet aggregation by turbidimetry using epinephrine agonists, adenosine diphosphate and arachidonic acid were carried out on the day of the operation in the CG and using the Verifynow in the SG. The amount of bleeding was measured during the intraoperative period by means of aspirated blood collection. The statistically significant mean volumes of bleeding were 1.0 e 0.6 mL/min for both SG and CG, respectively. The SG showed a more intense bleeding compared to the CG. Local hemostatic measures showed to suffice for controlling possible bleeding problems and in none of the procedures there were intra-operative and/ or post-operative bleeding episodes. Platelet aggregation, for the CG, demonstrated platelet hypoagregability, and only the epinephrine effect was statistically significant for the amount of bleeding during the surgical procedure (p-value 0.018). In the SG, platelet aggregation has not shown statistically significant values. Nonetheless, 11 patients (28.94%) were resistant to acetylsalicylic acid demonstrating ARU values between 550 and 700, 12 patients (31.57%) have not responded to clopidogrel therapy, and the PRU values were above 230. According to the results of this study, individuals with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy (AAS + Clopidogrel), demonstrated a greater amount of bleeding, which can be minimized by using local haemeostatics and not suspending the antiplatelet drug for tooth extraction.

A terapia antiplaquetária dual, cada vez mais tem sido utilizada como uma forma de abordagem terapêutica em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana (DAC), e principalmente em portadores de stents farmacológicos. Drogas antiplaquetárias, quando associadas, aumentam o risco de sangramento, isto faz com que muitos profissionais recomendem a suspensão da medicação antes de qualquer procedimento cirúrgico odontológico, entretanto, a suspensão desta terapia expõe os pacientes portadores de stent coronariano à riscos adversos de eventos trombóticos. Por consequência, permanece desafiador e controverso o manejo odontológico cirúrgico de pacientes coronariopatas em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual. Diante disso, foi realizado uma pesquisa clínica com o objetivo de avaliar quantitativamente o sangramento trans-operatório de extração dentária de pacientes em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual (AAS + clopidogrel). Este estudo caso-controle, incluiu 38 pacientes com DAC sob terapia antiplaquetária dual com AAS e clopidogrel (grupo de estudo = GE) e 35 pacientes com doença cardiovascular sem nenhum uso de medicação antiplaquetária (grupo controle = GC), ambos com indicação de extração dentária. No dia do procedimento cirúrgico, foi realizado exame de hemograma completo, coagulograma e agregação plaquetária por turbidimetria, utilizando agonistas de adrenalina, adenosina difosfato e ácido araquidônico, no GC e pelo Verifynow no GE, e no, trans-operatório mensurada a quantidade de sangramento por meio da coleta de sangue aspirado. O GE demonstrou um sangramento mais intenso do que o GC, estatisticamente significante, com média de quantidade de sangramento 1,0 e 0,6 ml/min, respectivamente. Métodos hemostáticos locais foram suficientes para controlar o sangramento e em nenhum dos casos houve episódios de hemorragia no trans e/ou pós-operatório. A agregação plaquetária, no GC, apresentou características de hipoagregabilidade, sendo estatisticamente significante apenas o efeito da adrenalina na quantidade de sangramento ocorrido durante o procedimento cirúrgico (p-valor 0,018). No GE, a agregação plaquetária não demonstrou resultados estatísticos significantes, no entanto, foram encontrados 11 (28,94%) pacientes considerados resistentes à terapia com ácido acetilsalicílico com valores de ARU entre 550 a 700 e 12 (31,57%) pacientes considerados não respondedores ao clopidogrel, com valores de PRU acima de 230. De acordo com os nossos resultados, pacientes portadores de DAC, em uso de terapia antiplaquetária dual, AAS + clopidogrel, apresentam maior quantidade de sangramento, mas que pode ser controlado com medidas hemostáticas locais, não sendo necessária a suspensão da terapia antiplaquetária para extração de até três dentes. / Dual-antiplatelet therapy has been used as a therapeutic approach for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), mainly for those bearing pharmacological stents. The association of antiplatelet a drug increases the risk of bleeding, and for that reason many professionals withdraw the medications prior to any dental surgical procedure. Though, when this therapy is discontinued, patients with coronary stent are exposed to adverse risks of thrombotic events. As a consequence, dental surgical management of patients with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy remains challenging and controversial. On this basis, a clinical research was developed with the aim to evaluate the amount of bleeding that occurs during the intraoperative period of tooth extraction procedures in patients with CAD who are either undergoing dual-antiplatelet therapy (AAS + clopidogrel). This case-control study comprised 38 patients diagnosed with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy, AAS and clopidogrel (study group = SG) and 35 patients with cardiovascular disease, but not on antiplatelet therapy (control group = CG), both requiring tooth extraction. A complete blood count, blood clotting test and platelet aggregation by turbidimetry using epinephrine agonists, adenosine diphosphate and arachidonic acid were carried out on the day of the operation in the CG and using the Verifynow in the SG. The amount of bleeding was measured during the intraoperative period by means of aspirated blood collection. The statistically significant mean volumes of bleeding were 1.0 e 0.6 mL/min for both SG and CG, respectively. The SG showed a more intense bleeding compared to the CG. Local hemostatic measures showed to suffice for controlling possible bleeding problems and in none of the procedures there were intra-operative and/ or post-operative bleeding episodes. Platelet aggregation, for the CG, demonstrated platelet hypoagregability, and only the epinephrine effect was statistically significant for the amount of bleeding during the surgical procedure (p-value 0.018). In the SG, platelet aggregation has not shown statistically significant values. Nonetheless, 11 patients (28.94%) were resistant to acetylsalicylic acid demonstrating ARU values between 550 and 700, 12 patients (31.57%) have not responded to clopidogrel therapy, and the PRU values were above 230. According to the results of this study, individuals with CAD and on dual-antiplatelet therapy (AAS + Clopidogrel), demonstrated a greater amount of bleeding, which can be minimized by using local haemeostatics and not suspending the antiplatelet drug for tooth extraction.

The number of prehospital deaths caused by large bleedings could be decreased if civilian people would act in time to help the injured patient. One way to help is to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet application. However, the tourniquet needs to be placed correctly in order to stop the bleeding. Therefore laypersons need to be educated in bleeding control to increase the rate of successful tourniquet application. This study used human error identification techniques such as Hierarchical Task Analysis and Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach to identify possible errors of four commonly used tourniquet models: the CAT-7, Delfi-EMT, SAM-X and SWAT-T. The results show that many predicted errors are time-oriented and critical. Video analysis of tourniquet application was performed to map occurred use errors from the videos with the predicted ones. The goal was to identify problems that could be solved by training or redesigns of the tourniquets. The results show that the most common errors for all participants during tourniquet application were of six error types. The errors were to not check time or write down time of application, to take too much time to place the tourniquet around the limb, to place the tourniquet upside down, to place the tourniquet band over the securing mechanism instead of between and lastly to not secure the tourniquet correctly before transporting the patient. The untrained laypersons made more errors than the trained laypersons and professional emergency personnel group. The trained laypersons also made fewer errors in a calm setting than in a stressed setting, comparing to the professional group who did the same error types in both settings. The results indicate that untrained laypersons not only make more errors but also more critical errors than trained laypersons and professional emergency personnel. Future research should empirically test other tourniquet models than the CAT in the goal of finding use errors to be reduced. Overall the results are in line with previous studies that show the need for education of bleeding control techniques in the civilian population.