Apply the selected tourniquet cuff snugly on the limb, over limb protection.
A snugly applied cuff allows two fingers easily under the cuff at both proximal and distal edges. If only one finger fits, the cuff is too tight; if three fingers fit, the cuff is too loose.
A loose cuff will require higher pressure to stop blood flow and may slide to an unsafe position on the limb during use. A tight cuff could impede venous return of blood from the limb even when deflated.
An automatic tourniquet instrument with modern safety features and audio-visual alarms should be used with the cuff.
The optimum tourniquet pressure for each patient and cuff application can be set or checked by measuring Limb Occlusion Pressure (LOP).*
Monitoring of tourniquet safety parameters reduces the risk of complications. During treatment, it is important to monitor tourniquet pressure and time, and to minimize both.
Upon final deflation of the tourniquet, the tourniquet cuff and underlying limb protection should be immediately removed from the limb.
