"Anyone got a tourniquet?"

This company was at the stalking show and I was really impressed with the quality of his packs, I’ve since added one to each of our Polaris’s, plus a bleed control kit and a couple of the home first aid kit. A lot of people take the mick out of this stuff, but just two weeks ago we were shearing and somone cut there hand badly when a ewe dragged someone on blood thinners hand across some exposed weld mesh on a shedding gate resulting in a nasty cut.
First aid kit with some steel strips, wound cleansing wipes and a dressing plus tape was just the ticket. Wouldn’t be without it, especially with the kids getting to be busy age!
They even do a canine kit.
 
Has anyone ever died because a knock off one failed?

Yes, many front line soldiers in Ukraine. It's pretty well documented that there was a flood of well meaning tourniquet donations that had unintended consequences of being more harm than good.




 
Yes, many front line soldiers in Ukraine. It's pretty well documented that there was a flood of well meaning tourniquet donations that had unintended consequences of being more harm than good.




I'm sorry but where does it say that any done more harm than good? They got the best that they could get. Unfortunately Ukraine is a very complicated war. It's one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Friendly forces are supplying them with fantastic equipment that they lose control of once it's handed over. Not all of the good stuff gets to the front line but sadly is being sold to the highest bidder. You can guarantee that the Ukrainian Generals have the best tourniquets. Anything is better than nothing though. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't put the best ones in our kit, obviously, but also, learn how to use them. I'm also not sure how anyone would know good from bad until they actually needed to use them in a real life situation. To stop bleeding they need to be very very tight.
 
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I'm sorry but where does it say that any done more harm than good? They got the best that they could get. Unfortunately Ukraine is a very complicated war. It's one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Friendly forces are supplying them with fantastic equipment that they lose control of once it's handed over. Not all of the good stuff gets to the front line but sadly is being sold to the highest bidder. You can guarantee that the Ukrainian Generals have the best tourniquets. Anything is better than nothing though. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't put the best ones in our kit, obviously, but also, learn how to use them. I'm also not sure how anyone would know good from bad until they actually needed to use them in a real life situation. To stop bleeding they need to be very very tight.
To know good from bad.
1.dont buy the cheapest one you can from Amazon.
2.buy one approved by an organisation
3. Expect to get what you pay for.
4. When you buy one, google the manufacturer
5.expect it to come fully sealed, with a use by date, and decent instructions.

You make a good point about knowing how to use one, and this is a fantastic product, that is much simpler to use.
One of these, a celox applicator, chest seal and an Israeli bandage should have you all set for accidental discharge/bad cuts in the field. SWAT-T Tourniquet (Orange) | MERE Supplies
 
I'm sorry but where does it say that any done more harm than good? They got the best that they could get. Unfortunately Ukraine is a very complicated war. It's one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Friendly forces are supplying them with fantastic equipment that they lose control of once it's handed over. Not all of the good stuff gets to the front line but sadly is being sold to the highest bidder. You can guarantee that the Ukrainian Generals have the best tourniquets. Anything is better than nothing though. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't put the best ones in our kit, obviously, but also, learn how to use them. I'm also not sure how anyone would know good from bad until they actually needed to use them in a real life situation. To stop bleeding they need to be very very tight.

If I bought a tourniquet and carried it in good faith that it’d do the job when required, using a counterfeit version in which the tension bar snapped, would possibly mean additional blood loss due to the time spent no longer applying direct pressure to the wound, whilst attempting in vain to apply a TQ that failed. It would also mean no viable TQ available to hand.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t buy a motorbike helmet or a climbing harness from a questionable source, don’t buy other life saving apparatus from questionable sources.
 
I'm also not sure how anyone would know good from bad until they actually needed to use them in a real life situation.
I wouldn't want to wait until I actually needed one to tell good from bad. I'd want to know I had the best from the outset.

Here's what happens with a €15 Chinese CAT tourniquet knock-off.



There are ways to tell genuine from fake.

 
Fantastic thread guys.
I recently slipped while gralloching (blunt blade and thought Id just finish this bit before I stop) and managed to stab myself just missing my artery. 5mm the wrong way and it would have been a lot messier so recently upgraded my First Aid Kit. We justify spending hundreds/ thousands on kit so ridiculous not looking at proper First Aid kit.
 
I have been on 4 Emergency First Aid at Work, Forestry courses over the last 14 years and I am sure they said don't use Celox as it can cause more harm than good if not used correctly. Similarly, the stance on tourniquets has varied from don't use them to use them.
 
I have been on 4 Emergency First Aid at Work, Forestry courses over the last 14 years and I am sure they said don't use Celox as it can cause more harm than good if not used correctly. Similarly, the stance on tourniquets has varied from don't use them to use them.
Those are often the comments from people with no experience / credibility.

Those of us who can justify our comments say go ahead, use them. Cellox needs packing (see a credible youtube video) and tourniquets are fine, even as first line untill you can gather your thoughts and then reassess if they are actually needed.
 
Those of us who can justify our comments say go ahead, use them.
If things have got to the stage where you need a TQ (or Cellox)- if you do not use it, the 'patient' will die.

Your job, is to get them to stay alive long enough, to get them to hospital.

Chances are, if you can do that, then the 'patient' gets to die another day, and the Medics can 'tidy up' any issues that may have been caused in order to get that patient to them.
 
The biggest thing after having some kit or training (anything is better than nothing) is the mindset to try!
In an emergency situation, doing nothing means they are dead, doing something means they may survive.
It is first aid.... only done to keep them alive, until trained people get there to sort it with better kit and far more knowledge/training/experience than the vast majority of us.

In a previous job I often heard people say that they were worried that they may get sued if it went wrong.
So far, that has never happened in this country where someone was trying to help.
 
I'm a frontline paramedic and everyone assumes I'll have the fanciest first aid kit, which just isn't the case. I've got a basic first aid kit in the car, but don't carry CAT tourniquets, celox or any fancy dressings because it becomes a case of "how far do you go"? I can accommodate small booboo's happily, anything beyond that then it's 999 or chucking people in the car. As has been said already, for those carrying significant equipment, the knowledge of how and when - or more importantly when NOT - to use it is critical.
 
I'm a frontline paramedic and everyone assumes I'll have the fanciest first aid kit, which just isn't the case. I've got a basic first aid kit in the car, but don't carry CAT tourniquets, celox or any fancy dressings because it becomes a case of "how far do you go"? I can accommodate small booboo's happily, anything beyond that then it's 999 or chucking people in the car. As has been said already, for those carrying significant equipment, the knowledge of how and when - or more importantly when NOT - to use it is critical.
I'm the opposite, I carry stuff for the big issues, if it's a booboo, then they can self care.
I carry the basics for managing most significant cABC issues.
I also have the knowledge to use them.
 
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