Comments on: When To Use Tourniquets

By: Admin

Admin — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:14:27 +0000

If there is much literature, I have not been able to find it. Our explanation for not advocating pressure points relate to collateral flow, the difficulty finding the correct location, and then the difficulty sustaining adequate pressure. Even the American Heart Association's First Aid Guidelines questioned the utility of pressure points to control bleeding in 2005 and explicitly did not advocate for them in 2010. The only article that I am aware of that addresses pressure points appeared in the Journal of Trauma in 2009. Although they were focusing on tourniquets, they also assessed other lower tech solutions for bleeding control, including pressure points. It is not a very good study but it did demonstrate that even when distal flow could be occuluded by using arm and leg pressure points (as measured by doppler), it was difficult to maintain sufficient pressure to sustain the occlusion for even a minute. People don't want to give up old ideas. Here, however, if there really is serious bleeding not controlled by direct pressure, we always have tourniquets, a tool that is easy to apply and is effective.

By: Admin

Admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:47:57 +0000

Conceivably, yes. But it would be very unlikely under the circumstances that I have outlined, to be caused just by the release of a tourniquet after only one hour. For example, orthopedists regularly use tourniquets for over an hour in the operating room when doing knee surgery. If cardiac arrests were at all common, a different approach would be found.

I cannot help you with references.

By: Tim Lennon

Tim Lennon — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:56:35 +0000

Can releasing a tourniquet cause the person to go into cardiac arrest after a certain amount of time? It may just be a rare occasion but I have heard it can happen. When I research it, not many articles come up but the ones that do mention it happening after a proximal thigh tourniquet is released.

By: July Alternate Posting Locations: Products for EMS | Everyday EMS Tips

July Alternate Posting Locations: Products for EMS | Everyday EMS Tips — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:02:15 +0000

[...] David Johnson writes about when to use tourniquets on the Wilderness Medical Associates [...]

By: Greg Friese

Greg Friese — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:54:00 +0000

A student was recently arguing with me about their belief in the efficacy of applying pressure to a pressure point before attempting well aimed direct pressure or a tourniquet. Elevation and pressure points are absent from your discussion above and my understanding is they have little efficacy for bleeding control. In your research for this post did you read anything that proposed a role for pressure points or severe bleeding?

By: tony shope

tony shope — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:57:06 +0000

well said DJ, very well said