Tourniquets are bands that you tie tightly around a bleeding wound on an arm or leg to apply pressure and slow down blood loss. Here are the steps for correctly applying one.
You may need a tourniquet in cases when you or someone else is severely injured, and you aren’t able to get treatment right away to stop or manage heavy bleeding from the wound.
Training is required to apply a tourniquet correctly and effectively so that bleeding slows down enough to no longer be life threatening.
Read on to learn more about how to apply, when to apply, and when to avoid applying a tourniquet.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to applying a tourniquet:
- Decide where to place the tourniquet. Choose a location between the injury and the heart so that it will slow down blood flow from the heart to the area of the wound. For a wound on your forearm, for example, you’d prepare a tourniquet above the wound, closer to your upper arm.
- Tie the tourniquet directly over the skin (but not directly over a joint) in the spot you’ve identified by wrapping a long, strong bandage around the limb, leaving some extra bandage material at the ends.
- Tie off the two ends of the extra bandage material with a square knot.
- Put a firm stick or rod, often called a windlass, within the square knot.
- Twist the windlass to tighten the bandage until it applies enough pressure to stop the bleeding.
- Use tape or cloth to tie the windlass in place and secure the tourniquet.
Once you’ve applied a tourniquet, do not loosen or remove it. Only a trained healthcare professional should remove the tourniquet.
After applying the tourniquet, monitor how much blood comes out of the wound every 10 minutes or so.
Use a tourniquet if you’re bleeding excessively from an arm or leg and can’t stop the bleeding by putting pressure directly on the wound.
Tourniquets can be especially helpful if you have to wait for emergency medical help for up to 2 hours.
Some of the most common injuries that might require a tourniquet include:
- injuries from car accidents
- gunshot wounds
- stab wounds
- crushed or severed arms or legs
Do not use a tourniquet if you can stop bleeding using pressure applied by your hands and a cloth or bandage.
You should not use a tourniquet on head or torso wounds. Instead, apply pressure to these injuries and stop the bleeding as much as possible.
Do not use a tourniquet unless you can’t wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive. Tourniquets can be dangerous if they are applied improperly, so try to wait for medical professionals to apply them as needed.
Where do you put a tourniquet to stop bleeding?
Put a tourniquet on the affected limb, a few inches above the wound. This helps reduce blood flow from the heart to the wound and slow down blood loss.
How long should a tourniquet be left on?
After applying a tourniquet, check it every 10 minutes. Do not remove the tourniquet. Only trained healthcare professionals should remove a tourniquet.
How painful is a tourniquet?
Pain from a tourniquet may depend on how severe your injury is. A
What is the most common mistake to avoid when applying a tourniquet?
The most common mistake made when applying a tourniquet is not placing the tourniquet where it can slow down blood flow from the heart to the injury.
For example, if you have an injury on the upper calf of your leg near your knee, you need to apply the tourniquet a few inches above the knee. This helps stop blood flow from your heart down your leg and also protects your knee from injury.
Applying a tourniquet is a useful way to reduce bleeding from a severe injury until you can get emergency medical help or treatment that can address the source of the bleeding.
Be careful when applying a tourniquet yourself. Check it every 10 minutes, but do not remove the tourniquet. Only trained healthcare professionals should remove a tourniquet.
Taking a first aid course can help you learn how to properly use a tourniquet in an emergency.