In bleeding control, when is a tourniquet appropriate?

• A. Only after direct pressure and elevation have not controlled bleeding
• B. As the first step in any bleeding
• C. Never use a tourniquet
• D. Only for head wounds

Answer: (A)

A tourniquet is a last-resort tool for life-threatening bleeding from a limb. The proper approach is to start with direct pressure on the wound, and if possible, elevate the limb to reduce blood flow. If the bleeding cannot be controlled with those steps, then apply a tourniquet proximal to the wound and seek urgent medical help. This is why the best answer says a tourniquet is appropriate only after direct pressure and elevation have not controlled the bleeding. Using a tourniquet as the first step, or never using one, or applying it only for head wounds, do not fit the standard response to severe limb bleeding.