The case against tourniquets

[Krin135 at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/10/2006 8:16:04 AM Central Standard Time,  
farcpr at gmail.com writes:

I  attended a conference where the presenter a military doctor talked  about
how expendable limbs were in terms of saving lives.  I was a  little
uncomfortable with his bravado.




The worst part about this attitude, is that the improvement in body armor  
from the 1960s to the 1990s alone, much less the improvements from 1990 to  
today, has proved that there is much more morbidity than mortality to well  
equipped troops on the modern battlefield.
 
When we were processing up to go to Saudi Arabia in 1991, we had a briefing  
that pointed out that, as Field Surgeons, we had to be aware of  the need to 
leave enough tissue for the Orthopedic and Plastic Surgeons  while we were 
providing lifesaving care at forward medical facilities. Even  then, the attitude 
was starting to change from 'saving life or limb' to 'saving  life AND limb.'
 
ck
Charles S. Krin, DO FAAFP