Army Rushes Tourniquet to Troops Overseas

[Rose Siding]

FORT KNOX, Ky. -- The Army is rushing to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan a new and easy-to-use plastic tourniquet that could save more lives on the battlefield.

The nylon and plastic device, which uses a one-inch Velcro strip, was demonstrated Wednesday by Fort Knox soldiers. It is considered much faster and easier to use than more traditional equipment.

The Army has ordered 172,000 of the new tourniquets and will begin distributing them next month.

Currently, soldiers improvise tourniquets using gauze bandages and whatever stick or similarly shaped piece of equipment they can find on the desert battlefield to twist the bandages tight and stop the bleeding.
...
Jolissaint, a physician, said the Army realized the need for a better tourniquet in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the large number of limb wounds caused by mines and other explosives improvised by insurgents.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-military-tourniquets,0,6267917.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[lapfog_1]

1. I'm glad they have it... I'm sorry they need it. n/t

[tubbacheez]

2. Uh oh, they must be running short on the instant clotting powder...

... which was why they eased off on sending traditional tourniquets in the first place.

[DURHAM D]

3. I am stunned that a device like this was not already in use.

Did a Democrat invent velcro?

[happyslug]

7. Worse a French speaker

OK, he was Swiss but a French Speaking Swiss

http://inventionatplay.org/inventors_dem.html

Picture of a Dog with burrs (This how George De Mestral Discovered Velcro)



As to to the tourniquet:

http://www.narescue.com/Bandages/CAT.htm

Company Web Site:
http://www.narescue.com/

[donco6]

4. I can think of a hundred uses for this.

I'll bet they'll be popular for more than tourniquets.

[UTUSN]

5. Who's the Company that Makes These "Tourniquets"? n/t

[happyslug]

8. North American Rescue Products here is their web site:

http://www.narescue.com/

A picture of the product is above.

[VegasWolf]

6. Looks like 1.1 tourniquets per soldier. Looking for good news I see.n/t