Adult and Pediatric First Aid / CPR / AED Exam A Practice

When controlling severe bleeding, the goal is to cut off arterial blood flow to the injured area by applying pressure on the limb between the wound and the body. The best guideline is to place the tourniquet about 2 to 3 inches (roughly 5 to 7.5 cm) above the wound, on healthy tissue, and never directly over the wound or a joint. This position ensures the band presses on firm tissue and can occlude the vessels supplying the area below, which is essential for stopping the bleed. Placing it on the wound undermines effective sealing and can cause contamination and tissue damage. Putting the tourniquet on the opposite limb wouldn’t affect the bleeding in the injured limb, and placing it at the elbow joint is too close to a joint and can slip or fail to compress the vessels properly. The key idea is to position the tourniquet on the limb, above the wound and away from joints, to reliably control the bleeding.