Pre-hospital Tourniquet Use in Adolescent and Pediatric Traumatic Hemorrhage: A National Study

In brief

This national study examines the effectiveness of tourniquet placement for controlling traumatic hemorrhage in children and adolescents across different provider types. The research compares outcomes when tourniquets are applied by EMS personnel, first responders, or bystanders in pre-hospital pediatric trauma settings.

• Tourniquets are effective for pediatric hemorrhage control but evidence in children remains limited compared to adult populations.
• EMS, first responders, and bystanders can all successfully apply tourniquets in pediatric trauma with comparable patient outcomes.
• Early tourniquet placement by any trained provider is critical for controlling life-threatening extremity bleeding in children.
• Provider type (EMS vs FR vs bystander) does not significantly impact tourniquet effectiveness in pediatric trauma patients.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.