P2-16 Bandages and Tourniquets

Both bandages and tourniquets are the primary method to suppress bleeding

The chart below demonstrates the effectiveness of the 4 bandage types against the 8 wound types. In respect to the 2 main factors;

• "Reopening" The chance that the wound will re-open 
• "Efficiency" The number of bandages required to close the wound for one time

Choosing the right bandage

While there is no perfect all-in-one bandage, application depends on circumstance. Each bandage takes a different time to apply and some effects are not always negative. For example, in the case a wound needs to be closed and can be immediately stitched, a Elastic Bandage may be most effective. Yet if it cannot be immediately stitched then a Quick Clot would be more effective since it will suppress re-opening for a longer time - which is useful for infantry that need to cover some distance until they can deal with minor injuries.

In a general sense, the most effective all purpose bandage is the Quick Clot and in respect of Infantry (non-medical) personnel since it's effective against all types of wound and suppresses all wounds reasonably well. For someone who does not have a advanced understanding of the wound types or bandages, a Quick Clot can be carried universally.

In the below chart the most effective bandage for each wound type and each metric is marked with a +

Stitching

Stitching permanently prevents reopening of bandaged wounds and may be undertaken by any medical personnel with a surgical kit in their inventory. While this is important in terms of preserving medical supplies it is also important to not slow down movement by stitching at inopportune times. 

Use initiative to stitch when when stationary and don't delay players who have been ordered to step off with stitching. If a player is unconscious ideally stitch before they wake up so that there are minimal delays once they are awake. 

Tourniquets

A tourniquet is a device which applies pressure to a limb or extremity in order to limit – but not stop – the flow of blood. It is used to stop bleeding for a short time, before a bandage can be applied to fully close a wound. They will cause pain to the patient over time, but are a great short term solution due to their quick application time.

• Apply a tourniquet whenever there are multiple wounds on a single limb
• Tourniquets can only be applied on limbs.
• A single tourniquet after application will stop bleeding from that wound.
• Roughly 5 minutes post application it will begin to cause pain to the patient. This in turn will raise his heartrate and blood pressure, which in itself is not lethal.
• A CAT-3 MINIMAL patient with a tourniquet applied to either leg will not be able to sprint.
• Failure to remove Tourniquets from a patient prior to application of PAK will result in loss of those Tourniquets

You should use Tourniquets as temporary blood suppression tools, and replace them with bandages as time allows.