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Catastrophic limb haemorrhage — DipIMC MCQ

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EasyPre-Hospital Trauma ManagementCatastrophic limb haemorrhageDipIMC

A 28-year-old motorcyclist is found 15 metres from his bike after a high-speed collision. He is pale and agitated, with spurting bleeding from a mangled lower leg despite a bystander towel held over the wound. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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Correct answer: B — Apply a proximal limb tourniquet and tighten until life-threatening bleeding stops

Catastrophic external haemorrhage is treated before airway using a <C>ABCDE approach. A tourniquet is indicated when direct pressure is not controlling life-threatening limb bleeding. Venous or loose tourniquets worsen bleeding, and delaying haemorrhage control for intravenous access is unsafe. The teaching point is that visible exsanguination is a time-critical reversible cause of traumatic death.

Reference: JRCALC Guidelines 2025; NICE Major Trauma NG39