Skip to content
Epomedicine
Epomedicine

Mnemonics, Simplified Concepts & Thoughts

  • Medical Students
  • Bedside Clinics
  • Case Reports
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Blog
  • Surgical Skills
  • Medical Mnemonics
Epomedicine

Mnemonics, Simplified Concepts & Thoughts

tourniquet

Bruner’s Ten Rules of Pneumatic Tourniquet Use

Epomedicine, Oct 17, 2019Oct 18, 2019

Last updated on October 18, 2019

APPLICATION: Apply only to a healthy limb or with caution to an unhealthy limb

SIZE OF TOURNIQUET: Arm, 10 cm; leg, 15 cm or wider in large legs

SITE OF APPLICATION: Upper arm; mid/upper thigh ideally

PADDING: At least two layers of orthopaedic felt

SKIN PREPARATION: Occlude to prevent soaking of wool.

pneumatic tourniquet

PRESSURE: Use 50-100 mm Hg above systolic for the arm; double systolic for the thigh; or arm 200-250 mm Hg, leg 250-350 mm Hg (large cuffs are recommended for larger limbs instead of increasing pressure)

TIME: Absolute maximum 3 h (recovers in 5-7 days) generally not to exceed 2 h

TEMPERATURE: Avoid heating (e.g., hot lights), cool if feasible, and keep tissues moist

DOCUMENTATION: Duration and pressure

CALIBRATION AND MAINTENANCE: at least weekly calibration and against mercury manometer or test maintenance gauge; maintenance every 3 months

Reference: Modified from Kutty S, McElwain JP: Padding under tourniquets in tourniquet controlled surgery: Bruner’s ten rules revisited, Injury 33:75, 2002.

2 shares
  • Facebook2
  • Twitter
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS Orthopedics

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Epomedicine. Bruner’s Ten Rules of Pneumatic Tourniquet Use [Internet]. Epomedicine; 2019 Oct 17 [cited 2025 May 9]. Available from: https://epomedicine.com/medical-students/bruners-ten-rules-of-pneumatic-tourniquet-use/.

Pre-clinical (Basic Sciences)

Anatomy

Biochemistry

Community medicine (PSM)

Embryology

Microbiology

Pathology

Pharmacology

Physiology

Clinical Sciences

Anesthesia

Dermatology

Emergency medicine

Forensic

Internal medicine

Gynecology & Obstetrics

Oncology

Ophthalmology

Orthopedics

Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)

Pediatrics

Psychiatry

Radiology

Surgery

RSS Ask Epomedicine

  • What to study for Clinical examination in Orthopedics?
  • What is the mechanism of AVNRT?

Epomedicine weekly

  • About Epomedicine
  • Contact Us
  • Author Guidelines
  • Submit Article
  • Editorial Board
  • USMLE
  • MRCS
  • Thesis
©2025 Epomedicine . All rights reserved.