How to use the air bag tourniquet

There are many kinds of tourniquets. In life, there is also a kind of tourniquet called an air bag tourniquet. This air bag tourniquet is also a kind of tourniquet, which is specially used to stop bleeding. When stopping bleeding, use this air bag tourniquet quickly, so the bleeding phenomenon can be stopped immediately. The air bag tourniquet is very useful in very urgent situations and is used as first aid, but many people cannot use it, so how to use this air bag tourniquet?

Correct use of tourniquet

(1) Before surgery, the tourniquet should be carefully inspected to see if the air bag is leaking, whether the air pump is easy to use, and whether the pressure gauge is accurate.

(2) Select an appropriate pneumatic tourniquet based on factors such as the patient's age, limb circumference, and physical condition.

(3) The tourniquet should be placed in the correct position and tied to the muscular part of the limb to prevent nerve damage. For upper limbs, place it on the upper 1/3 of the upper arm, and for lower limbs, place it near the groin at the root of the thigh.

(4) When tying a tourniquet, place a small sheet (cloth) under the tourniquet and keep the surface in contact with the skin flat. The tourniquet should be tied with appropriate tightness and the ventilation tube should be placed proximal to the limb to prevent contamination of the surgical field and facilitate inflation. It is best to wrap a fixing belt or bandage around the pneumatic tourniquet to apply pressure to prevent it from rolling after inflation.

(5) Before inflating the tourniquet, the limb should be raised. After the tourniquet has completely expelled blood, the ventilation tube of the tourniquet should be connected to the air pressure gauge and air should be slowly pumped into the tourniquet. The upper limb pressure for adults shall not exceed 40.0 kPa (300 mmHg) and for children shall not exceed 26.7 kPa (200 mmHg). The lower limb pressure for adults shall not exceed 80 kPa (600 mmHg) and for children shall not exceed 33.3 kPa (250 mmHg).

(6) Accurately record the inflation time of the pneumatic tourniquet, which is limited to 1 hour for upper limbs and 1.5 hours for lower limbs. When the time is up, notify the surgeon in advance to prepare for deflation. If it is necessary to continue using the tourniquet, deflate it for 5 to 10 minutes before re-inflating it and re-recording the time.

(7) When loosening the tourniquet, deflate it slowly to avoid a sudden drop in blood pressure causing shock. After the operation is completed and the tourniquet is removed, check the patient's skin for any damage and perform local massage for a few minutes if necessary.

If you use the air bag tourniquet that we taught you above, you will be able to stop bleeding better when you encounter an emergency. Air bag tourniquet is generally used for heavy bleeding, and such situations are also very urgent. Therefore, Taoists must first master the method of use when using an air bag tourniquet, so that stopping bleeding is life-saving.