MAT Tourniquets?

[somedic]

Dust: Also with the SOF-Ts you just know that metal windlass wont break. I have never seen it but I have heard of CATs breaking. I think I will carry the MATS to apply to patients myself. The guys I work with will still carry SOF-Ts since they have been "over trained" on self application.

The more I think about it Dust...You would look really good in MultiCam...

Somedic Sends

[EMSGeek]

So the bottom line is that several of these TQs are good items but each one has certain advantages and disadvantages? What would you guys recommend for each member of a police Emergency Response Team to carry in their individual trauma kits? These guys have basically no medical knowledge what so ever but would need to apply the TQ themselves as the EMTs involved with the team do not go in with the team.

[EMSDoc]

I am not a fan of the MAT. While it's simple to apply (you only need to use one hand), and you can apply it to yourself without difficulty, I have two main issues:

1. They break. We were using one in a training class and after 10 or 15 people used it the tourniquet was no longer functional. Now mind you in a tactical scenario I don't believe this would necessarily be an issue, but if I was bleeding out I wouldn't want to depend on a tourniquet I have seen fail in a tactical scenario.

2. They can release accidentally. The release button is on the side, so if you were extricating someone and you accidentally bumped up against something, the tourniquet could accidentally release.

In my opinion, the CAT or the ratchet tourniquet are your best options.

http://www.chinookmed.com/index.cfm/fa/pro..._Tourniquet.cfm

[kuo34]

Repeated use will make the MAT fail. IIRC it's intended as a single use item. All of the tourniquets on the market have their pros/cons. My favorites are the rubber tubing or cravat/dowel combination. The MAT was my favorite one handed application tourniquet even though the demo models we had failed after several users. One of the airmen that I talked to had a real simple solution to accidentally hitting the release - 100 mph tape over the key. As always, YMMV.

The rubber tubing and cravat/dowel don't take up much room to boot . . . but maybe I just like filling my jump bag with items from hardware stores.