When is a tourniquet appropriate in on-board first aid?

• A. Only if trained and bleeding cannot be controlled with direct pressure, under crew guidance.
• B. As a first-line measure for any bleeding.
• C. Only for facial bleeding.
• D. Whenever bleeding is present, without needing training.

Answer: (A)

A tourniquet is a last-resort tool for controlling life-threatening external bleeding of a limb. It should only be considered when direct pressure and other standard measures cannot control the bleeding, and it must be used by someone who has received proper training and is acting under crew guidance. On board, resources are limited and improper use can cause tissue damage or nerve injury, so the procedure should be guided by trained personnel to ensure it’s applied correctly, timed, and monitored. This is not a universal remedy for all bleeds, and it is not typically used for facial bleeding or minor bleeds that can be managed with direct pressure and dressings. So the best approach is: apply a tourniquet only if you’re trained to do so and the bleeding cannot be controlled with direct pressure, under the crew’s direction.