Swat-T™ Tourniquet

The SWAT-Tourniquet™ is a unique and multipurpose dressing. Its name describes the usage of Stretch, Wrap, and Tuck, but also the communities for whom it was developed - military and civilian Special Weapons and Tactics teams. These teams operate in an environment that has a high incidence of penetrating trauma, and most (two-thirds) of preventable deaths in the operational environment are from extremity bleeding.

Its ease of application is one of its greatest benefits; individuals can effectively apply it in seconds without prior training. This tourniquet should find its way forward with every tactical operator at a third of the cost and weight of other combat-used tourniquets.

The SWAT-T™ is a latex-free multipurpose device

Other tourniquets are one-use devices. As we know, the operational environment requires personnel and equipment to be both durable and versatile.

The SWAT-T™ is a durable tourniquet. It has been advanced aged and heat/cold tested.

This device will not fail!

Tourniquet

A tourniquet is to be applied when bleeding is severe (arterial), and loss of life is of greatest concern. In most patients, tourniquets have proven safe for at least two hours and up to 6 hours without problems. When used properly, all tourniquets may cause limb loss. This is a necessary risk, as we must bring our patients home at the end of the day.

Pressure Dressing

The SWAT-T™ can and should be used as a pressure dressing when hemorrhage is to be controlled or for venous and capillary oozing. Place your sterile dressing (or standard gauze), then wrap the SWAT-T around the extremity. You can then tuck or tape the end to maintain pressure on the wound (preventing further contamination and re-bleeding). If the endpoints are met on the dressing, you may have a tourniquet and should check for good blood return in the extremity (pulse and capillary refill), or you risk complications associated with all tourniquets. Pressure dressings should be left in place until definitive wound management can be accomplished.

Elastic Bandage

The SWAT-T™ can and should be used as an elastic bandage (example: ACE Wrap). Use the dressing to hold ice near sprains and strains, stabilize a twisted knee/ankle, or sling a shoulder. The dressing can also apply pressure across the chest or abdomen loosely. This can be to help close and protect wounds, contain abdominal contents in evisceration, or assist in the stabilization of the pelvis in blunt pelvic trauma. The SWAT-T can be used to splint an extremity to the body or other leg or to a rigid object for immobilization.

Background

The SWAT-T™ was developed by a former Operator/Medic with 14 years of experience in Operational Medicine - a former USAF Para-rescue Journeyman (Para-Jumper or PJ), Contractor DOJ/FBI SWAT Operations, National Registry Paramedic, and Emergency Medicine Physician.

Physical Properties of the SWAT-T and durability testing

Minimum recommended operating temp. -65° F (-53° C)

Maximum recommended operating temp. 180° F (82° C)

Preferred long-term storage conditions in cool and dry environments.

Compatibility

• Electrical Resistivity - excellent
• Dielectric Strength - excellent
• Water Resistance - excellent
• Abrasion Resistance - excellent
• Resiliency - excellent
• Alkali - good
• Oxidation - good
• Heat Aging Resistance - good
• Acid (dilute)- good
• Acid (concentrate) - fair
• Gas Permeability - fair
• Petroleum Products - not recommended

Durability Testing

• Cyclic loading occurred at > 5000 cycles of 250% strain. This test yielded similar results between the pre-stretched trial and after 5000 stretches (at 250% strain).
• This testing is well beyond what the SWAT-T needs to function as a tourniquet.
• The SWAT-T has been tested to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and frozen for weeks. It has also been brought to 212 degrees (in boiling water) and allowed to cool to room temperature.
• Heat and cold-tested devices performed well immediately after removal from their respective environments.

***While durable and multipurpose, the SWAT-T is still a medical device and should be treated as such. Damaged or soiled devices should be discarded (they are a biohazard if soiled). Training should be accomplished with a device dedicated to training.