Tourniquets for a first aid kit

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Tourniquets for a first aid kit

Posted: 4/18/2017 2:59:09 PM EDT

My wife brought home some stuff her medical office was throwing out. All types of tape and wraps but she also brought home some surgical tubing and resistance bands. They were used for physical therapy but I was thinking the bands can be used as a tourniquet. I really don't know what to look for in a tourniquet so would there be a disadvantage of using an item like this?

And rules are rules...

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:00:56 PM EDT

[#1]

Stretchy material doesn't work as well for a tourniquet. You want torque/tension to work on constricting the limb, not being wasted on elasticity.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:00:56 PM EDT

[#2]

Little training plus improvised tourniquet=waste of time.

Buy 3 cats. two for the kit. One to practice with.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:01:55 PM EDT

[#3]

Could if you know what you are doing.

However, tourniquets are cheap. Check out Recon Medical. They sell a basic CAT tourniquet for like $17.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3XH1QY?tag=vglnk-c102-20

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:03:18 PM EDT

[#4]

Do NOT substitute tubing/elastic straps for a tourniquet. Despite feeling uncomfortable, and despite there being some commercial products that appear similar, these are not effective for occluding arterial flow. Even the commercial elastic products are not adequate. The marketing on these products uses pulse oximetry to "prove" their efficacy. BS. Using doppler flow with these kinds of products prove their claim is BS. Buy a CAT or SOF tourniquet. CATs are inexpensive and proven.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:05:26 PM EDT

[#5]

Soft-T gen 2 best tourniquet ever made. They are useless if you don't know how to use them though.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:05:40 PM EDT

[#6]

Improvised tourniquets fail. Get the real thing. CAT, SOF-T, or TK-4. Everyone who shoots should have these and know how to use them.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:08:27 PM EDT

[#7]

Get some training first from a practical, reputable source.

Your kit will fall in line after that.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:11:56 PM EDT

[#8]

You are basically describing the SWAT TQ

Those are what I use

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:12:26 PM EDT

[#9]

Beware of imitations. There are actually toy tourniquets which look like the real thing.

A while back I had a class where we used three brands of Ts. Found the strengths of each, example, one was possibly 'best' if you were applying it on other people but another was far better if you had to apply it to yourself. I recommend you contact Dr. John Meade. He can be reached through the forum for Paragon Pride.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:14:53 PM EDT

[#10]

improvised tourniquets are easy to make.
I always have a CAT in my bag.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:28:15 PM EDT

[#11]

Nothing wrong with improvised tourniquets as long as you know what you are doing. Anything elastic no way. A triangular bandage, key ring and a solid stick works great.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:31:41 PM EDT

[#12]

Our agency had a person who was also a reserve military combat medic. She gave us some training and said that this one (brand) was the preferred tourniquet they used.

CAT

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:34:11 PM EDT

[#13]

CAT tourniquets kind of sucks, bad. Things have come a long way since then. I hate them because blood, Velcro and dirt don't mix well. The windlace sucks, the plastic is cheap and flimsy. Much better alternatives out there. SOF-T gen 2 sooooo much better

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:35:44 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Little training plus improvised tourniquet=waste of time.

Buy 3 cats. two for the kit. One to practice with.

View Quote

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:38:48 PM EDT

[#15]

SOF Tactical Tourniquet - Wide

Do not use jury rigged TQs when there are very good ones out there.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:39:16 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
CAT tourniquets kind of sucks, bad. Things have come a long way since then. I hate them because blood, Velcro and dirt don't mix well. The windlace sucks, the plastic is cheap and flimsy. Much better alternatives out there. SOF-T gen 2 sooooo much better

View Quote

QFT

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:41:43 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
CAT tourniquets kind of sucks, bad. Things have come a long way since then. I hate them because blood, Velcro and dirt don't mix well. The windlace sucks, the plastic is cheap and flimsy. Much better alternatives out there. SOF-T gen 2 sooooo much better

View Quote

Interesting.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:46:09 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
http://i.imgur.com/GkFpwnk.jpg

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Little training plus improvised tourniquet=waste of time.

Buy 3 cats. two for the kit. One to practice with.

http://i.imgur.com/GkFpwnk.jpg

This is what I was thinking at first. The guy wants me to practice on a cat? Then I figured it out.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:47:34 PM EDT

[#19]

Thanks for all of your input guys. I'll look into a dedicated device versus a makeshift tourniquet.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:50:45 PM EDT

[#20]

Buy real TQs. They are fairly cheap. I like CATs (easy to use one-handed) but SOFFT-W are a bit sturdier (and harder to use one-handed). I also have some soft SWAT TQs for pockets and situations where a better TQ is too big to bring.

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:55:54 PM EDT

[#21]

I will also second the CAT tourniquet.
Also a few Israeli Bandages.

Attached File

Posted: 4/18/2017 3:59:00 PM EDT

[#22]

I actually took a free trauma class today at my work, and the trauma surgeons teaching it were really big on z-pack gauze and CAT or SOFTT-W TQs. Using both in the class (and owning both for years) I found the CAT to be easier to use.

Posted: 4/18/2017 4:08:31 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Buy real TQs. They are fairly cheap. I like CATs (easy to use one-handed) but SOFFT-W are a bit sturdier (and harder to use one-handed). I also have some soft SWAT TQs for pockets and situations where a better TQ is too big to bring.

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Agreed. My top 3 tourniquets all have strengths and weaknesses. That's why I have at least one of each.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Tourniquets for a first aid kit

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