Definition

Noun: A medical device, typically a tight band or strap, that is applied around a limb to apply pressure to an artery. This pressure temporarily stops or severely reduces the flow of blood to a wound distal to the device, used primarily to control severe bleeding in emergency situations.

Usage

A tourniquet is used as a last-resort measure to control life-threatening bleeding from an extremity (an arm or leg) when direct pressure and other methods have failed. It is applied proximal to (closer to the torso than) the wound site.

Examples

• The paramedic applied a tourniquet to the hiker's leg to stop the arterial bleeding from the deep laceration.
• First-aid kits for wilderness activities often include a commercial tourniquet.
• In a surgical setting, a pneumatic tourniquet is sometimes used to create a bloodless field for the operation.

Advanced Usage

• Improvised Tourniquet: In the absence of a commercial device, a belt, strip of cloth, or similar item can be used as an improvised tourniquet, tightened with a stick or rod (a windlass) to apply sufficient pressure.
• Tourniquet Time: Refers to the critical duration a tourniquet can be left in place before risking significant tissue damage; this time should be clearly noted when applied.

Variants and Related Words

• Tourniquet is the standard term. The act of applying one can be described as "to tourniquet" (verb, less common).
• Garrote (noun): A device, typically a cord or wire, used for strangulation, not for medical hemorrhage control. It is a different tool with a different purpose, though the basic mechanism of constriction is similar.

Synonyms

• Constriction band
• Hemostat (in a broader, non-surgical first-aid context; technically, a hemostat is a surgical clamp).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Apply a tourniquet": The standard phrase for using the device.
• "Tourniquet effect": A metaphorical term used in various fields (e.g., economics, engineering) to describe a severe constriction or stoppage of flow.

Noun

1. bandage that stops the flow of blood from an artery by applying pressure