When the tourniquet should be placed?

A tourniquet should be applied immediately in all cases of life-threatening bleeding from the extremities (arms and legs) as such:

1. Pulsating or profuse blood flow from a wound

2. A rapidly enlarging pool of blood around the casualty

3. Clothes soaked in blood

4. Simple bandages or other means of stopping bleeding are ineffective

5. Amputation of a limb has occurred

6. Bleeding has caused shock, even if the profuse bleeding is no more present (the casualty looks pale, covered in cold sweat, weak, difficult to wake up or is unconscious).