Appropriate application of a CAT tourniquet for Bleeding

Prospective, observational study of students 6 months after completing a Stop the Bleed course to determine overall ability to effectively use a tourniquet to stop external extremity hemorrhage. Following the release of the Hartford Consensus in October 2015, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma initiated the National Stop the Bleed campaign (2) that among several proactive recommendations was to encourage first responders and the lay public to become trained, equipped and empowered to step forward and intervene in a bleeding emergency. The Stop the Bleed initiative provides baseline education and training in the use of tourniquets to stop extremity hemorrhage when pressure alone does not work. While the program has progressively provided education and training to over 130,000 individuals worldwide there are no recommendations regarding time intervals for refresher training to maintain confidence and competence in the use of tourniquets. The rationale for this study is to ascertain if tourniquet application skills are sufficiently maintained 6 months after participation in a Stop the Bleed course and to provide recommendations for refresher training based on the results.