How to use a tourniquet

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I was going to post this on what in you pack but decided to start new post for those who carry a tourniquet or want to carry on here's the American Red Cross how to uses video, 

[Clarkansas]

Very informative. Thanks for posting.

[LoneRanger]

Good information, thank you. It is also good to know that tourniquets carry a level of risk (loss of limb, blood poisoning, etc.). Definitely a last resort; “Life-threatening bleeding.”

[Roger Norris]

Good information.

If you carry a tourniquet (I carry and train with the windlass style, namely a CAT T) learn how to stage it in your kit so that when you pull it out in a hurry it isn't something you have to unravel or think about.

I HIGHLY recomend a "Stop the Bleed" class. We have one here locally put on by Mark Stout, a retired police officer. It is geared toward tactical/trauma/gunshot type injuries, but it applies to our sport.

One thing you will learn is just how tight a tourniquet needs to be.....it is waaaaay tighter than you think.

[blacktailbob]

Surprised it didn't say anything about raising the wound above the heart level, which lowers the blood pressure at the wound site thus helping a great deal.  Also learning where the arteries are and the pressure points can also help if you don't carry the fancy tourniquets with you.

[blacktailbob]

After viewing the video I recalled seeing one on some guys (maybe four) in the NW ( I believe ) that one guy somehow stabbed himself in the calf with an arrow while they were traveling through the woods. Fortunately one guy had a roll of duct tape in his pack and they used that to control the bleeding enough for his friends to carry him back out. Very scary indeed. I now carry a couple of rolls of self adhesive bandage in my packs, truck, boat and wherever..

Below are some good points to consider along with the video above. Images of the pressure points weren't so good to include. But seeing as how we carry such sharp instruments it's a good idea to refamiliarize on first aid. Something when I was in Army infantry was a regular training class.


There are 11 pressure points on the body that can be used to control bleeding:
Brachial artery: Located on the inside of the upper arm, between the shoulder and elbow
Femoral artery: Located in the groin, where the leg bends at the hip
Popliteal artery: Located behind the knee
Subclavian artery: Located at the base of the neck, just over the collarbone
Here are some tips for using pressure points to control bleeding:
Press on the point closer to the heart than the wound
Keep the wound elevated above the heart
Apply pressure directly on the wound
Use your fingers, thumbs, the heel of your hand, or your knee to apply pressure
For nosebleeds, apply pressure to the soft fleshy part of the nose
If bleeding is life-threatening, you should use a tourniquet. You should only use a tourniquet if you have been medically trained to do so.
You can also try these first aid techniques for stopping bleeding:
Cover the wound with sterile gauze or a clean cloth
Press firmly on the wound with the palm of your hand
If the wound is large and deep, stuff the cloth into the wound
Continue applying pressure until medical responders relieve you
Don't remove a pad that is soaked through with blood

[Friend]

Thank you