Tourniquet

Types of Tourniquets

1. Clinical / Phlebotomy Tourniquet

• Elastic strap used when drawing blood.

• Temporarily restricts venous return to make veins more visible.

• Usually made of latex-free elastic material.

• Releasable buckle or simple stretch-and-release design.

2. Emergency / Hemorrhage Control Tourniquet

• Used to stop severe bleeding (arterial bleeding).

• Common types:

  • CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet)

  • SOF-T

  • Windlass tourniquet

• Used in trauma, combat medicine, first aid.

3. Surgical Tourniquet

• Pneumatic (inflatable) cuff used to control blood flow during orthopedic or vascular surgery.