Stopping the bleed when tourniquets cannot: a technique for Foley catheter balloon compression in trauma

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Hemorrhage is a primary cause of trauma mortality.
• Current methods like tourniquets and direct compression have limitations, especially at anatomic junctions.
• Existing balloon catheter use is restricted to operating rooms and specific injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a versatile balloon catheter compression technique for hemorrhage control.
• To evaluate its application across the trauma care continuum: prehospital, emergency department, operating room, and postoperative.
• To assess its efficacy in challenging anatomic locations.

Main Methods:

• Single-center retrospective review of trauma patients.
• Description of a Foley catheter balloon compression technique.
• Analysis of patient data including injury type, location of catheter placement, and setting.

Main Results:

• 45% of vascular injury patients received Foley catheter compression.
• Majority (75%) placed in the emergency department; 5% prehospital, 20% OR.
• Over half (53.2%) used for non-compressible anatomic junctions.

Conclusions:

• Foley catheter balloon compression is an effective adjunct for trauma hemorrhage control.
• It is particularly useful for bleeding in anatomic junctions.
• The technique requires minimal attention to maintain hemostasis and preserves collateral circulation.