Tourniquets are a hot topic again: they save lives in traffic accidents, on the mountain or in military conflicts – if you know how to use them and make the right choice. In order to get an orientation on the market, we had three experts from Critical Knowledge test common “TQs” for Ranger Magazine (made by Militär Aktuell) for their practicality (-> To the large test overview).
SWAT-T Tourniquet
The SWAT-T Tourniquet (Stretch-Wrap-And-Tuck) is a further development of the Esmarch bandage from the 19th century and is similar to the Theraband. It is applied to the extremity using a predetermined wrapping technique and fixed to itself. There are printed markers on the tourniquet that indicate the optimum tension. This tourniquet has no limit to the diameter of the extremity, which also allows it to be used on dogs (K9) or children. It also offers a wide and therefore tissue-friendly contact surface. However, there is no designated field for the application time. This tourniquet was able to fulfill its purpose on the upper extremity, but it failed on the lower extremity when applied over pants on several occasions, as well as in all applications over winter clothing. A major source of error arises particularly under increased stress: if the tourniquet slips out of the hands, it has to be completely rolled up again in order to be reapplied, or wrapped around with the excess length in a comparatively cumbersome manner. Under these circumstances, we would not recommend this tourniquet as an “all-round product”, but rather as an occasional product for thinner limb cross-sections.
Product: SWAT-T Tourniquet
Manufacturer: Combat Medical
Price: approx. 20 Euro
Source of supply/manufacturer: combatmedical.com
Test & evaluation*
Haptics & optics: 5
Even OE: 4
Self UE: 5
Foreign OE: 6
Foreign UE: 6
Gloves: 4
Training intensity: 6
Total points: 36
Ranking in the test: 10th place
*Self OE: self application upper extremities, self UE = self application lower extremities, external OE = external application upper extremities, external UE = external application lower extremities, gloves = application with gloves, training intensity = can the tourniquet be used without much practice? 15 points were achievable in each test category = a total of 105 points could be scored
This review first appeared in Ranger Magazine #2 (available here as an e-paper).
Click here for the overview article of the big Tourniquet test.
