Assessing the variation in amount of pressure exerted by haemostatic pressure bandages: a volunteer study

Area of Science:

• Trauma surgery
• Vascular surgery
• Emergency medicine

Background:

• Haemostatic compression bandages are vital for managing arterial injuries.
• Excessive pressure can lead to secondary complications, including arterial and nerve damage.
• Objective assessment of bandage pressure is challenging in pre-hospital and emergency settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the pressure range exerted by haemostatic compression bandages on upper limb arterial injuries.
• To identify a simple, reliable clinical marker for appropriate bandage pressure.

Main Methods:

• The study involved assessing pressures applied by various haemostatic compression bandages.
• Clinical assessment of limb perfusion was correlated with applied pressure measurements.
• A visual marker for safe pressure was investigated.

Main Results:

• Specific pressure ranges exerted by different bandages were quantified.
• Maintaining hand color (pinkness) was identified as a reliable indicator of adequate, non-injurious pressure.
• Excessive pressure correlated with diminished capillary refill and pallor.

Conclusions:

• Hand color serves as a practical safety marker for haemostatic bandage application in upper limb arterial injuries.
• This visual cue can help clinicians avoid excessive pressure, thereby preventing iatrogenic compression injuries.
• Implementing this simple assessment can improve patient safety during emergency limb injury management.