title: Historical review of emergency tourniquet use to stop bleeding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although a common first aid topic, emergency tourniquets to stop bleeding are controversial because there is little experience on which to guide use. Absent an adequate historical analysis, we have researched development of emergency tourniquets from antiquity to the present.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected sources emphasizing historical development of tourniquets from books and databases such as PubMed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The history of the emergency tourniquet is long and disjointed, mainly written by hospital surgeons with little accounting, until recently, of the needs of forward medics near the point injury. Many investigators often are unaware of the breadth of the tourniquet's history and voice opinions based on anecdotal observations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reporting the historical development of tourniquet use allowed us to recognize disparate problems investigators discuss but do not recognize, such as venous tourniquet use. We relate past observations with recent observations for use by subsequent investigators.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics, Damage Control Resuscitation, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA. john.kragh1@us.army.mil
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kragh
authors.forename: Kenneth G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.forename: Dale C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Mabry
authors.forename: Lorne H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Blackbourne
mesh_terms: D005392:First Aid / Q000266:history*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000266:history* / Q000628:therapy; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D014111:Tourniquets / Q000266:history*