In our life, the most unforeseen situations may arise and, perhaps, we will have to provide first aid to a person in distress. And this person may be someone very close to us and dear. In order not to get confused in an extreme environment, it is important to have a good idea of how to practically apply a tourniquet with severe bleeding.
When should a tourniquet be applied?
First of all, determine the nature of the bleeding:
- · Arterial bleeding is blood of scarlet color and flows with pulsating tremors. In such cases, the artery should be pressed strongly with a finger above the site of injury and not released until a tourniquet is applied.
- · Venous bleeding - dark blood.
A tourniquet should be applied in cases of severe arterial bleeding from the vessels of the limbs.
It is sometimes difficult to understand whether to apply a tourniquet or not. In order not to do this manipulation unnecessarily, press the artery with your fingers and apply a pressure bandage to the wound . Give the body (wounded limb) an elevated position in which bleeding should decrease, slowly loosen the pressure on the artery and carefully observe the dressing. If the blood quickly impregnates the dressing, then this is a signal to urgently perform the application of a tourniquet.
If in doubt, a tourniquet can be placed under the limb’s limb without tightening it. As soon as the bleeding resumes, it can be immediately tightened.
If the application of the tourniquet is carried out correctly, then in the arteries below the place of application, the pulsation of the blood should stop. It is necessary to ensure that the compression of the soft tissues is sufficient. Otherwise, bleeding may even intensify, as a weak tourniquet will become an obstacle to the outflow of blood through the veins, without interfering with the flow of arterial blood.
Where to place the harness overlay?
- · Injury to the upper limb. Tighten the tourniquet in the upper third of the shoulder.
- · Injury to the lower limb. Stop blood in the upper thigh.
- · Very high shoulder injuries. A tourniquet is applied to the area of the shoulder joint. Place a ball of cotton wool or gauze in the armpit. Grasp the shoulder girdle from the wound with an elastic tourniquet and cross over the ends of the tourniquet. Bring them along the front and back side of the chest and fasten them on the opposite side of the body below the armpit.
Harnessing Technique
- · Under the place where the tourniquet will be tightened, be sure to put a soft cloth or put it on top of the clothes. This is necessary so as not to damage the skin of the wounded.
- · The first turn of the tourniquet should be the most compressive (tight). Bring the elastic tourniquet under the limb and make a few turns. Fasten.
- · The application of a tourniquet from improvised materials is carried out as follows. Material bundled up in a tourniquet (towel, torn clothes, etc.) is wrapped around a limb and tied in a knot. The stick is inserted into the node and begin to twist, squeezing the tissue until the pulsation disappears.
- Write a note in which you indicate the time of applying the tourniquet and place it under the bandage. This must be done in every case.
Applying a tourniquet - what are the dangers?
- · Too tight. May damage nerve endings. Once the pulse has disappeared, there is no need to squeeze harder.
- · Too long. May lead to necrosis of tissues left without food. An hour after applying the tourniquet, the bandage is loosened for several minutes, but they are done very carefully so that the blood does not flow from the arteries again and does not knock out blood clots that have already formed by this time. The time for applying the tourniquet is no more than 2 hours and such wounded are first sent to the operating room.
- · Frostbite of limbs. In the cold season, special attention should be paid to the prevention of frostbite of a limb, drawn by a tourniquet.