Lab Evaluation of Four Ukrainian-Manufactured Tourniquets.

We evaluated arterial occlusiveness, 180° turns, pressures, reuse wear, and design aspects of four Ukrainian-manufactured tourniquets. Strengthened Individual Combat Hybrid Tourniquets (SICH), TQ DNIPRO GEN 2s (DNIPRO), PULS tourniquets (PULS), and Yellow three after additional turn. Twenty-six arms, 43 thighs needed an additional turn (median total turns arm 1.5 SICH, DNIPRO, PULS; 2.5 Y 2.0 PULS; 3.5 Y p500mmHg (median range: occlusion arm 255-274mmHg, thigh 398-423mmHg; first completion arm 349-588mmHg, thigh 474-572mmHg; pre-release arm 350-638mmHg, thigh 517-583mmHg). No X8T-T2G >500mmHg (median pre-release arm 304mmHg, pthigh (pturns-to-first-completion (p<.0001). Y clip bending; potential slider-redirect-buckle-pieces loss, incorrect slider-redirect-buckle rethreading, and windlass-rod removal; and rod-securing inability. On 44.2-75.0cm-circumference thighs, hook-and-loop-strap-base-area-strap-securing mechanisms were not reached on 39% of applications. The SICH, DNIPRO, and PULS always reached completable arterial occlusion; Y&B did not and had design concerns. None became nonfunctional. Windlass-rod-tightening-system tourniquets routinely have higher-than-desirable completion pressures, which matters with long tourniquet times. Current hook-and-loop-limb-encircling straps are too short to engage base-area-strap-securing mechanisms on many adult thighs.