Tourniquets - What do you use and why?

[policemedic]

The newer CATs, especially the Gen7s are GTG.

 

[x SF med]

@rick - like any other piece of equipment, it needs to be maintained and inspected on a regular basis. It is a collection of parts - nylon, elastic, plastic, etc. - weather and wear from carry will do it harm, if it looks worn, weathered, or wobbly, replace it.

 

[Etype]

To echo what @Diamondback 2/2 said, we had windlasses and also had the little plastic retainer ears break.

We would throw one or two turns of 100 MPH tape or electrical tape around it after cranking it down. That way if it broke while transporting the patient, it would stay in place.

 

[Devildoc]

I have a CAT and a SOFT-T. I carry one in my backpack I wear to work. I park about a mile from work and walk it, twice a day. It is along a busy road which sees a couple pedestrians seriously injured a year who attempt to cross at the wrong areas, and I am far likelier to use it on one of those poor saps than on anyone else.

 

[CDG]

I like the SOFTT Wide. I don't like the stupid screw on the original SOFTT. Its another step that people forget and its a very crucial. After teaching people on that tourniquet I feel like a broken record. The SOFTT Wide has the easy D ring to clip on and go. No velcro sticking to itself, no screw, comes apart easy to wrap around a limp if you need to.

Seems a bit extreme, but I'm not a medic.

 

[Viper1]

CAT tourniquets are what we were issued and trained with, so that's what I've got.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

- Interesting to see where the officer keeps his tourniquet
- Not as easy to apply as they make it look in the old Westerns
- Look at the amount of blood "pumping" out of the bad guy.
- Another example of the risks cops take everyday. No time to put on fancy gloves and eyewear
- Mentioned in the comments. 2:18 is the best muzzle awareness ever caught on film.

NSFW due to real world language and and metric shit-ton of blood

 

[Stretcher Jockey]

When ths officer is attempting to place the first TQ, if you look at his foot near the guys knee, you can see a large steady stream of blood coming out. Ive used this specific video multiple times in "Stop The Bleed" classes as a true example to students how quick that blood comes out. Plus its an excellent example of the officers doing solid work in a stressful situation.

 

[Devildoc]

Great video for a bunch of reasons. The tactical reload? Textbook. The muzzle awareness? Textbook. After the shooting stopped, putting on the tourniquet he had for real adrenaline dump his hands were shaking like leaves on a tree, but he got it done.

Like @Paramagician I also teach the stop the bleed class, and I will definitely use this video in my instruction.

 

[Muppet]

As an experienced paramedic, all that nonsense, I am now mandated to wear a ballistic vest, sign of the times I suppose. I decided to mount a SOFTT wide, center line on the vest through the molle webbing with the black bands it came with. Some rookies and experienced cats asked me why and I explained the concept of both arms reaching, they all now copy it. I recall years ago when the T.Q. thing first became a thing here, I was still an active SWAT medic with my military experience. The L.E.O.'s were given the T.Q.'s for patrol but no advice on how to deploy, many of those cops are personal friends. We sat in the station one night, a few of us, discusing how to deploy them, figured, as center line on their gun belts was the first plan and it worked out. SWAT guys I served with did same on the heavy vests. I am also a bleed trainer, TECC/TCCC instructor. In addition, now, the county received grants for active killer bags for the trucks. Each MICU has a large bag with a skedco type litter and a bunch of TQ's/dressings that we can deploy in an event, plus we are now outfitted with entry vests and MICHs. Fucking sucks that some folks are still resistant to this subject, saying, "I am not paid to play SWAT medic".

M.

 

[Hillclimb]

- Interesting to see where the officer keeps his tourniquet

Thanks for the badass vid. I sent it to my medic incase he wants to use it for a class in the future.

Interesting on the ankle TQ. Couldn't catch how he had it secured; I imagine just strapped around. Team SOP for us is to try to keep a TQ per limb on us(usually one in each shoulder pocket, and two in the Fanny pack IFAK). I just roll with all of the above, then one in each of my pants ankle pockets since I havent found another use for them yet.

Fucking sucks that some folks are still resistant to this subject, saying, "I am not paid to play SWAT medic".

M.

Resistant to TCCC or learning how to use a TQ?

 

[Devildoc]

@Hillclimb , my experience is non Tactical Medics and some law enforcement officers are slow to adopt it because they see it as high-speed SWAT stuff. A TCCC/tacmed thing, not necessarily a tourniquet thing.

 

[Etype]

Is this really that great of work? I'm surprised to see no one mentioning that he should have used a knee to apply some pressure while he fumbled with the tournoquet.

I'm surpirsed the guy made it, if he did, after seeing how much blood he lost.

 

[Devildoc]

Is this really that great of work? I'm surprised to see no one mentioning that he should have used a knee to apply some pressure while he fumbled with the tournoquet.

I'm surpirsed the guy made it, if he did, after seeing how much blood he lost.

For the officer's (presumably) first time?* I think it's pretty good. If it's his 10th, I'd see it differently. I agree re: knee, but who knows if he was taught that. You are right, the booger eater lost a metric shit-ton of blood.

*I don't know they are trained. Some of my local cops, all the training they get is "here's the tourniquet, here's how you put it on. Now store it where you can get to it."

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I'm surpirsed the guy made it, if he did, after seeing how much blood he lost.

He made it. More on the story...

2 people shot in police-involved shooting in North Las Vegas

 

[Muppet]

@Hillclimb , my experience is non Tactical Medics and some law enforcement officers are slow to adopt it because they see it as high-speed SWAT stuff. A TCCC/tacmed thing, not necessarily a tourniquet thing.

This...

M.

 

[policemedic]

@Hillclimb , my experience is non Tactical Medics and some law enforcement officers are slow to adopt it because they see it as high-speed SWAT stuff. A TCCC/tacmed thing, not necessarily a tourniquet thing.

Disagree slightly.

Medics don't mind the TQs, some just don't want to put on armor and sally forth into a hot or warm zone. It's not what they signed up for (same reason many paramedics balk at fire-based EMS systems). They're perfectly fine with applying a limb TQ in a safe area like the back of their ambulance.

Cops, on the other hand, tend to be reticent to engage in medical care at all--especially those with time on the job. Again, it's not what they signed up to do. There is a cultural shift happening that is changing that, but the problem does currently exist. We're starting to see more TQs placed by cops (anecdotal at this point), but most think of TQs as being for their use instead of for use on citizens.

 

[policemedic]

Is this really that great of work? I'm surprised to see no one mentioning that he should have used a knee to apply some pressure while he fumbled with the tournoquet.

I'm surpirsed the guy made it, if he did, after seeing how much blood he lost.

It wasn't the most professional job. But given the TQ was applied by the rookie, to a person he'd just shot, while he is on field training...I'll give him a pass.

I'm unaware of what kind of medical training LVMPD gets, or what their medical sustainment program looks like.

I'm not a big fan of ankle carry for the TQ unless one is in plain clothes. We teach our guys to place it centerline on the gun belt or centerline on their exterior vests.

 

[Devildoc]

@policemedic , thanks for your perspective. Again, my experience. I will add it's been a hot year since I have been in the field, in the back of the bus or in the stack, and I know culture on these things change over time.

 

[256]

Nothing should be limited to one group or another, especially life-saving measures which includes shooting, moving, and communication. If the attitude of personnel is "that's for SWAT" we need to change the culture of our profession. I don't want to go into a room at 4am with a dude that's never fired a single round in a dark house/building because "that's SWAT stuff." We don't rise to our expectations we fall to our lowest level of experience or training. Our Officers haven't used a single TQ in SWAT operations but have used them for car crashes and industrial accidents. Change the attitude/culture of personnel so we can save more lives. Our Chief is a big pusher of Below 100; it's a really great program. It can be applied to all MIL/LEO/First Responders.

To echo what @Diamondback 2/2 said, we had windlasses and also had the little plastic retainer ears break.

@Etype Was that a common occurrence? I've never experienced that, thank you for sharing. *Throws small roll of duct tape in med kit.