How to Make an Emergency Tourniquet
An Ancient Life-Saving Technique
Tourniquets are tight bands applied to injured limbs meant to control or stop the loss of blood in emergency situations. Tourniquets can save lives when it's difficult to receive medical attention in a timely manner. (Kyle finds herself in this situation quite often.) Tourniquets are NOT a long-term solution for any severe injury, but they can be very effective at controlling bleeding in the short term until the wound can be treated by trained professionals.
It's important to learn how to apply a tourniquet because improper technique (or leaving it on too long) can actually lead to dire complications, such as tissue death and amputation.
Improvised tourniquets should only be used as a last resort! They are no substitute for a commercial tourniquet.
STEP 1: APPLY PRESSURE
- Stopping bleeding requires pressure - apply firm and aggressive manual pressure
- Its possible that direct pressure over the wound site may not be the most effective means of controlling a bleed (think gunshot wound)
- Pressure above the wound on the artery should slow down or even stop blood flow to the injured portion below
- Applying pressure above the bleeding area is a stop gap fix that will buy you time to locate a commercial tourniquet or the materials needed to improvise one
- Apply pressure ABOVE the wound
STEP 2: MAKE THE TOURNIQUET
You will need three objects:
- Material- A band of some sort to wrap around the limb or extremity. At least 1.5" thick. Anything thinner might cause nerve damage. (Examples: Necktie, scarf, bandana, Ace bandage. Belts will rarely get tight enough, but they're better than nothing. Never use Zipcords, which could cause nerve damage.)
- Windlass- Rigid object to twist the material (tightening by hand is not effective). Should be at least 5" long. (Examples: Carabiner, jack handle, broom handle, or even a good old stick.)
- Securing Mechanism - Something to keep the windlass from unwinding. Examples: Hair ties, key ring, rubber band.
STEP 3: REASSESS THE WOUND
Once the tourniquet is complete, confirm that the bleeding has stopped or slowed. **If possible, check for a pulse in the injured. A pulse should NOT be present below the tourniquet.
STEP 4: GET HELP!
Evacuate the victim to advanced care or await First Responders.
Source: https://firstcareprovider.org/blog/tk-how-to and WikiHow.com