Meet the game changers in tactical medicine
How many of you remember bleeding control from the first aid classes of yesteryear? The classes I am talking about emphasized 1.) direct pressure 2.) elevation 3.) pressure points and only as a last resort...4.) Tourniquets!!!
There has been an advancement of medicine and the way we treat patients with massive hemorrhaging since the two theaters of operation in the Middle East began. Tourniquets have been a game changer in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock (shock due to the loss of blood). The human body only has 5 1/2 - 6 liters of blood in it. Our goal is to stop the bleeding and prevent that person from from dying at any cost.
These devices are able to circumferentially apply pressure to the vessels in the extremity and stop the bloodflow distally from the application of the tourniquet. Tourniquets have changed treatment in the Middle East as well as changing the way we treat extremity bleeding here at home. Many medical services have changed their protocols to include the use of tourniquets. If the bleeding doesn't stop within several minutes apply a tourniquet!
