Combat Application Tourniquet Research Articles

Exploring Combat Tourniquet Application Errors and Duration Among Skilled and Novice Medical Trainees.

The use of tourniquets in combat medicine continues to be a key focus as they have consistently been shown to combat one of the leading causes of preventable death on the battlefield, massive hemorrhage to extremities. The present study analyzed tourniquet application among combat medics (68W) and combat lifesavers (CLSs) in a training environment to determine whether trainees' performance is consistent among one another and whether performance can be associated with participant demographics such as experience or role. Study participants treated male and female patient simulators within a tactical field care phase, both of which experienced an amputated leg and required the application of a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT). To assess tourniquet application variability and performance, a series of application subtasks and potential errors were measured via video coding of the scenarios by a team of 5 coders. Time to tourniquet application and tourniquet application duration were also coded to assess correlations between application duration and variability or performance. Results from analyzing tourniquet application subtasks and errors through a series of one-way ANOVA tests showed that application of the CAT first, hasty CAT application, and high tourniquet application were not predictive of participant role, time within the role, and self-reported tourniquet skill, confidence, or experience. Such demographic variables were also not predictive of successful tourniquet application as defined by the number of windlass rod rotations. Results from binomial logistic regressions showed that participant role and self-reported tourniquet skill and experience were predictors of tourniquet application duration. The findings suggest that high variability in CAT application methodology and performance exists among CLS and combat medics, which is largely not predictable by various demographics such as role, experience within the designated role, and self-reported confidence, skill, or experience. The observed disconnect between training or experience and CAT application performance suggests substantial variability in the consistency of training for both CLS and 68W soldiers. These inconsistencies may stem from variability in instructor knowledge, teaching styles, or training materials or may be developed through informal methods such as experiences in the field or recommendations from colleagues and experts. These findings highlight a potential need to reassess CAT application training, particularly in regard to consistency and validation. Finally, it should be noted that the study's findings may be limited or fail to capture some study effects because of the sample size and wide range of reported experience among participants.

The Use of Tourniquets in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the use of tourniquets in the Russo-Ukrainian war. The type, number, and duration of tourniquets per limb, the clinical course of limb injuries, and the functional status of the injured limbs during the 24 hours post-injury were evaluated in military hospital facilities for the period of 2014-2022. Statistical frequencies and variances were analyzed. During active hostilities, the medical units of the Southern Operational Command received 2,496 patients with limb injuries that required the application of tourniquets. Lower extremity injuries were predominantly observed (84.4%). A single tourniquet was used in 1,538 cases (61.6%), whereas two tourniquets were used in 533 (21.4%), and three tourniquets in 425 cases (17.0%). During the 2014- 2021 period, Esmarch's tourniquet was most commonly used. However, in 2022, it was mostly replaced by the Combat Application Tourniquet and similar systems (e.g., Sich, Dnipro). The duration of the tourniquet use ranged from 50 to 380 minutes (mean 205.9 [standard error 8.1] min), which prolonged ischemia in a significant number of cases. Limb amputations, mainly due to extensive necrosis, were performed in 92 cases (3.7%). In addition to 101 deaths (4.0% of patients), 11 cases of severe tourniquet syndrome were encountered. The limb was salvaged in 9 cases (81.8%). Prompt triage and evacuation of injured combatants can save affected limbs, even when the duration of tourniquet use exceeds 2 hours. Tourniquet syndrome can be prevented using a hemostatic tourniquet.

Smart Tactical Application Tourniquet Versus Combat Application Tourniquet: Comparing Layperson Applications for Arterial Occlusion After a Video Demonstration.

Tourniquet efficacy for extremity hemorrhage is well established, although literature demonstrates variable first responder application efficacy. Several newer models, including the Smart Tactical Application Tourniquet (STAT, STAT Medical Devices, LLC, Freehold, New Jersey), offer alternatives to well-established devices like the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT, C-A-T Resources, LLC, Rock Hill, South Carolina). Newer models are commercially sold without significant literature regarding efficacy or user feedback. We developed a pilot study to compare CAT and STAT applications for layperson hemorrhage control efficacy after a brief, standardized instructional video. This is a prospective randomized observational study that utilized layperson volunteers for the application of STAT or CAT. After a demographic survey, volunteers were randomized and watched the respective tourniquet instructional video, then applied the tourniquet to a HapMed hemorrhage simulator. The application was assessed for trial time, time to hemorrhage control, occlusion pressure, and total blood loss. Investigators also evaluated volunteers for proper application and received user feedback. Eighty-four total volunteers (42 CAT, 42 STAT) completed testing. Volunteers applied the CAT (50.0%, n = 21) with significantly greater rates of success than the STAT (0%, n = 0, p < 0.001).The CAT demonstrated significantly greater average occlusion pressure compared to the STAT (409.9 mm Hg vs. 116.5 mm Hg, p < 0.001).Similarly, CAT application resulted in significantly less average blood loss compared to the STAT (577.8 mL vs. 974.6 mL, p < 0.001). On the 5-point Likert scale, volunteers reported significantly higher benefits from video instruction and comfort with tourniquet application with the CAT over the STAT (4.7 vs. 4.0, p < 0.001, 4.0 vs. 2.4, p < 0.001). When performed by laypersons with minimal video instruction, the CAT was applied with significantly higher rates of success, higher mean occlusion pressures, reduced blood loss, and higher end-user ratings than the STAT.

Analysis of tourniquet pressure over military winter clothing and a short review of combat casualty care in cold weather warfare

ABSTRACT Cold weather warfare is of increasing importance. Haemorrhage is the most common preventable cause of death in military conflicts. We analysed the pressure of the Combat Application Tourniquet® Generation 7 (CAT), the SAM® Extremity Tourniquet (SAMXT) and the SOF® Tactical Tourniquet Wide Generation 4 (SOFTT) over different military cold weather clothing setups with a leg tourniquet trainer. We conducted a selective PubMed search and supplemented this with own experiences in cold weather medicine. The CAT and the SAMXT both reached the cut off value of 180mmHg in almost all applications. The SOFTT was unable to reach the 180mmHg limit in less than 50% of all applications in some clothing setups. We outline the influence of cold during military operations by presenting differences between military and civilian cold exposure. We propose a classification of winter warfare and identify caveats and alterations of Tactical Combat Casualty Care in cold weather warfare, with a special focus on control of bleeding. The application of tourniquets over military winter clothing is successful in principle, but effectiveness may vary for different tourniquet models. Soldiers are more affected and impaired by cold than civilians. Military commanders must be made aware of medical alterations in cold weather warfare.

A single-center, nonblinded, clinical trial comparing blood pressures before and after tourniquet application in healthy humans: A study protocol.

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of natural death in the United States, and most surviving patients suffer from neurological dysfunction. Although this is recognized as a problem, there have been very few changes to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure. Tourniquets have been recognized for their ability to increase truncal blood pressure and have been shown to improve CPR outcomes in animal models. However, the relationship between tourniquet application and blood pressure elevation has not been adequately explored in healthy human adults. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that bilateral, non-invasive, peripheral vascular occlusion in the thighs results in an increased proximal systolic blood pressure ≥ 10 mmHg. This is a single-center, non-blinded clinical trial. Volunteers will be screened for eligibility at least 24 hours before the day of the trial. On the day of the trial, volunteers will undergo an informed consent process. If they choose to participate in the trial after informed consent, their baseline blood pressure will be measured. Volunteers will then have a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) applied to each thigh, and the windlasses will be tightened by IRB-approved personnel. Once no pulse can be felt in the lower extremity, blood pressure will be measured in the arm. This will be replicated three times, and the tourniquets will be loosened between trials to allow the volunteers to rest. Any complications that arise during the trial will be handled by the physician that is present. Changes in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure will be analyzed using a Shapiro-Wilk test. Then, a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be performed with a Holm-Sidak post-hoc test to determine the mean differences. The significance level will be set to 5% for statistical significance. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05324306.

Efficacy of the Military Tactical Emergency Tourniquet for Lower Extremity Arterial Occlusion Compared with the Combat Application Tourniquet: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Extremity bleeding and subsequent hemorrhagic shock is one of the main causes of preventable battlefield death, leading to mass-fielding of modern tourniquets, such as the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT; Composite Resources). Numerous look-alike tourniquets, such as the Military Tactical Emergency Tourniquet (MTET; SZCTKlink), flood commercial markets, offering visually near-identical tourniquets for drastically reduced prices. We examined the performance of the MTET compared with that of the CAT. We undertook a randomized crossover trial to observe self-applied tourniquets to the lower extremity by combat medics, comparing the CAT to the MTET in application time and success rates, proven by loss of distal pulse assessed by Doppler ultrasound in <1 minute. All 50 participants (100%) successfully applied the CAT versus 40 participants (80%) using the MTET (p = .0001). Median application time for the CAT (29.03 seconds; range, 18.63 to 59.50 seconds) was significantly less than those of successful MTET applications (35.27 seconds; range, 17.00 to 58.90 seconds) or failed MTET applications (72.26 seconds; range, 62.84 to 83.96 seconds) (p = .0012). Of 10 MTET failures, three (30%) were from application time >1 minute and seven (70%) from tourniquet mechanical failure. The MTET performed worse than the CAT did in all observed areas. Despite identical appearance, look-alike tourniquets should not be assumed to be equivalent in quality or functionality to robustly tested tourniquets.

Effects of Tourniquet Features on Application Processes.

We investigated emergency-use limb tourniquet design features effects on application processes (this paper) and times to complete those processes (companion paper). Sixty-four appliers watched training videos and then each applied all eight tourniquets: Combat Application Tourniquet Generation 7 (CAT7), SOF™ Tactical Tourniquet-Wide Generation 3 (SOFTTW3), SOF™ Tactical Tourniquet-Wide Generation 5 (SOFTTW5), Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT), OMNA Marine Tourniquet (OMT), X8T tourniquet (X8T), Tactical Ratcheting Medical Tourniquet (Tac RMT), and RapidStop™ Tourniquet (RST). Application processes were scored from videos. Thirty-three appliers had no prior tourniquet experience. All 512 applications were placed proximal to the recipient's simulated distal thigh injury. Thirty-one appliers (13 with no experience) had 66 problem-free applications (18 by no experience appliers). Tightening-system mechanical problems were more frequent with windlass rod systems (26 losing hold of the rod, 27 redoing rod turns, and 58 struggling to secure the rod) versus ratchet systems (3 tooth skips and 16 advance failures). Thirty-five appliers (21 with no experience) had 68 applications (45 by no experience appliers) with an audible Doppler pulse when stating "Done"; causes involved premature stopping (53), inadequate strap pull (1 SOFTTW3, 1 RST), strap/redirect understanding problem (1 SOFTTW5, 1 X8T, 4 Tac RMT, 1 RST), tightening-system understanding problem (2 CAT7, 1 SOFTTW3, 1 TMT, 1 RST), and physical inability to secure (1 SOFTTW3). Fifty-three appliers (32 no experience) had 109 applications (64 by no experience appliers) not correctly secured. Six involved strap/redirect understanding problems: 4 Tac RMT, 1 X8T, 1 SOFTTW5; 103 involved improper securing of non-self-securing design features: 47 CAT7 (8 strap, 45 rod), 31 TMT (17 strap, 19 rod), 22 OMT (strap), and 3 SOFTTW3 (rod). Self-securing systems have process advantages. Because most emergent tourniquet recipients require transport, we believe tourniquet security is a critical design aspect. Decisions regarding tourniquet choices may become very different when both occlusion and tourniquet security are considered.

Precise Limb Tourniquet Arterial Occlusion Pressure Determination using Real-Time Ultrasonography and a Capacitive-Based Force Sensor.

Hemorrhage control prior to shock onset is increasingly recognized as a time-critical intervention. Although tourniquets (TQs) have been demonstrated to save lives, less is known about the physiologic parameters underlying successful TQ application beyond palpation of distal pulses. The current study directly visualized distal arterial occlusion via ultrasonography and measured associated pressure and contact force. Fifteen tactical officers participated as live models for the study. Arterial occlusion was performed using a standard adult blood pressure (BP) cuff and a Combat Application Tourniquet Generation 7 (CAT7) TQ, applied sequentially to the left mid-bicep. Arterial flow cessation was determined by radial artery palpation and brachial artery pulsed wave doppler ultrasound (US) evaluation. Steady state maximal generated force was measured using a thin-film force sensor. The mean (95% CI) systolic blood pressure (SBP) required to occlude palpable distal pulse was 112.9mmHg (109-117); contact force was 23.8N [Newton] (22.0-25.6). Arterial flow was visible via US in 100% of subjects despite lack of palpable pulse. The mean (95% CI) SBP and contact force to eliminate US flow were 132mmHg (127-137) and 27.7N (25.1-30.3). The mean (95% CI) number of windlass turns to eliminate a palpable pulse was 1.3 (1.0-1.6) while 1.6 (1.2-1.9) turns were required to eliminate US flow. Loss of distal radial pulse does not indicate lack of arterial flow distal to upper extremity TQ. On average, an additional one-quarter windlass turn was required to eliminate distal flow. Blood pressure and force measurements derived in this study may provide data to guide future TQ designs and inexpensive, physiologically accurate TQ training models.

Місце кровоспинного джгута в сучасному алгоритмі тимчасової зупинки кровотечі на догоспітальному етапі

У статті проаналізовані показання і спірні моменти в алгоритмі тимчасової зупинки кровотечі на догоспітальному етапі за допомогою сучасних джгутів-турнікетів. У роботі надана коротка характеристика Combat Application Tourniquet, SWAT-Tourniquet як найбільш поширених джгутів. Табельний гумовий кровоспинний джгут має виражену шкідливу дію на тканини кінцівки і потребує вдосконалення або заміни. Профілактика турнікетного синдрому є важливим фактором у наданні екстреної медичної допомоги.

Performance Evaluation of the Solo-T and the Combat Application Tourniquet in a Perfused Cadaver Model.

We evaluated a 10.2-cm-wide, minimally elastic, adhesive wrap-based tourniquet (Solo-T or ST) alongside a 3.8-cm-wide windlass-based tourniquet (Combat Application Tourniquet Generation 7, or CAT) to determine if the tension wrap-tightened ST could deliver hemorrhage control equivalent to the windlass-tightened CAT. A cadaver model was used to simulate lower-thigh femoral arterial hemorrhage at "normal" (146 ± 5mmHg) and "elevated" (471 ± 3mmHg) perfusion pressures (mean ± standard error). Three study participants used the ST and CAT to control hemorrhage during 48 timed trials. Arterial occlusion was established by Doppler ultrasound and tourniquet performance was quantified by under-tourniquet pressure cuffs. Participants achieved 100% (24/24) occlusion success rates and reported similar ease of use for both tourniquets. Occlusion and application times (mean ± standard error) were similar (p > .05) for the ST and CAT under "normal" (occlusion, ST: 25 ± 2 seconds, CAT: 22 ± 2 seconds; application, ST: 27 ± 2 seconds, CAT: 26 ± 2 seconds) and "elevated" (occlusion, ST: 24 ± 7 seconds, CAT: 24 ± 7 seconds; application, ST: 25 ± 7 seconds, CAT: 25 ± 7 seconds) perfusion alike. The ST mean completion pressures (mean ± standard error) were > 40% lower than the CAT under both "normal" perfusion (ST: 110 ± 20mmHg; CAT: 210 ± 30mmHg; p = 0.009) and "elevated" perfusion (ST: 190 ± 50mmHg; CAT: 340 ± 30mmHg; p = 0.03). The adhesive wrap-based ST tourniquet delivered equivalent hemorrhage control performance at significantly lower completion pressures than the CAT.

Assessing Baseline Proficiency of National Guard Combat Medics Due for Recertification: A Pilot Study.

Combat medics, or 68W Healthcare Specialists in the Army, are an early part of a combat casualty's chain of survival. Their job requires a high degree of competency in emergency medical guidelines established by the Committee of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) as well as basic bleeding control skills. The American Warfighting Experience for the last two decades highlights just how important these skills are in preventing death on the battlefield. A recent Government Office of Accountability suggests sustainment for critical wartime skills is lacking. This is especially concerning for National Guard Soldiers who must juggle their military obligations with their civilian ones. It is unknown how well-prepared National Guard combat medics are in fulfilling their most critical combat care responsibilities. The current study attempts to address this gap in knowledge by assessing National Guard Soldiers due for their annual recertification. Nine medics due for their annual recertification were recruited for the study. First, they were given a questionnaire intended to gather basic demographic information about their experience and a six-question quiz on current CoTCCC guidelines. The medics were then evaluated on their ability to place a Combat Application Tourniquet on a live person, which was verified by a Doppler microphone. The medics were finally evaluated on their ability to pack a wound with a hemostatic dressing. Statistical analysis was used to determine if experience or frequency of practice over the previous year could predict success. Medics, on average, were only able to answer an average of 2.2 questions on the quiz correctly. The overall success rate for tourniquet application was 44.4%, and the overall success rate for wound packing was 22.2%. Statistical analysis showed that experience or frequency of practice could not adequately explain the success rates. A soldier's experience alone could not predict if the soldier will be successful in performing bleeding control tasks or if they will demonstrate higher levels of casualty care knowledge. Future research is needed in this area to better define recertification and refresher training issues.

Tourniquets as a haemorrhage control measure in military and civilian care settings: An integrative review.

The aim of review was to describe and synthesise the evidence on the use of tourniquets to control haemorrhages, summarising both civilian and military use. Trauma-related haemorrhage constitutes one of the most preventable deaths among injured patients, particularly in multi-casualty incidents and disasters. In this context, safe instruments such as tourniquets are essential to help healthcare professionals to minimise loss of life and maximise patient recovery. An integrative review was conducted in Medline, Nursing & Allied Health Premium, and Health & Medical Collection, using published data until March 2021 and following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 25 articles were included. Evidence has been synthesised to understand the use of different types of tourniquets, environment of application, indication for their placement and potential complications associated with tourniquet placement. Commercial tourniquets such as Combat Application Tourniquet or Emergency Tourniquet models are a valuable and safe instrument for haemorrhage control in both military and civilian out-of-hospital care settings. Nurses, as part of emergency teams, and other professionals should be aware that there is a possibility of adverse complications, but they are directly proportional to the time of tourniquet placement and generally temporary. In addition, national and international guidelines ensure the need for all civilian emergency services to be equipped with these devices, as well as for the training of healthcare professionals and first responders in their use. Despite the lack of complications in the use of tourniquets in these cases, their use has been a matter of debate for decades. In this sense, this review yields up-to-date guidelines in the use of tourniquets, their recommendations and their significance among professionals to manage complicated situations.

Appropriate Tourniquet Types in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review.

Trauma is the leading cause of mortality in those aged 1-19, with hemorrhage accounting for up to 40% of all trauma deaths. Manufactured tourniquets are recommended for the control of life-threatening extremity hemorrhage in adults but their use in the pediatric population requires further investigation. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the most appropriate tourniquet design for use in the pediatric population. A literature search of Embase and the Cochran databases of trials and systematic reviews on October 1, 2020 identified 454 unique references, of which 15 were included for full-text screening. Two single-arm observational studies with a high risk of bias evaluated the use of windlass tourniquets in the pediatric population (73 patients, age 2-16 years). The certainty of the evidence was very low. In both studies, conducted on uninjured extremities, the use of a manufactured windlass tourniquet, specifically the Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T®) Generation 7, led to the cessation of Doppler detected pulses in 71/71 (100%) of upper extremities and 69/73 (94.5%) of lower extremities. Of the four failures, one participant withdrew due to pain and three tourniquet applications failed to occlude pulses after three turns of the windlass. No controls were used for comparison. In conclusion, two observational studies demonstrated that windlass tourniquets were able to abolish distal pulses in children as young as two years of age and with a minimum limb circumference of 13 cm. These preliminary findings may be helpful for organizations in the creation of guidelines for the management of life-threatening extremity bleeding in children.

Commercial and Improvised Pelvic Compression Devices: Applied Force and Implications for Hemorrhage Control.

Uncontrolled hemorrhage secondary to unstable pelvic fractures is a preventable cause of prehospital death in the military and civilian sectors. Because the mortality rate associated with unstable pelvic ring injuries exceeds 50%, the use of external compression devices for associated hemorrhage control is paramount. During mass casualty incidents and in austere settings, the need for multiple external compression devices may arise. In assessing the efficacy of these devices, the magnitude of applied force has been offered as a surrogate measure of pubic symphysis diastasis reduction and subsequent hemostasis. This study offers a sensor-circuit assessment of applied force for a convenience sample of pelvic compression devices. The SAM® (structural aluminum malleable) Pelvic Sling II (SAM Medical) and improvised compression devices, including a SAM Splint tightened by a Combat Application Tourniquet® (C-A-T; North American Rescue) and a SAM® Splint tightened by a cravat, as well as two joined cravats and a standard-issue military belt, were assessed in male and female subjects. As hypothesized, compressive forces applied to the pelvis did not vary significantly based on device operator, subject sex, and subject body fat percentage. The use of the military belt as an improvised method to obtain pelvic stabilization is not advised.

Evaluation of the efficacy of commercial and noncommercial tourniquets for extremity hemorrhage control in a perfused cadaver model.

Tourniquets are a critical tool in the immediate response to life-threatening extremity hemorrhage; however, the optimal tourniquet type and effectiveness of noncommercial devices remain unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of five tourniquets in a perfused-cadaver model. This prospective study used a perfused-cadaver model with standardized superficial femoral artery injury bleeding at 700 mL/min. Five tourniquets were tested: combat application tourniquet; rapid application tourniquet system; Stretch, Wrap, And Tuck Tourniquet; an improvised triangle bandage windlass; and a leather belt. Forty-eight medical students underwent a practical hands-on demonstration of each tourniquet. Using a random number generator, they placed the tourniquets on the bleeding cadaver in random order. Time to hemostasis, time to secure devices, estimated blood loss, and difficulty rating were assessed. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare efficacy between the tourniquets in achieving the outcomes. The mean ± SD participant age was 25 ± 2.6 years, and 29 (60%) were male. All but one tourniquet was able to stop bleeding, but the rapid application tourniquet system had a 4% failure rate. Time to hemostasis and estimated blood loss did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Stretch, Wrap, And Tuck Tourniquet required the longest time to be secured (47.8 ± 17.0 seconds), whereas the belt was the fastest (15.2 ± 6.5 seconds; p < 0.001). The improvised windlass was rated easiest to learn and apply, with 22 participants (46%) assigning a score of 1. Four of five tourniquets evaluated, including both noncommercial devices, effectively achieved hemostasis. A standard leather belt was the fastest to place and was able to stop the bleeding. However, it required continuous pressure to maintain hemostasis. The improvised windlass was as effective as the commercial devices and was the easiest to apply. In an emergency setting where commercial devices are not available, improvised tourniquets may be an effective bridge to definitive care.

Efficacy of the Combat Application Tourniquet in Children

Purpose: Tourniquet use for extremity hemorrhage has been well studied and become a mainstay in adult trauma care in last 15 years. There has been a push to increase the distribution and use of tourniquets in civilian settings including schools in response to school shootings and as part of disaster preparedness. However, there is little research or published experience with the use of tourniquets in the pediatric population. Retrospective studies have looked at the use of prefabricated tourniquets on children in conflict …

Efficacy of the Combat Application Tourniquet in Children

Efficacy of the Combat Application Tourniquet in Children

Hemorrhage Control Training: Preparing Adolescents to Act at Home, at School, or in Public.

Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death after a traumatic event, and early intervention to control bleeding improves opportunities for survival. It is imperative to prepare for local and national disasters by increasing public knowledge on how to control bleeding, and this preparation should extend to both adults and children. The purpose of this study is to describe a training effort to teach basic hemorrhage control techniques to early adolescent children. The trauma and emergency departments at a combined level I adult and level II pediatric trauma center piloted a training initiative with early adolescents (grades 6-8) focused on 2 skills: packing a wound and holding direct pressure, and applying a Combat Application Tourniquet. Students were evaluated on each skill and completed presurveys and postsurveys indicating their likelihood to use the skills. Of the 194 adolescents who participated in the trainings, 97% of the students could successfully pack a wound and hold pressure, and 97% of the students could apply a tourniquet. Before the training, 71% of the adolescents indicated that they would take action to assist a bleeding victim; this increased to 96% after the training. Results demonstrate that basic hemorrhage control skills can be effectively taught to adolescents as young as 6th grade (ages 11-12 years) in a small setting with age-appropriate content and hands-on opportunities to practice the skills and such training increases students' perceived willingness to take action to assist a bleeding victim.

Effectiveness of the combat application tourniquet for arterial occlusion in young children.

Tourniquet use for extremity hemorrhage has become a mainstay in adult trauma care in last 15 years. The efforts of the Stop the Bleed campaign have increased the distribution and use of tourniquets in civilian settings in response to mass shootings and as part of disaster preparedness. Little research or published experience exists regarding the use of tourniquets in the pediatric population. This study sought to determine the minimum patient age on which the combat application tourniquet (CAT) is able to control extremity hemorrhage. A convenience sample of pediatric patients, ages 1 year to 8 years, scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery at an academic hospital, were eligible for enrollment. Subject age, weight, height, blood pressure, and arm and leg circumferences were obtained. Once under general anesthesia, the pulse of an upper and a lower limb were obtained by Doppler, a CAT was then placed at the most proximal practical location of the limb until the corresponding pulse was either no longer obtainable by Doppler or until the tourniquet was as tight as its design allows. The tourniquet was removed after 30 seconds of arterial occlusion. Thirteen children, ages 2 years to 7 years were enrolled. Weights ranged from 12.8 kg to 23.9 kg, with a mean of 16.7 kg. Leg circumferences were 24.5 cm to 34.5 cm, with a mean of 27.9 cm and arm circumferences were 13 cm to 24 cm, with a mean of 16.3 cm. Subject heights were 87 cm to 122 cm, with a mean of 103.4 cm. Twenty-four total extremities were tested, 11 arms and 13 legs. Arterial occlusion was obtained on 100% of limbs tested (95% confidence interval, 85.8-100%). This study is similar to previous adult tourniquet efficacy studies in design, size and outcomes. It is the first to show successful arterial occlusion on preschool-aged children with a commercial tourniquet in a controlled setting. The results suggest that the CAT can be used in school-aged children with severe extremity hemorrhage with a high likelihood of success. Therapeutic, level II.

The Efficacy of Novel Commercial Tourniquet Designs for Extremity Hemorrhage Control: Implications for Spontaneous Responder Every Day Carry.

Tourniquets (TQs) save lives. Although military-approved TQs appear more effective than improvised TQs in controlling exsanguinating extremity hemorrhage, their bulk may preclude every day carry (EDC) by civilian lay-providers, limiting availability during emergencies. The purpose of the current study was to compare the efficacy of three novel commercial TQ designs to a military-approved TQ. Nine Emergency Medicine residents evaluated four different TQ designs: Gen 7 Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT7; control), Stretch Wrap and Tuck Tourniquet (SWAT-T), Gen 2 Rapid Application Tourniquet System (RATS), and Tourni-Key (TK). Popliteal artery flow cessation was determined using a ZONARE ZS3 ultrasound. Steady state maximal generated force was measured for 30 seconds with a thin-film force sensor. Success rates for distal arterial flow cessation were 89% CAT7; 67% SWAT-T; 89% RATS; and 78% TK (H 0.89; P = .83). Mean (SD) application times were 10.4 (SD = 1.7) seconds CAT7; 23.1 (SD = 9.0) seconds SWAT-T; 11.1 (SD = 3.8) seconds RATS; and 20.0 (SD = 7.1) seconds TK (F 9.71; P <.001). Steady state maximal forces were 29.9 (SD = 1.2) N CAT7; 23.4 (SD = 0.8) N SWAT-T; 33.0 (SD = 1.3) N RATS; and 41.9 (SD = 1.3) N TK. All novel TQ systems were non-inferior to the military-approved CAT7. Mean application times were less than 30 seconds for all four designs. The size of these novel TQs may make them more conducive to lay-provider EDC, thereby increasing community resiliency and improving the response to high-threat events.