FIELD REFERENCE
Full criteria & treatment guidance
Key cautions & base contact
- The device must remain visible during transport and handoff.
- Placement requires an ALS-level response under B-010.
When to use it
- B-010 indicates a tourniquet for upper- or lower-extremity hemorrhage that cannot be controlled with direct pressure or a pressure dressing.
- Use appropriate blood-exposure PPE and an approved device. Inspect the injury and assess distal circulation, motor function, and sensation.
Place & tighten
- Apply the tourniquet proximal to the wound, usually 2–4 inches above it. Avoid placing it over a joint, an angulated or open fracture, or the stab or gunshot wound itself.
- Tighten to the pressure needed to stop bleeding. Cover the wound with an appropriate sterile dressing or bandage.
- Leave the tourniquet visible; do not cover it with the wound dressing.
Reassess
- Reassess distal circulation, motor function, and sensation and the effectiveness of bleeding control. Record vital signs and the application time.
- An ALS response is required when a tourniquet is placed. Continue the applicable trauma assessment and destination pathway.
Handoff
- Tell the receiving team where the device is and exactly when it was applied; make that information visible in the report and documentation.
- Use the amputation standing order for care of an amputated part. This page describes the B-010 tourniquet procedure, not every trauma-management task.
VISUAL FIELD REFERENCE
Uncontrolled extremity bleeding: place → verify → report
Adult & pediatric · BLS / ALS
Confirm the indication
B-010 indicates a tourniquet for upper- or lower-extremity hemorrhage that cannot be controlled with direct pressure or a pressure dressing.
- Usually 2–4 inches
Place proximal to the wound
Apply the tourniquet proximal to the wound, usually 2–4 inches above it. Avoid placing it over a joint, an angulated or open fracture, or the stab or gunshot wound itself.
Tighten and keep visible
Tighten to the pressure needed to stop bleeding. Cover the wound with an appropriate sterile dressing or bandage.
Leave the tourniquet visible; do not cover it with the wound dressing.
Reassess and record time
Reassess distal circulation, motor function, and sensation and the effectiveness of bleeding control. Record vital signs and the application time.
- An ALS response is required when a tourniquet is placed. Continue the applicable trauma assessment and destination pathway.
- Tell the receiving team where the device is and exactly when it was applied; make that information visible in the report and documentation.
Selected checkpoints; read the complete guide for criteria, exclusions, doses, and ongoing care. B-010
UNDERSTAND THE CARE
Why visibility and time are part of the procedure
The intervention has an immediate endpoint—control of the external hemorrhage—and an ongoing communication requirement. Inspect the injury and follow the source’s placement instructions for an approved device. Reassessment should establish that bleeding has actually stopped, not simply that a device has been applied.
Applying the guidance
Keep the tourniquet visible during packaging and transport so its presence and effectiveness can be checked. Record the application time promptly and include it in the verbal handoff. Continue the trauma assessment and reassess distal findings as instructed. The wound dressing should not hide the device from the next clinician.
Putting it together
Teaching example: blankets and packaging are being added before movement. Confirm that the device remains visible and that the receiving clinician can identify its location and application time.
Diagram text & teaching checkpoints
- Indication
- Bleeding uncontrolled by initial measures.
- Placement
- Approved device at an appropriate proximal site.
- Effect
- Verify cessation of hemorrhage.
- Continuity
- Visible device, time, ALS response and handoff.
Sources for this explanation
Original OCMedic teaching synthesis of the references below. Educational expansion updated ; this is not a new independent clinical-review date. Source-specific dates and limitations remain in the full guidance.