Author Topic: Tourniquet  (Read 2788 times)

sflinux

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Tourniquet
« on: July 29, 2021, 09:59:39 AM »
Last year I picked up a SWAT-T tourniquet for my first aid kit.  Originally I was thinking it could be something that I could stuff into my wetsuit, but it is heavy & bulky. 
After reading about this recent incident where a kitefoiler was likely bit by a bull shark:
https://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2410612&p=1144425&hilit=shark#p1144425
I decided it is still a good idea to have a tourniquet that I have with me in the water. 
I saw this review for the RATS (aka rapidtourniquet):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t10R1qPRftU
Instructional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upEgTfrtYGg
I ordered one after seeing that it is easy to self deploy with one hand.  It packs up small and looks water-resistant.  When I am not wearing my waist leash, I plan to wear it around my waist.  I plan to sew loops into my waist leash, for wearing it with my waist leash.
Near the red triangle, there are about 3 months of the year that we have a high concentration of landlords, I figure better safe than sorry.  Most fatalities from sharks are from bleeding out, not from the actual mistaken identity bites.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2021, 10:11:46 AM by sflinux »
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sflinux

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Re: Tourniquet
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2021, 01:27:02 PM »
edit wingfoiler, not kitefoiler:
"After reading about this recent incident where a wingfoiler was likely bit by a bull shark:"

I am going to try adding tygon tubing to the cleat ends to minimize sharp edges.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2021, 02:20:37 PM by sflinux »
Quiver Shaped by: Joe Blair, Blane Chambers, Jimmy Lewis, Kirk McGinty, and Bob Pearson.
Me: 200#, 6'2"

PonoBill

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Re: Tourniquet
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2021, 07:56:58 PM »
Shock cord with a slip noose pre-tied (like a fisherman's uni knot). I kept one handy for years and found lots of uses for it--never as a tourniquet.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

surfcowboy

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Re: Tourniquet
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2021, 07:46:16 PM »
WIngers have shock cord tourniquets handy at all times. Our leash. Surfer up in SF last week was saved by a surf leash.

Glad you carry one, good thing to keep around especially with the one hand application.

One good thing about the west coast. It’s so crowded there always someone to apply the first aid lol. If you’re alone, you’re probably where the shark will be big enough that it won’t matter.

Oh, also, we have far more delicious bodyboarders as bait as well.

But that’s a good thing for the kit. Seems like wetsuits should come with one or have a Velcro patch to hold one.

OkiWild

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Re: Tourniquet
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2021, 03:21:26 AM »
I've has to stop someone from bleeding while surfing three times in the last few years, while well off shore. Bleeding enough that it had to be addressed before paddling in.

There are a lot of things that you can't really do much about in the water, or can wait until you get to shore, but severe bleeding is the one thing that has to be dealt with immediately, and probably one of the most common injuries to happen in surfing. Get an artery (not just sharks), and you might have five minutes left.

I carry the Swat-T in my trunks pocket or wetsuit chest flap, and never even know it's there. It also works as a very good compression bandage when a tourniquet isn't needed. My kit in the car has two CAT 7's. While a leash will work, it can be cumbersome, it's slippery (especially with a lot of blood on it), and can be hard to get enough pressure without something to twist. Great if that's what ya got, but the Swat-T is cheap, and easy to apply as either a bandage or a tourniquet.

Califoilia

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Re: Tourniquet
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2021, 09:48:14 AM »
Just a note wrt the CAT tourniquets: Make sure that you're buying an actual Combat Application Tourniquet, and not a fake knockoff.

Like anything else nowadays, companies are out there selling similar but inferior products trying to make an easy dollar, and don't care if they're not up to an acceptable standard for use...the CAT market is no different, but is playing with someone's life which should be make criminal IMO.

To make sure you have an original CAT in your kits, and one that will definitely work if/when you need it to, please check yours to make sire that they have the correct markings signifying that they're legitimate tourniquets...



During my 18 years as a FD paramedic, there were times where the FD tried to save a few dollars here and there, and we in the field found ourselves in a bind when a certain pieces of equipment failed, or didn't perform to the standards we expected (not a CAT, because they were not out or available way back then), so I know the stuff's out there.

Fortunately fire guys are pretty resourceful, and most have plenty of experience with the gear to figure out a quick workaround so that the subpar equipment ultimately didn't effect patient care. But for someone w/o the expanded training, or who doesn't use or train with the stuff on a regular basis, in an emergency situation is not the time to have something fail, and then trying to scramble under pressure when minutes, or in some cases even seconds matter.

Also, if you haven't yet, take the time to train with the CAT so that you see how it works, how to quickly apply it to someone else, and especially self-application which can be a little tricky the first time you try it. Side note: Applying a tourniquet briefly to an uninjured extremity is fine, and won't cause any injury or damage to the person. Just make sure that you get it on tight enough so that you can't feel a distal pulse ("radial" pulse at the wrist, or "pedal" pulse on top of the foot) - but before doing that, make sure you can locate the pulse before putting on the tourniquet as sometimes they can be a little tricky to find (especially the pedal pulse, that we used to make with a "X" in pen on a patient so we could find it later quickly w/o having to search for it again) - and then remove it promptly once no pulse if felt, because there is such a thing as "tourniquet pain", and no need in experiencing it more than necessary.

Hopefully no one will ever have to use a CAT, but if/when you do, it'll be good to know you have one that will work as it's supposed to, and that you'll be able to get it on quickly and correctly on the first try. Lastly, there is a right and wrong way of folding the CAT, and there are videos on YouTube that you can search to find the correct way of doing so.

Be safe all.


« Last Edit: October 10, 2021, 09:50:07 AM by Califoilia »
Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

 


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