Applying a hemostatic tourniquet

A tourniquet is a device that is applied to an injured, bleeding arm or leg. It acts by exerting circumferential pressure on the limb, thus squeezing and clogging blood vessels, which helps stop extensive blood loss. Both medical and improvised tourniquets can be used to help the victim.

If there is no professional compression bandage, and circumstances require a quick stop to blood loss, you can take a scarf, tie, belt, belt, or a piece of cloth of the appropriate length and width, which will allow you to press the damaged artery to the bone and prevent blood flow.

The material from which the harness is made must be clean and even sterile, but in situations of extreme necessity (for example, in an accident) this is not the most important thing. It is important to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, which is a real threat to the life of the victim.

Proper use of a tourniquet

When applying a compression bandage, you should be aware of your own safety, since the person providing assistance is subject to contact with the victim's blood. Therefore, you must wear protective gloves before dressing.

1. Rescue operations begin with locating and visualizing the injury, which sometimes requires removing clothing.
2. Before starting to stop arterial bleeding, the wound should be thoroughly disinfected. Then wrap the place of application with a material that does not spread, soaked in blood, such as gauze, bandage or towel. It should be borne in mind that any type of wound (cut, chopped, stabbed, torn, gunshot) can not be applied such means as cotton wool, because they can stick to it and prevent its healing.
3. If blood starts to flow out, you can add another layer of gauze, but in any case do not remove the previously applied one, as this may damage the open wound.
4. To properly apply a tourniquet, it is necessary to raise the bleeding limb of the victim by 20-30 cm - for the outflow of venous blood.
5. Apply a bandage about 5 centimeters above the wound, on the so-called proximal part, that is, the shoulder or hip, but never below the elbow and knee. After that, it is fixed with a clasp or hook.
6. Always leave a note under the tourniquet, which indicates the time of its application.
7. The limb with the harness installed is immobilized using a transport tire or any improvised means. In case of injury to the upper limb, it is also necessary to immobilize the hand with a bandage made of a scarf folded in the form of a triangle.
8. The tourniquet should be left on until the bleeding stops and the peripheral pulsation stops, and the skin becomes pale and cold. However, it can be held no longer than 1-1. 5 hours on the hand and no more than 2 hours on the leg. Because after this time, soft tissue necrosis can occur as a result of long-term ischemia, which often even leads to amputation of limbs.
9. In winter, the tourniquet is applied for a maximum of 1 hour, in summer-for 2 hours.
10. For long-term transportation of the victim, the compression tourniquet should be relaxed every hour for 10-15 minutes, temporarily replacing this method of stopping arterial bleeding with another method (finger pressing of the damaged vessel). At the same time, the time of re-applying the bandage is noted in the note each time.

Before the arrival of emergency services, the victim should be placed in the most calm and safe place, and if possible, cover him with something warm and give him only warm water or other liquid to drink.

Applying a twist tourniquet

A twist is usually used to stop arterial bleeding from the shoulder or forearm.

• From a bandage, belt, twine, handkerchief, fabric, a ring of the required diameter is formed, the ends of which are tied. The leather belt does not fit here, as it cannot be twisted properly.
• The resulting ring is placed just above the wound. Using a metal object or a wooden stick, twist until the bleeding and pulsation in the main arteries are completely stopped.
• The stick is attached to the limb so that the tourniquet-twist does not untwist.
• Leave a note under the bandage with the installation time.

All other rules and recommendations for applying a twist are similar to applying a medical or improvised tourniquet.

When should I use a tourniquet?

It should be remembered that although harnesses can save lives in extreme situations, their use should not be taken lightly. They remain a means of the second line of help when direct pressure is not possible or is not enough to stop the bleeding. Tourniquet compression is used mainly in situations such as:

1. Mass traffic accident, when it is not possible to devote a large amount of time to each victim before the arrival of the emergency service.
2. Partial or complete amputation of a limb as a result of a car accident or industrial accident.
3. If it is not possible to evacuate the victim from a restricted area.
4. "Self-help", when a person is forced to stop blood loss on their own, especially in the case of wounds on the upper extremities.
5. Stopping bleeding in an external threat: on the battlefield, during a fire, etc.
6. Uncontrolled bleeding that cannot be stopped by direct pressure, such as in the case of extensive trauma.
7. Crushing of the lower or upper limbs and a long time to release the victim (from the rubble of a destroyed house, etc.).

If airway obstruction or cardiac arrest occurs along with bleeding, then a rapid cessation of blood loss with a tourniquet will allow the person to perform artificial respiration or indirect massage to restore the heartbeat.