Tourniquets
1) Fenton Pharmaceuticals - CAT Tourniquet
The CAT Tourniquet was officially reviewed in Issue 1 of our magazine. Here's what we thought of it...
“Essential bit of kit for Pre-Hospital Care Providers”
The Combat Application Tourniquet or CAT is an extremely good bit of kit. It is used for haemorrhagic control in the Pre-Hospital setting, and is current standard issue for the US and British Army. It is also carried by Police Tactical Firearms Units and some BASICs groups in the UK.
The CAT comes in two main colours, standard black and more recently, safety orange. I personally favour the orange, as occasionally tourniquets can be forgotten – so the brighter, the better.
It consists of a self-adherent velcro band with friction adaptor buckle and a windlass rod and clip.
The self-adherent velcro band is made of a non-stretch material and is approximately one third wider than the conventional tourniquets. This makes it unlikely to warp over time and provides a greater surface area available for applying pressure. The Velcro band is also considerably longer than conventional tourniquets making it suitable for use on obese patients.
The CAT is easy to apply – the Velcro band is fed around an extremity and the free-running end passed through the inside slit of the friction adaptor buckle. This makes use of its specially designed mechanism which locks the band in place. This design eliminates the risk of it flying off, and come rain or shine / clean or dirty, this mechanism stands up to the test.
What is special about the CAT is that the tourniquet effect comes from turning the windlass rod, which is connected to a free-moving internal band running through the centre of the Velcro band. By turning the windlass rod this band can be tightened until bright red bleeding has stopped. When the desired effect is reached the rod can be locked in place with the clip, and secured with a small strap. This is very different to the conventional tourniquets which rely on the ‘elastic-band’ like material being physically pulled tight to create the tourniquet effect. Consequently, this design enables the CAT to be used one handed, if required… and what’s more it works.
The sturdy design of the CAT means that it has the advantage of being effective over thick clothing. Therefore in trapped or time critical patients, precious seconds can be saved by quick application of the tourniquet. This is becoming an increasingly important issue in Advanced Trauma Life Support, when massive haemorrhage control has immediate priority over airway.
The Cat is small and lightweight, and does ‘what it says on the tin’. However, one criticism is that it is impractical for venesection. Although this is not the intended use of the CAT it is often a frequent need for a tourniquet in the Pre-Hospital setting. Despite this fact, I have yet to come across another tourniquet that matches its place in haemorrhage control.
“No wonder this is standard issue for the British Armed Forces”
Retail Price:
£13.15 (Black) / £14.07 (Safety Orange)
Available from:
Fenton Pharmaceuticals - www.fentonpharmaceuticals.com
How does it work:
What we like:
- Tough & Resilient Mechanism
- Lightweight
- Effective
What don't we like:
- Impractical for venesection
Verdict:
No wonder this is standard issue for the British Armed Forces
Rating:
****
Website: www.fentonpharmaceuticals.com
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