C-A-T® Tourniquet

I received one of these fantastic tourniquets recently (thanks Yeoman!) and it has caused a few projects to ensue. Figured I should start with just the tourniquet itself before I show anything else.

The C-A-T® consists of a 37.5" long, 2.5" wide, self-adherent, non stretchy Velcro band, with a friction adapter buckle, a windlass rod and a clip and strap that holds it in place. 

Its length makes it suitable for use over bulky clothing or on obese patients, and its width means more pressure to the extremity is applied over a greater surface area. 

The C-A-T® is straight forward to use – the Velcro band is wrapped around an arm or leg and the free-running end passed through the friction adaptor buckle. 

The windlass rod, which is connected to a free-moving internal band running through the centre of the Velcro band, (meaning it gives true circumferential pressure), is turned about three revolutions, or essentially until bright red bleeding has stopped. When the desired effect is achieved, the windlass rod can be locked in place with the clip, and secured with a small strap of Velcro over it. This maintains pressure when the casualty is evacuated. Even if the casualty is unconscious or the caretaker is otherwise occupied, pressure is maintained. 

Other tourniquets have relied on an ‘elastic-band’ or Velcro (like this earlier model I had) material being physically pulled tight to create the tourniquet effect. The C-A-T® can be used one handed, if that is what’s necessary. In other words, the casualty can apply it himself, and do so much more easily than many older models of tourniquet would have allowed. 

Packaged size is 6.5" L x 2.4" W x 1.5" D , 37.5" when opened up, and it weighs 2.7 oz. The National Stocking Number is NSN6515-01-521-7976. 

The Journal of Trauma (February 2008) calls it the best prehospital tourniquet. Recommended by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care. U.S. Army’s Institute of Surgical Research has proven that it’s 100% effective in occluding blood flow in both upper & lower extremities. Official tourniquet of the U.S. Army, which also awarded it one of the “Top 10 Greatest Inventions”.

Things that have changed on the C-A-T® since this model is that the windlass rod is twice as strong as before with an increased diameter and improved grip. The windlass clip has been reinforced and the Velcro security tab is now white making it easier to distinguish and includes a writeable area to record the time of application. The tip is now read making it easier to see and thread during application especially in low light conditions. (It’s called quite grandiosely “Red Tip Technology™” which strikes me as a bit over the top. I’ll concede it is a smart feature, but a “technology”?)  

 There is also an orange model now. (I figured that the US military had enough buying power that it would be available in foliage green or coyote brown by now, but black and now orange are the only choices.)

All in all, cool piece of med gear. I (fortunately) have a relatively low risk of ever needing to use this, but never say never. I think someone working in an industry that has any sort of risk of someone losing a hand or an arm (machine shop, printing), as gruesome as it sounds, might want to consider investing in one of these. Take all the safety precautions you want, but it does happen.( The statistics on limb loss are pretty astonishing. 77% of amputations are because of trauma. 5.86 per 100,000 persons lose a limb secondary to trauma. In 1996 there were 1,285,000 persons in the U.S. living with limb loss. 50,000 new amputations every year. 25,000 of those lose an arm.) As much as it would suck to lose a hand or part of an arm, bleeding out because of it would suck even more.