Pocket Preps: Tourniquet Buyer’s Guide

On multiple event, I heard the story a few man who was utilizing a chainsaw in his yard to wash up some storm particles. As he was reducing just a few of the fallen branches, he misplaced his footing and the operating chainsaw got here down on his leg, inflicting an incredible wound. Whereas his spouse shortly referred to as 9-1-1 and helped apply direct strain, the femoral artery was lower and he died earlier than the ambulance arrived. A tourniquet would’ve probably saved his life.

Tourniquet use goes again to not less than the 4th century BC, when Alexander the Nice had troops utilizing tourniquets of leather-based and bronze. There are different documented makes use of through the Center Ages with battlefield tourniquets, which have been easy garrotes. In 1785, Sir Gilbert Blane advocated that, in battle, every Royal Navy sailor ought to carry a tourniquet: “It regularly occurs that males bleed to demise earlier than help may be procured, or lose a lot blood as not to have the ability to undergo an operation. With the intention to forestall this, it has been proposed, and on some events practiced, to make every man carry about him a garter, or piece of rope yarn, with a view to bind up a limb in case of profuse bleeding.”

Using tourniquets waned after World Conflict II, with a lot documented misapplication, plus lag time between software and subsequent receiving of correct medical consideration, inflicting them to fall out of favor. However their navy use continued to rise by means of the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

At this time, after a lot scientific examine, their use has develop into mainstream. A set of established scientific apply pointers direct the suitable use of tourniquets. The current doctrine utilized by the U.S. Navy is that each soldier within the subject has a tourniquet and is aware of the right way to use it. This has carried over to the civilian sector, the place law enforcement officials, firefighters, and EMTs routinely carry them. There are additionally an untold variety of faculties and companies throughout the nation which have trauma kits stockpiled with quite a few tourniquets in case of a dire emergency.

Perceive this: Tourniquets usually are not only for troopers and gunshot wounds. Vehicle accidents, athletic occasions, and residential enchancment tasks can all result in unexpected trauma the place a tourniquet can imply the distinction between life and demise. Whether or not you’re a soldier on the entrance strains or a well-prepared mother shuttling youngsters between actions, emergencies occur, and there’s one thing you are able to do about it. Be ready and enroll in a Stop the Bleed or Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) course to study the right method to control bleeding in a severely injured particular person.

Particular because of Guardian Revival and Medicine in Bad Places for his or her technical help with this text.

North American Rescue Fight Software Tourniquet (C-A-T)

Colours:
Black, Blue, Orange

Dimension:
Packaged L 6 by W 2.4 by D 1.5 inches; open size 37.5 inches

Weight:
2.7 ounces

Worth:
$30

URL:
narescue.com

Notes
As one of many first fashionable tourniquets in the marketplace, that is the model the overwhelming majority of persons are acquainted with. Famous as the most effective pre-hospital tourniquet within the February 2008 complement of The Journal of Trauma, the patented C-A-T is a real one-handed tourniquet confirmed to be totally efficient by the U.S. Military’s Institute of Surgical Analysis. At present in Gen 7, it is a windlass system the place you utilize the persist with wind up or tighten the tourniquet. The rotation tightening of the windlass offers you a mechanical benefit to use extra strain. As soon as the blood stream is occluded, the windlass is pressed right into a retaining clip to take care of strain. Make sure to purchase the real C-A-T product from a trusted retailer (not a third-party Amazon reseller). There are a lot of dangerous counterfeits in the marketplace. The C-A-T is permitted by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) and carries NSN 6515-01-521-7976.

Execs:

• The de-facto normal in tourniquets
• Nearly all tourniquet customers are skilled on this mannequin

Cons:

• Hook-and-loop attracts lint and might snag on different gear if left uncovered

TacMed Options SOF Tourniquet

Colours:
Black, Blue, Orange, Crimson, Tan

Dimension:
Packaged L 5.5 by W 2 by D 1.75 inches; open size 44 inches

Weight:
3.7 ounces

Worth:
$31

URL:
tacmedsolutions.com

Notes
Designed by a Particular Forces medic whereas on deployment to Afghanistan in 2003, the SOF-T is a well-refined tourniquet. It is a tried-and-true windlass design with a number of improved options. The primary is that the windlass is constructed from aluminum, slightly than polymer. It additionally has a buckle for quick software round a limb, utilizing solely gross motor capabilities, versus rethreading a strap by means of a buckle. I discover it to be just a little extra supple than a lot of the different tourniquets, which supplies it a pleasant really feel and is quieter than the hook-and-loop sorts when carried. It has seen adoption by many massive organizations together with NYPD, LAPD, and the American Crimson Cross. I hold this tourniquet as a part of my EDC. It’s CoTCCC permitted and is accessible for buy by the Division of Protection beneath NSN 6515-01-696-4522.

Execs:

• Aluminum windlass
• Packs flat and lacks hook-and-loop, making it handy for on-body carry

Cons:

SAM Medical SAM XT Tourniquet

Colours:
Black, Blue, Orange

Dimension:
Packaged L 7.25 by W 2.5 by D 1.5 inches; open size 36 inches

Weight:
3.8 ounces

Worth:
$38

URL:
sammedical.com

Notes
The SAM XT is a windlass design tourniquet with an apparent bodily distinction, because the hook-and-loop strap has two rows of holes in it. These holes work together with the distinctive TRUFORCE buckle that’ll assist lock the strap in place when a predetermined quantity of pressure is utilized. If you pull the strap laborious sufficient, the buckle will lock into the holes. The tourniquet has a superb really feel to it, not too stiff and never too delicate, I had no drawback securing it one-handed. Anyone who has ever used the C-A-T or SOF-T will intuitively perceive the right way to use this tourniquet. It’s permitted by the CoTCCC and carries NSN 6515-01-670-2240.

Execs:

• Aluminum windlass
• TRUFORCE buckle helps you realize when the strap is tight sufficient

Cons:

• The buckle makes it bulkier than most.

Fight Medical TMT

Colours:
Black

Dimension:
Packaged L 4.5 by W 2.5 by D 1.85 inches; open size 38 inches

Weight:
2.9 ounces

Worth:
$30

URL:
combatmedical.com

Notes
I discovered the TMT to be particularly difficult to use one-handed. On prime of that, I discovered that in the event you twist the windlass counterclockwise, it’s counter-intuitive to get it into the retaining clip. As a substitute of letting the windlass settle again into the clip, like on all the opposite windlass tourniquets, you really should push it ahead. This counter-intuitiveness can price you quite a lot of blood beneath strain. Moreover, when tightening the windlass in a clockwise path, you lose just a little tightness. The Naval Medical Analysis Unit got here to the identical conclusion in 2015 on the clockwise tightening. The buckle is sweet, although. I anticipated to have to string the strap by means of it however discovered that’s not doable. As a substitute, you merely unhook the buckle. These points are simply remedied by means of correct coaching. It’s permitted by the CoTCCC and carries NSN 6515-01-656-6191.

Execs:

• Easy windlass motion
• Quick to use as soon as skilled
• Extensive 2-inch band

Cons:

• I discovered it to be gradual and tough to safe one-handed.
• Not intuitive to make use of

RevMedx TX2 Tourniquet

Colours:
Tan

Dimension:
Packaged L 8.5 by W 2 by D 1.5 inches; open size 39 inches

Weight:
3.1 ounces

Worth:
$39

URL:
revmedx.com

A departure from the normal windlass design, the RevMedx TX2, and its large brother the TX3, make the most of a ratcheting mechanism to attain the ultimate tightening on the tourniquet. It’s rather a lot like utilizing a ratchet strap — merely wrap it across the limb, pull tight, and begin ratcheting. Realizing how fantastically tight a ratchet strap can get, I had excessive hopes, and this tourniquet didn’t disappoint. The 1-inch-wide ratchet design works easily and the tourniquet may be left in service after utilizing it for coaching. In reality, it’s inspired within the product literature. The two-inch-wide strap permits for higher bleeding management. The TX3 is one other inch wider and 21 inches longer, becoming even the burliest of individuals. A Naval Medical Analysis Unit examine discovered that the TX tourniquets outperformed the windlass-style tourniquets in a number of classes. Each are permitted by the CoTCCC and carry NSN 6515-01-667-6027 and 6208.

Execs:

• Extensive 2-inch strap permits for higher bleeding management
• Handy ratcheting mechanism

Cons:

• No time tag on prime of mechanism

m2 inc. Ratcheting Medical Tourniquet (RMT) Tactical

Colours:
Black, Tan

Dimension:
Packaged L 8.5 by W 1.5 by D 1.25 inches; open size 37.5 inches

Weight:
3.6 ounces

Worth:
$36

URL:
chinookmed.com

Notes
The Ratcheting Medical Tourniquet is made by m2 inc., a number one producer of industrial-strength mechanical closure applied sciences. Moreover this Thermo Plastic Ratcheting Buckle, additionally they make surgical, industrial, marine, and navy gadgets. The RMT is the cousin to the REV MED TX2 and TX3, however considerably smaller. The buckle is available in at ¾ inch, permitting it to be readily used on slender tourniquets. It additionally incorporates a tactical loop that doubles as a chew loop for simpler software with one hand or gloves. Whereas that is the navy tactical tan model, it additionally is available in three civilian variations of XL, better than 120 kilos, and fewer than 120 kilos (pediatric), in addition to three navy variations of tactical, paramedic, and 2-inch, with numerous colours. It’s permitted by the CoTCCC and carries NSN 6515-01-527-3841.

Execs:

• Versatile with quite a few application-specific variants
• Many coloration and measurement selections

Cons:

• No time tag on prime of mechanism

H&H Med Corp. SWAT-T

Colours:
Black, Blue, Orange

Dimension:
Packaged L 4.5 by W 3 by D 0.75 inches; open size 37.5 inches

Weight:
3.6 ounces

Worth:
$19

URL:
store.doomandbloom.net

Notes
The Stretch Wrap and Tuck Tourniquet is commonly disregarded as a result of it has by no means gotten CoTCCC approval. That stated, it does its job when correctly utilized. It’s a rubber strap with directions printed on one facet. To use it, stretch the band firmly till the printed oval and diamond shapes stretch into circles and squares. That is how you realize you’re making use of it with sufficient pressure to occlude blood stream. Wrap as many occasions as you may and tuck the tip in. For some, tucking the tip in may be tough. An enormous upside is it’ll work simply as nicely on youngsters as adults. The SWAT-T will also be used to use strain to a packed wound, and can be utilized as a K9 tourniquet or sling. It actually is the multi-tool of the tourniquet world. The SWAT-T comes packaged in a plastic pouch, with pre-cut tear notches each 2 inches on either side. Even moist, it tears open readily with a two-handed grip or your enamel.

Execs:

• Very reasonably priced
• Doubles as a strain dressing or perhaps a canine TQ

Cons:

• Not as simple to use one-handed
• Not CoTCCC permitted, making it extra of an “honorable point out” than a top-tier contender

In regards to the Creator

Joey Nickischer is a retired detective with the New York Metropolis Police Division. He presently works as a lead technical rescue teacher with a number of totally different corporations overlaying subjects from wilderness search, excessive angle rope, mine rescue, and off-road operations. He serves as a staff chief with the Westchester County Technical Rescue Crew and is the commander of the Putnam County Technical Rescue Crew, in addition to serving as chief of division with the Patterson Fireplace Division.

Written by Joey Nickischer