Citation

Schwartz DS, Weisner Z, Badar J. Prehosp. Emerg. Care 2015; 19(4): 544-547.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, National Association of EMS Physicians, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.3109/10903127.2015.1005264

PMID

25970809

Abstract

Reperfusion after severe crush injury is an infrequent, but life-threatening condition. It is a unique aspect of prehospital medicine that occurs in the presence of emergency responders attempting to extricate and treat patients who have suffered a crushing injury. These events are unlikely to occur in the hospital setting and, as a result, remain poorly studied. Some evidence exists regarding prophylaxis, but the efficacy of these treatments has not been clearly established. The use of commercial tourniquets to delay the onset of reperfusion injury has previously been described in theory. Extensive literature now exists supporting the safety of tourniquet use in limb trauma and this potential life-saving measure requires further study in patients with crush injury. We present a case of prehospital tourniquet application to delay reperfusion injury after crush injury that resulted in a reduction in morbidity and complete limb salvage. Key words: crush injury, prehospital, reperfusion injury, tourniquet.

Language: en