Tourniquet Application

Apply a tourniquet for life-threatening limb hemorrhage when direct pressure fails, for amputations, severe crushing injuries, or multi-casualty situations. Place above the injury, tighten until bleeding stops, document the time, and never remove once applied. Apply when: Life-threatening bleeding from a limb that cannot be controlled by direct pressure. Specific indications: direct pressure fails to control bleeding, partial or complete amputation, severe crushing injury to a limb, uncontrollable hemorrhage from a limb wound, multi-casualty situations where sustained direct pressure on each wound is not feasible, circumstances preventing sustained direct pressure (need to move casualty, treat others, or environment is too dangerous).