Limb Occlusion Pressure factors

Here’s a link that shows two important things related to limb occlusion pressure (LOP) and bleeding control.

1. The larger the limb circumference, the harder it is stop arterial flow. You’ll hear “high and tight” in bleeding control trainings sometimes. I think it’s bad advice. You know my take on direct pressure already, but for large, essentially conical thighs, the higher, the tighter a tourniquet has to be. I’d rather hear trainers say: “If you really have no clue where the bleeding is coming from, and you don’t have time to think, or a flashlight, or shears, or your glasses, then apply high, very tight, and reassess often because of higher risk for lost arterial occlusion”. (Doesn’t really roll off the tongue unfortunately.)

2. The wider the tourniquet, the lower the LOP. This explains the shift we’ve seen from 1″ TQs 20ish years ago to 1.5″ today. The TMT is 2″. Every wrap of any kind can be applied with even wider pressure distribution.

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