Stop The Bleed: Tourniquet Application

A detailed look at using a tourniquet for bleeding control. In this video a North American Rescue Combat Application Tourniquet (NAR CAT) is used as an example.
Want to skip right to the application of the CAT? 04:54
CAT: www.narescue.com/combat-appli...
SOFT-T: www.tacmedsolutions.com/SOF-T...
Drum sample music credit: audiojungle.net/item/drums-an...

[@TacMedTV]

Great video! One thing I do to ensure tourniquets aren't overlooked is to take my Sharpie and write a "T" on their forehead, the time applied, and the location. LA= left arm, RA=right arm, LL=left leg, RL= right leg. Every care provider that comes into contact with that patient will see the markings on their forehead when they check the airway, and know to look for a tourniquet. Keep up the great work!

[@sethambre3001]

Location should be a little obvious

[@mr.sunshine1444]

lmfao, this is brilliant

[@jordanpeterson1893]

@@sethambre3001 if you're not using a bright orange Tourniquet and the victim's clothing blends in with the Tourniquet it may be difficult to notice it right away, I own black Tourniquets for instance. Just food for thought.

[@barsdogukankarakoyun8798]

@@jordanpeterson1893 If you have to use a TQ I am sure they will see the blood or wound itself and guess "Ooh. That's the TQ.."

[@andyesser4892]

@@barsdogukankarakoyun8798 Very easy to miss a tourniquet if the patient is wrapped in a blanket - there is zero harm in a T on the forehead to make it very obvious. Situations where receiving a PT with a tourniquet applied are likely to be extremely stressful and removing or reducing any risk of missing something key is not a bad thing

[@Morphyne_Cowboy]

Absolutely tourniquets can be placed on the lower leg and forearm but high and tight shouldn't be dismissed. High and tight makes it easier for most people to remember under stress. Also, high and tights will be fine if you are not far away from definitive help. Tourniquets can be safe 8+hours if applied correctly. Going 2 to 3 inches above isn't bad and neither is going high and tight. If the tourniquet is place effectively, that means no venous and no arterial blood flow is present then the risk of compartment syndrome is low. Remember, if you place the tourniquet properly it will hurt more than the wound. Good training is key here. There are many tourniquet trainers you can buy to practice with. Good video. Everyone stay safe!

[@Morphyne_Cowboy]

Thank you for the like on the comment!!

[@artrainger]

Your reply has solid info! Great job.

[@matthewtaylor3301]

That, and arteries are like elastic bands. They can retract up the extremity above the wound and you may not place the TQ high enough to occlude blood flow.

[@TealJosh]

"it will hurt more than the wound" ugh I just remembered what it feels like. Another forgotten memory from my conscription service bootcamp resurfaced.

[@Charlie-sj6dv]

High and tight because pressure plates blow shrapnel up into the body. Two inches above a stump is useless when the metal shredded the leg up to the middle of a femur

[@TheMasterMind2802TMM]

I Have no idea how i got to your channel but i love it

[@k9-d486]

Same Lol

[@roksdecim8421]

Even a year later, this is still happening

[@lucesalome7287]

Did u call 9-1-1 for a severe artery bleed cause I hear they use your data for ad revenue

[@juliannamack6073]

For an EMT that took class online, this is literally saving lives

[@WH6FQE]

As a Prepper, and a Paramedic myself, thank you for such a detailed instructional video of how to properly use a CAT.

[@jamescarroll6954]

Retired after 52 years in healthcare beginning as a Navy Corpsman in the 60s. Still carry the Unit One in the car, but its contents have changed since FMSS-all for the better. I like to keep up, and PrepMedic is a great refresher. Thanks for what you do.

[@phoz8884]

Greetings from Germany, Im a paramedic student in Germany and i recently found your channel. And i must say, your videos are easy to follow and great for learning . Its Awesome to see that standard Procedures for some things are the same . Keep up the good work

[@whynotjustmyusername]

Even more greetings from Germany! I'm a med student, planning to go into ambulance duty as well (in Germany we have so called emergency physicians to support the ambulance crews). Overall, I can agree with Kevin that procedures, equipment, medications etc. are quite similar, even though they are organized in a different pattern. For example, almost all of the meds and insturments are stowed in drawers in the front of the patient compartment, only the suction, the monitors and ventilation and additional tools and stretchers are somewhere else on the vehicle. Many German ambulances (if not the majority) do not use external storage compartments. To go to the patient, we carry emergency backpacks (or more traditionally emergency cases), which contain both meds and instruments (but there are more meds stored in the ambulance). Usually it's that pack and a monitor/defi that is carried (Kevin, correct me if I'm wrong, I am not yet actually in the ambulance service). In Germany everything is standardized and so weird ideas such as a separate medication case are not allowed. In regards to narcotics I'm not enitrely sure how this is handled, but a lot of those can only be administered by, or by order of an emergency physician.

[@VickiBee]

I didn't like my "notfall" experience in Germany and, thinking of it later, I find it REALLY unusual that they "couldn't find anyone who knows English so they could talk" to me. I didn't know a single bit of German then (except what I knew from when my dad I didn't know for long spoke it in the 70s and almost nothing is the same now) but for some reason they wanted someone who spoke fluent English and for some other unknown reason couldn't find anyone.Considering all the people I'm finding NOW who know English, I'm still bothered that they couldn't find anyone that night. I was more upset than I've ever been & probably the worst patient on earth and since I was a visitor I didn't have insurance.

[@whynotjustmyusername]

In 7 years I will have my Notarzt qualification, I'll tell you where to come for your next medizinischen Notfall in Germany, so you can have a chat with us :P Though you must have been really unlucky, English is compulsory in most German schools from year 3 on. Most Germans speak English... not good English but sufficient to converse with a patient during an emergency.

[@VickiBee]

Def7355608 It won't matter now. I'm in A1.2 German, taking official courses bc self-learning didn't work for me. German now isn't the same as in the late 1930's when my dad was taken out of the country and adopted by a family living in America. My dad would be positively shocked to see German of today. They don't even use the word 'Apfelsine' anymore. Now they call it an orange.

[@whynotjustmyusername]

@@VickiBee Actually, we do use Apfelsine exactly the same as we have for the last century... however some phrases have fallen out of use, and everyday conversations are often not very diverse in grammatical structures as they were a century ago.

[@basoltraininggroup2954]

Something that should be considered when determining the placement of a tourniquet is the MOI (mechanism of injury), for instance, a bullet from an active shooter. The reasoning behind the military teaching the "high and tight" placement for tourniquet application is to account for bullet trajectory. Bullets do not always enter the body from straight on. Depending on the round caliber, distance traveled, whether the round is entering the body as a ricochet or fragment may affect the route the bullet takes and the damage it causes. A round may enter the forearm or flexor muscle and the trajectory may take it upward and back to the bicep and could hit the brachial artery. By placing the tourniquet above the visible wound could cause unnecessary damage, especially once you start entering the prolonged field care stage.

[@Gunny_101st]

I needed a refresher on this. Thanks. Also, I carry a Sharpie in my kit so if I ever administer a tourniquet I can write the time on the CAT as well as on the patient somewhere visible and write a large T on the forehead.

[@vorwaerts_nie_zurueck]

Great stuff, no lengthy intros, no blah blah, clear and valuable information - left a sub

[@foxhound2891]

Hey, just wanted to say as a person in EMS your videos/playlist made me feel much more confident in my skills. I went through a bunch of them already. Thanks for your easy to follow, straight to the point videos. Keep up the good work!

[@brandoncowan2133]

I am very happy to hear that you won’t talk highly of a product just for money. I love love love you’re channel so much and you yourself are an inspiration. Thank you for your time

[@carlvondrunker7855]

Great period of instruction. Used it to refresh myself to teach tourniquet application to a civilian audience

[@beltfeddestruction9522]

Awesome information bro and love the integrity and not being a sell out that's absolutely fantastic because 100% correct no amount of money if worth loosing a life keep up the awesome work here bud

[@robteaster2446]

Great, concise, easy to understand instructions. Just what I hoped to find. Nice video.

[@detoxlangley8863]

Excellent video presentations, thank you.

[@brylovesny1632]

Sad any one would dislike any of his videos, I have learned a lot just watching these videos.

[@tommontgomery7325]

outstanding. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have incorporated a CAT in my range bag.

[@kinsmart7294]

Writting in the patients forehead is also an great way to show he is using an touniquet. Saw in some old first aid manuals you should loosen up the touniquet every 15 minutes to check if the bleeding stopped.

[@alJuhaani]

extremely helpful. i'd encourage you to keep going with this fantastic videos

[@MikeWood]

Stop The Bleed has only been recently introduced here in Canada. I took it at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre earlier in the year - Canada's largest trauma centre, and the instructors recommended the CAT-T. There have been a couple of terrorist attacks in Ontario this year. Having the training, a small cargo pocket sized trauma kit and a CAT-T go with me everywhere now. Looking forward to more videos. (found you as a recommended off one of Skinny Medic's videos)

[@caloenescudan6502]

Thanks for your posting and you are one of the best. Keep it simple is the best way

[@ltinfpr2j247]

Outstanding presentation !

[@erikavillarreal7186]

I found your channel trying to get my car & home First Aid kit together, thanks for the info I will certainly order a TQ to add in my kit. 👍

[@sgtg4600]

Great videos. A wealth of information. 👍

[@michaellomas8333]

Great videos! I am so glad I found your channel. Keep up the good work!

[@yesseniarodriguez6248]

I love the quality of your videos!!!

[@brightargyle8950]

I've always carried first aid basics, but never felt comfortable with tourniquets until I watched this video. I'm not a medical professional but I take first aid seriously. I am out in the woods quite often, I work in the field driving around a lot and I began carrying quick clot gauze and an Israeli bandage in my kit in addition to the usual first aid stuff. I have a decent understanding of cpr and SOME bleed stopping procedures. I decided to order one of these CAT tourniquets just in case after watching this. Given the climate of the world and the US in particular it would seem foolish NOT to be at least a little more prepared. I'm no armchair medic, but having the basics on hand has been drummed into my head over the years just in case. I appreciate your advice and recommendations, keeping it simple enough for the layman to understand helps a lot.

[@jimlong653]

Yet another great video. Thank you

[@Clacky445]

Great video! Very underrated channel full of great content!

[@stanleyopara8732]

Good practical demonstration. Thanks.

[@andyprairiedog4829]

Excellent "On-Balls" information. Professionally executed. Thank you, PrepMedic. Liked and subbed.

[@mmrtactical7764]

Great vid! Right to the point with no BS in between.

[@maxwelllittle3562]

solid informative video. Straight to the point!

[@ericmalmros1725]

Thanks, great refresher along with your folding video.

[@geraldwest3428]

Thank you PrepMedic, subscribed and thumbs up!

[@newyorkinmymind8430]

New subscriber here, I do what you do and I’m learning a lot here to pass on with my nurses. Keep it up!

[@gutyolivas8250]

Thank for the info. I didn't even know what a tourniquet was, again thanks a lot.

[@ryanry904]

Best video ive seen - great job

[@lpark8]

Very helpful - thank you!

[@davidrush8283]

Jeff Kirkham, inventor of RATS Tourniquet, has served 28 years with the US Army Special Forces (active and guard), with numerous operational deployments to worldwide posts in both semi-permissive and non permissive environments.He is currently a Master Sergeant (18Z) with the 19th SFG (A) and, in the past, was a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Besides earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of New York and completing the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course, Jeff also graduated from: US Army Ranger School, Special Forces Combat Dive School, US Army Free-Fall School and numerous other shooting, driving and close-quarter combat schools. In his spare time, Jeff is an inventor - with four utility patents issued and multiple others pending - an author of 2 books, a member of his local Free and Accepted Masonic Lodge, a supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and an avid Cross-fitter and marathon-runner. Jeff is also a father, and his greatest joy is spending time with his family

[@d-mon8015]

I thought that rats is good for small arms and legs too?

[@teambeforeself6839]

Great Channel, going to use in some upcoming training I do.

[@howitzeroutdoors]

This is definitely something every outdoorsman should have in their kit. Could you do a video on blood clotting gauzes for civilians as well? I’m thinking about hunting, accidental gunshot wounds, knife cuts or chainsaw wounds. Cheers.

[@spotedmut]

Thank you for your videos.

[@NotAnOperator442]

A great tip if you’re caring for several people in a combat situation, have each of you guys carry a tourniquet in their right arm pouch and left leg pouch and have them prepped for self application. Also in a dangerous situation you can always kneel directly on the junction space until it is applied (unless it’s a fall or blast injury and you suspect a pelvic fracture).

[@DFB-1990]

Just found your channel I love the content! Keep the good videos coming!

[@TheDewMan328]

That third variant of TQ is for femoral bleeds. You wrap it on the pelvis and put a plastic thing under the artery and pump it up like a baloon, cutting off bloodflow to the rest of the leg. Its incredibly effective and since the pelvis is so high there generally is no other way to use a TQ

[@michaelbrannon8796]

I'm pretty sure that Both American Rescue makes a pelvic sling for that .

[@lmartinez3633]

Very nice explanation and tourniquet recommendation

[@fatboyrowing]

Thanks for the excellent video. I am just a normie (with advanced first aid training) and my kids are into extreme sports. I run a chainsaw from time to time and my whole family and I drive a lot. I want to be able to be effective those first 10-15 minutes. A decade ago I came across an overturned vehicle in the middle of nowhere and there was entrapment with serious injuries. I’m glad I was prepared to handle it - EMS took 20 minutes to arrive. Next time I want to be even better prepared.

[@reliablethreat23]

I love this channel!

[@ProBlamer]

Man your channel is just exploding! I subbed at like 80-100 subs and look how many followers you are gaining daily now!! Keep going and nice vid as always!

[@ProBlamer]

@@PrepMedic If you keep going like this it's going to be 50k by the end of the year :D

[@davemiller4852]

Thank you, well presented

[@pinoyurbantactical3374]

Excellent reviews!!😃👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@OG_Hundo]

Great video. Glad I found your channel

[@Datadude88]

Thank you. You are very helpful

[@MikePopovici]

great content ! Thanks so much ! ... I love the audiojungle sample over the bg audio track Lol

[@JohnWesleyAustin]

Great Job! I shared this on FB!

[@threeoeightwadcutter2820]

Three thumps up. Good explained and easy to follow. Thanks for sharing

[@disasterduck13]

Thanks for the info

[@craigcook1571]

Thanks for this information

[@darkhorse3518]

Great Video!

[@marceloperez9742]

Muy bueno el video gracias!

[@tonyb3848]

KZbin actually recommended me something good for once. Usually it’s make up tutorials. Finally they’re learning

[@NeverGiveUp-ib3xb]

Thank you!

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

Wow, you grew about 1k subscribers within a week. Nice, you deserve 250k subs.

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

@@PrepMedic You need a patreon

[@kyledawson4535]

You and skinny medic deffintetly should do collaborations. I feel like with both of y'all knowlege it would he an awsome team and could teach alot to diffrent people.

[@Stratmandew]

thanks for sharing

[@realpolicetalk]

Cool stuff we just practiced this at work.

[@peterkukolik8402]

Thank you.

[@PlanetaryIntergalactic]

06:18 Dude, that noise was straight-up terrible. I about had a heart attack!

[@dylanperalez3939]

I’m glad someone said it, I thought it was coming from outside

[@LoponStormbased]

ᴬᵘᵈᶦᵒʲᵘⁿᵍˡᵉ

[@aqua.scape69]

Great video, new to channel. I have the same glasses. Thanks for all the information.

[@caseylocke4474]

I just got a new TK of this model but I am a newbie and am trying to find a video showing how it's applied. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video, but after watching it, I still don't know how to apply it. I would love to see a video that shows it being applied straight from staging. I would also like to know how to deploy it one-handed on myself.

[@vviperbeehumble1410]

our class on this was vague ...my exam on Monday i will ace it now. i subscribed. found you just looking for info on -stop the bleed

[@osaze61]

Thank you

[@enriquecastellanos7110]

Thank You

[@Polizei2012]

is good video Stop The Tournquet Application

[@DARTHDANSAN]

Thanks super helpful

[@charlesechols6354]

I was taught to use a permanent marker to write "TQ- time" on the patient's forehead.

[@captainrex3492]

I find ur videos really useful even though I’m watching them in the U.K. where not many people know first aid let alone knowing about catastrophic bleeding, tourniquets and wound packing 😉 Cheers mate!

[@tspableras1731]

I'm Spanish, and that's the same here!!! I just ordered one SOFTT-W and an Israeli Bandage for my Bleeding Control Kit.

[@captainrex3492]

@@tspableras1731 I’ve got an orange CAT, Israeli bandage and some sterile gauze in my one

[@parentrescue8982]

Thanks. I needed that. Love that you did it over again. Also can you reuse a tourniquet?

[@tommynunemann1117]

cue cutscene of a drill sgt screaming "high and tight!"

[@oscarwetzel7327]

Realy good! THX!

[@dgalvan529]

Good stuff bro just subscribed!

[@SpicyAl3000]

Great! Thanks :)

[@lyfandeth]

I never bought into the "it can cause an amputation" argument. I figure, which is worse? Bleeding out and dying in two minutes? Or taking a chance with a tourniquet? I'm glad to hear that after twenty years, the official standards have finally risen to mine. Like the argument that aspiration during a Covid vaccination is unneccesary and in fact prohibited by trainers. After just one year of argument and "Pishta!" the establishment is finally figuring out, aspiration DOES prevent some deaths, and has no negative drawbacks.

[@daviddean952]

Thanks

[@ToyMachine22122]

Didn't answer my biggest question: When I try to apply a CAT to my arm (which is, I'd say, average size for a 5'8" man), I notice that it takes more than 2 full wraps to consume all of the slack. By wrapping around twice, the strap covers the windlass, and the velcro is prevented from securely adhering... so obviously that's unacceptable; how I do get rid of the excess slack with only a single wrap around the arm?

[@janetbailey6727]

Good Stuff, If I may make a suggestion perhaps for a future video you could do one on the use of hemostatic gauze and wound packing techniques

[@janetbailey6727]

Awesome I look forward to seeing it.

[@benburns5995]

Great video Sam. I appreciated that after you explained the application of the tourniquet you again showed the steps again with captions, great reinforcement. Could you ever apply a tourniquet and cause damage if it really wasn't needed? Like if you didn't apply pressure long enough to the wound and applied it prematurely.

[@whynotjustmyusername]

In uni I got taught a very simple decision aid on whether to apply an emergency treatment which I know to be life saving but which I have not practised before (in cases where nobody more experienced than me is available): "There is no worse than dead." It's better to apply a tourniquet prematurely than to bleed out. I personally would go for a tourniquet quite quickly and then take the time to apply a proper pressure dressing (if the ambulance doesn't arrive faster than that). Especially if you have no assistant, applying direct pressure isn't really a sustainable option. It works great in an OR where you know where the injury is (because the operator caused it), but even there I have used a tourniquet before because things can get messy. Now imagine a layperson seeing a chainsaw wound and seeking where to apply pressure. One could feed a comedy show off that. Apply a tourniquet, get an ambulance, no worries.

[@jimstevens8178]

That was awesome demonstration of how to properly use one. Question who makes that jacket you are wearing in the video

[@whiskey6964]

I was told in bawic training to throw the tourniquet ad high up as possible no matter where the wound is, been three years since then and have been told the same thing since then

[@thetypewriterist7949]

As usual, this is a great video. You didn't, however, mention the most important part. Where did you get that sick jacket? I want one!

[@pvt.2426]

Great video. Just the facts. I bought a CAT-type tourniquet from an online mail-order company for only $3.98 and the included instructions, plus step-by-step photos, were both confusing and poor quality, respectively. The item itself was high quality. Your video helped a lot to figure out how to use it. Keeping the tourniquet in my emergency first-aid kit of my vehicle and to bring with on outdoor adventures.

[@PrepMedic]

Hey man. Those counterfeit TQs are incredibly dangerous. Throw it out and buy a real one.

[@pvt.2426]

@@PrepMedic Not throwing away something that isn't defective. Or, just because I got it at below wholesale prices. Price or cost is not a fool-proof indicator of quality. You could over pay for one, if that makes you feel more comfortable. It can only be a 'counterfeit' if it pretends to be a particular brand. It does not. (I would take a picture of it and attach it to this post, if KZbin made it possible, for all to see.) Viewers should be asking, 'Where did you get yours?'.

[@PrepMedic]

@@pvt.2426 Its a counterfeit CAT TQ which have always came with HUGE defects that cause failure in a large percentage of cases. There are litteral studies about it and documented deaths due to them. I guarantee you 100% it is not a CAT TQ and you bought a cheap knockoff with no QC or durability standards. CAT TQs will NEVER be sold for under the $20 mark and yes the brand actually matters. This isn't simply my opinion. This is documented and backed up in so many places. Not only is it unethical to use knowing the failure rate but it is also less effective then just stuffing your shirt into someones wound.

[@pvt.2426]

@@PrepMedic I appreciate your sincere advice. This TQ is for my personal use and kept for emergencies that hopefully will never happen. I look at it as something that is better than nothing. If I happen to be in the right place at the wrong time and an injured person could benefit from this, I doubt that he or she will inquire or insist on a particular brand. If they do, then I'll walk away and let them bleed out.

[@NoNo-uy2bq]

@@pvt.2426please for the safety of you and others just buy a legitimate one

[@86sturla]

Great channel but I have a quick question; when i learned to apply an TQ we were instructed to put it above the wound and as close to the joint, because it was easier to stop the bleeding there. In your video you put the TQ above the wound but still on the bi-tricep muscles. Thoughts?

[@npr386]

You know my feelings about NAR... great products, hefty pricetag. Had a couple of thoughts/suggestions for possible videos: EDC pocket dump, and Stop the Bleed "course." The latter really wouldn't be too hard to make a video out of, assuming you have the supplies and some volunteers (also, the instructor certificate is pretty easy if you don't have it already; may not even be worth your time to be honest). Also, regarding the CAT for self-use; need to remind people to practice applying one-handed (including off-hand), and store in such a manner that it can be readily applied. No experience with the SOFFT, though I have heard they're nicer for lower extremities and/or buddy use.

[@npr386]

And for the heck of it, a good video on EKG interpretation would be nice, for some of the more difficult rhythms in particular. Just friendly suggestions/requests, glad to see the channel's doing well, and appreciate your videos. Keep up the good work

[@toneloc415]

Super helpful, buying two today. Question for you, do you recommend Isreal bandage, or quick clot? This is going to be used for chainsaw work. Also, is the soft one better then the gen 7?

[@grosschmidarmin]

Have you heard about the R.A.T.S torniquet? What do you think about it? Do you think that it really works? Would you recommend it? I love your videos, really nice content. I'm preparing myself for a medical school. I want to be a paramedic since I was 8 years old

[@russoft]

"audio jungle"

[@tobiasborchers2058]

Hey Prep medic what’s your opinion on using Ringer‘s Solution instead of normal Saline for Blood replacement and to combat dehydration not for the administration of drugs though. Thanks

[@rogerdickinson920]

TCCC has added more to the list...Ned to update info. There is now a 3" wide tq with a ratchet rather than a windlass.

[@PrepMedic]

Roger Dickinson watch some of my more recent videos. I have one discussing just that.

[@rogerdickinson920]

OK, thanks, I haven't seen it. I have one on order.