A tourniquet is usually a  treatment of last resort, but can save lives if applied to stop severe bleeding due to an arterial injury and/or a traumatic amputation of an arm or leg due to injury, and has been used increasingly, lately,  for management of life-threatening injuries due to increased knowledge about their benefits.

TREATMENT OF HEAVILY BLEEDING WOUND:

• Apply pressure using clean bandages or clothing
• Elevated affected limb above the heart
• Apply pressure to pulse above the area of amputation (especially radial artery in wrist, behind knee, in inner elbow, or femoral artery at groin
• If bleeding continues to be uncontrollable, apply tourniquet

TOURNIQUET MATERIAL
​Best option: commercial tourniquet
Other options (improvised):

• Neck Tie
• Neckerchiefs, scarves, bandanas
• fabric long enough to wrap around limb
• nylon webbing
• Ace bandage
• Belt, electrical cord
• Stick, pocket knife, pen, pencil

TOURNIQUET "RULES"
Placement:

• 1st tourniquet always goes as low down an upper part of the limb as possible - 5cm above the wound or immediately above the joint.
• The 2nd tourniquet is placed just above the first.  If an extremity amputation, the 2nd tourniquet can be placed 5cm above the wound.
• The tourniquet is tightened as much as possible, even after bleeding has been controlled.
• The casualty is clearly marked including time and date.  This is clearly communicated at handover and the casualty is elevated to "Immediate" in triage.

Removal if:

• The casualty DOES NOT have an amputation and
• Dangers at the scene have been stabilized and 
• Bleeding has stopped and
• The casualty’s vital signs are normal and stable and
• Transfer time to definitive care is greater than one hour

 

​http://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/tourniquets/
​https://firstcareprovider.org/blog/tk-how-to