Page 48 - HS First Aid CPR & AED Student Ebook

g Tounuquets

Definitions and If an arm or leg has severe bleeding and you can't stop the bleeding with direct
Key Facts pressure, you can use a tourniquet.

The best tourniquets are premade, or manufactured, ones. If you don't have
one, you can make a tourniquet out of a piece of cloth and a windlass, essen-
tially a stick-like object used to tighten the tourniquet.

If you apply the tourniquet correctly, it will cause pain as it stops the bleeding.

Action: The following steps apply to a premade tourniquet:
Use a Premade
Tourniquet Step Action
1
Make sure the scene is safe. Phone your emergency response
2 number (or 911 ). Wear PPE.
3 Place the tourniquet 2 inches above the injury, if possible.
4
5 Tighten the tourniquet until the bleeding stops.
6
Note what time you put the tourniquet on.

Get medical help as soon as possible.
Leave the tourniquet on until someone with more advanced training
takes over.

Important Once you have the tourniquet in place, leave it alone until someone with more
advanced training arrives and takes over.

Action: If you need to make a tourniquet, follow the steps in this table. Then apply t he
Make and Use a tourniquet the same way as you would for a premade one.
Tourniquet

Step Action
1
Make sure t he scene is safe. Wear PPE.
2
3 Fold a cloth or bandage so that it's long and at least 1 inch wide.
4 Wrap the bandage 2 inches above the injury, if possible.
Tie the ends of the bandage around a stick (or something similar to
5 a stick}.
6 Turn the stick to tighten the tourniquet.
Continue tightening until the bleeding stops.

(continued)

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