How should tourniquets and hemostatic dressings be used together?

• A. Use tourniquet for all bleeding, and do not apply dressings.
• B. Use the tourniquet for life-threatening limb bleeding; apply hemostatic dressing to bleeding wounds where tourniquet is not possible, then evacuate.
• C. Apply hemostatic dressing first, then tourniquet.
• D. Tourniquets are never used in field care.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to control bleeding with the most effective method for the situation and then address other wounds. A tourniquet is the fastest, most reliable way to stop life-threatening bleeding from an injured limb, so it should be applied to the limb with severe bleeding to quickly halt the exsanguinating flow. For other bleeding wounds where a tourniquet cannot be placed or cannot control the bleed, a hemostatic dressing is applied directly to the wound to promote clotting. After securing the tourniquet, use hemostatic dressings on other bleeds as needed and evacuate to definitive care. This approach prioritizes rapid control of the principal bleed while still managing additional losses and moving toward medical help.