Tourniquets Uses

The tourniquet and its use have come along way. The modern technological advancements in the use of the tourniquet have vastly improved patient care and safety. This has also given doctors and surgeons in particular the ease and ability to perform extremely delicate procedures with good control of bleeding. The use of the tourniquet remains the key to stop bleeding on a limb in a life-threatening emergency situation.

History

• The tourniquet was not a one-time invention; it was an evolution involving the efforts of several researchers over the years. The tourniquet principle started in Greek and Roman times and its development continued with names like William Harvey, Jean Louis Petit and Joseph Lister. In addition, there was Johann von Esmarch, Harvey Cushing and August Bier. In 1980 James McEwen, PhD., invented a computerized tourniquet. This invention leads the way in tourniquet safety features.

Definition

• A tourniquet is a circumferential compression device used to constrict and control venous and arterial circulation on an extremity, in a life-threatening emergency for a period of time. A tourniquet may be a simple piece of latex rubber band applied lightly to the arm to facilitate taking a blood sample from a patient. Or it may be a technologically advanced tourniquet used in the perioperative (operating room) setting to provide a bloodless operative site.

Emergency Uses

• Tourniquets may be categorized into two basic types: emergency tourniquets and surgical tourniquets. Emergency tourniquets are used mostly in the military for those engaged and injured in battle or in the law enforcement field when an officer may have a severe hemorrhage from an injury to a limb or as a first responder and the Emergency Medical System (EMS) first responders. These personnel are well trained as to when the use of a tourniquet is appropriate and the safety guidelines to follow.

Use in Surgery

• Today's pneumatic tourniquets have advanced features providing audio and visual alarms to indicate changes in the tourniquet pressure above or below the set range. There are also more advanced pneumatic tourniquets that include a modified tourniquet control unit that automatically applies individualized limb occlusion pressure (LOP) based on the patient's blood pressure. These safety features allows for better patient care during the more than a million surgeries performed on the limbs of Americans annually.

Safety Guidelines

• The tourniquet is a valuable emergency tool used in a life-threatening emergency on a limb. It is also used for surgical procedures to provide a bloodless operative site to accommodate the surgeon's vision to identify tissues during dissection. The use of a tourniquet is not without risks. Personnel must be trained in the proper use of tourniquets regarding placement, length of time in place removal and documentation.