Adult Tourniquet for Use in School-Age Emergencies.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Trauma Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Device Efficacy

Background:

• Gunshot injuries are a significant cause of death and disability in children.
• Tourniquets are recommended for severe extremity trauma with life-threatening bleeding.
• The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT), proven in adults, needed pediatric testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the efficacy of the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) in pediatric patients.
• To determine if the CAT can successfully arrest extremity arterial blood flow in school-aged children.
• To assess the suitability of the CAT for pediatric use in emergency scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Sixty school-aged volunteers (ages 6-16) participated in the study.
• The CAT tourniquet was applied to the upper arm and thigh of each participant.
• Peripheral arterial pulse was monitored using Doppler, and the number of windlass turns to achieve occlusion was recorded.

Main Results:

• The CAT achieved successful arterial occlusion in 100% of upper extremities and 93% of lower extremities.
• The maximum allowed 3 turns were insufficient for some obese subjects (BMI >30).
• Increased extremity circumference correlated with a greater number of turns required for occlusion.

Conclusions:

• The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) is effective for use in the upper and lower extremities of school-aged children.
• The CAT tourniquet demonstrates suitability for pediatric emergency limb trauma management.
• Further consideration for device adjustment may be needed for obese pediatric patients.