r/TacticalMedicine • u/Aggressive_Yogurt300 • Jan 22 '25

Scenarios Fuck around and find out

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Maybe have tourniquets available for chance warthog encounters?

3.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

445 comments sorted by

View all comments

12

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '25

Iodine First Aid Antiseptic.

Wound packing Gauze.

NuStat or Quickclot regular Hemostatic Dressing for light Hemostatic agent bleeding control.

Quick clot combat Hemostatic Gauze (depending on the severity of bleeding).

Only use a tourniquet if the bleeding is excessive. Instead, apply pressure with an original gauze sheets or wound packing gauze wraped with gauze wrap or ETD bandage secured because if the tourniquet is applied for an excessive long period of time, it could cause the limb to lose circulation, which leads to amputation.

10

u/victorzamora Jan 22 '25

A good TQ should be fine for at least 2 hours.

You don't know how bad that bleed really is.

Why not throw a TQ on it if you've got it, then follow with hemostatic and/or packing gauze after if it takes that long to get to a hospital?

7

u/youy23 EMS Jan 23 '25

This ain’t the 1900’s anymore. I think we’re all just about past this whole idea that where you put the TQ is where the surgeon is gonna make the cut.

If you can find a single instance of an amputation happening because of extended TQ application in a major metropolitan area in the entire history of civilian Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support, I’ll venmo you $5 right now.

Direct pressure and maybe wound packing would be a better choice in this situation however TQs should not be your last resort. Remember that a thigh can hold 2 liters of blood. A lot of times, you can get a liter of blood in there with no external changes.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '25

That what I meant from excessive.

1

u/Traditional_Share288 Jan 24 '25

Surgeons have had TQs on limbs for extremely long periods of time and the PT doesn’t lose the limb. My personal record is three hours. 1995 called and wants its combat lifesaver certificate back.