Dr. John “Joe” Fosbinder is an established California physician who meets the needs of Bakersfield Heart Hospital patients and has an extensive emergency medicine background. A mountaineering enthusiast, Dr. John J. Fosbinder has a strong interest in wilderness and altitude medicine.
Used to control bleeding, tourniquets involve tightly wrapping a limb with material with enough pressure such that blood flow is entirely blocked. While this is effective in halting even the most severe bleeding, it prevents limb tissues from accessing the nutrients and oxygen they require to survive.
Secure and reliable in emergency situations for stopping hemorrhaging, tourniquets take much less time to apply than methods such as pressure dressings, which can require 10 minutes to prepare. This can be the difference between life and death in critical situations.
Another benefit of tourniquets is that, particularly in austere environments where hypothermia is an issue, there is no danger of the dislodging of soaked bandages and pressure dressings. With dressings hidden under bulky insulating layers, this can allow continued slow bleeding.
The risk of tourniquets is that, within two hours, permanent damage can occur in blood vessels, muscle, skin, and nerves. Within a six-hour period, this damage may have progressed to the point where amputation is necessary. For this reason, use of tourniquets should be carefully weighed against the severity of the bleeding and environmental conditions such as extreme cold.
Used to control bleeding, tourniquets involve tightly wrapping a limb with material with enough pressure such that blood flow is entirely blocked. While this is effective in halting even the most severe bleeding, it prevents limb tissues from accessing the nutrients and oxygen they require to survive.
Secure and reliable in emergency situations for stopping hemorrhaging, tourniquets take much less time to apply than methods such as pressure dressings, which can require 10 minutes to prepare. This can be the difference between life and death in critical situations.
Another benefit of tourniquets is that, particularly in austere environments where hypothermia is an issue, there is no danger of the dislodging of soaked bandages and pressure dressings. With dressings hidden under bulky insulating layers, this can allow continued slow bleeding.
The risk of tourniquets is that, within two hours, permanent damage can occur in blood vessels, muscle, skin, and nerves. Within a six-hour period, this damage may have progressed to the point where amputation is necessary. For this reason, use of tourniquets should be carefully weighed against the severity of the bleeding and environmental conditions such as extreme cold.
