The risks associated with tourniquet use in lower limb trauma surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Farhan-Alanie Muhamed M,Dhaif Fatema,Trompeter Alex,Underwood Martin,Yeung Joyce,Parsons Nick,Metcalfe Andy,Wall Peter D H
European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie
PURPOSE:Tourniquet use in lower limb fracture surgery may reduce intra-operative bleeding, improve surgical field of view and reduce length of procedure. However, tourniquets may result in pain and the production of harmful metabolites cause complications or affect functional outcomes. This systematic review aimed to compare outcomes following lower limb fracture surgery performed with or without tourniquet. METHODS:We searched databases for RCTs comparing lower limb fracture surgery performed with versus without tourniquet reporting on outcomes pain, physical function, health-related quality of life, complications, cognitive function, blood loss, length of stay, length of procedure, swelling, time to union, surgical field of view, volume of anaesthetic agent, biochemical markers of inflammation and injury, and electrolyte and acid-base balance. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed. PROSPERO ID CRD42020209310. RESULTS:Six RCTs enabled inclusion of 552 procedures. Pooled analysis demonstrated that tourniquet use reduced length of procedure by 6 minutes (95% CI -10.12 to -1.87; p < 0.010). We were unable to exclude increased harms from tourniquet use. Pooled analysis showed post-operative pain score was higher in tourniquet group by 12.88 on 100-point scale (95% CI -1.25-27.02; p = 0.070). Risk differences for wound infection, deep venous thrombosis and re-operation were 0.06 (95% CI -0.00-0.12; p = 0.070), 0.05 (95% CI -0.02-0.11; p = 0.150) and 0.03 (95% CI -0.03-0.09; p = 0.340). CONCLUSION:Tourniquet use was associated with a reduced length of procedure. It is possible that tourniquets also increase incidence of important complications, but the data are too sparse to draw firm conclusions. Methodological weaknesses of the included RCTs prevent any solid conclusions being drawn for outcomes investigated. Further studies are required to address these limitations.
10.1007/s00590-021-02957-7
Tourniquet Use In Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction May Decrease Operative Time but Is Associated With Muscular Injury and Postoperative Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Arthroscopy : the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery : official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association
PURPOSE:To assess the effects of tourniquet use on operative time, muscular injury, and postoperative pain in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS:This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for relevant randomized controlled trials (level of evidence: Level I), from inception to February 6, 2024. Data extraction included details such as first author, country, publication year, sample size, age, sex, tourniquet parameters (including inflation time and pressure), anesthesia, arthroscopic visualization, operative time, postoperative visual analog score, postoperative blood loss, postoperative morphine consumption within 24 hours, postoperative serum creatine phosphokinase levels, side-to-side thigh circumference difference after 3 weeks of surgery, and knee functional scores at the 6-month follow-up. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS:Seven randomized controlled trials involving 471 participants were included in this study. Compared with the nontourniquet group, the tourniquet group had a significantly decreased operative time (mean difference [MD] -10.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] -15.74 to -4.49, P = .0004, I = 49%). In addition, the tourniquet group had significantly increased creatine phosphokinase levels compared with the nontourniquet group (MD 12.70, 95% CI 2.47-22.92, P = .01, I = 0%). Moreover, the tourniquet group had significantly greater visual analog scores 1 day postoperatively (MD 0.31, 95% CI 0.10-0.53, P = .005, I = 21%) and significantly greater postoperative blood loss (MD 156.33, 95% CI 134.05-178.60, P < .00001, I = 63%). CONCLUSIONS:This meta-analysis found that the use of a tourniquet in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may decrease operative time but is associated with thigh muscle injury and increased postoperative pain. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:Level I, meta-analysis of level I studies.
10.1016/j.arthro.2024.11.082
Tourniquet usage in prehospital care and resuscitation of pediatric trauma patients-Pediatric Trauma Society position statement.
Cunningham Aaron,Auerbach Marc,Cicero Mark,Jafri Mubeen
The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
BACKGROUND:Recent mass casualty events in the United States have highlighted the need for public preparedness to prevent death from uncontrolled hemorrhage. The Pediatric Trauma Society (PTS) reviewed the literature regarding pediatric tourniquet usage with the aim to provide recommendations about the utility of this adjunct for hemorrhage control in children. METHODS:Search terms "pediatric" and "tourniquet" were used to query the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health for pertinent literature. Exclusion criteria include not involving children, not involving the use of an extremity tourniquet, primary outcomes not related to hemorrhage control, tourniquet use to prevent snake envenomation, single case reports, and only foreign language formats available. Bibliographies of remaining studies reviewed to identify additional pertinent research. Four physician members of the PTS Guidelines Committee reviewed identified studies. RESULTS:One hundred thirty-four studies were identified. One hundred twenty-three studies were excluded. Seven additional studies were identified through bibliography review. Eighteen pertinent studies were reviewed. Seven articles evaluated physiologic response to tourniquet use in operating room settings. Six articles were generated from combat experience in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Four articles discussed technical details of tourniquet usage. One article evaluated the use of tourniquets during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2015. CONCLUSION:Despite limited data of limited quality regarding their use, the PTS supports the usage of tourniquets in the prehospital setting and during the resuscitation of children suffering from exsanguinating hemorrhage from severe extremity trauma. Expedited, definitive care must be sought, and tourniquet pressure and time should be limited to the least amount possible. The Society supports the ACS "Stop the Bleed" campaign and encourages further investigation of tourniquet use in children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:Guidelines/algorithm study, level IIIa.
10.1097/TA.0000000000001839
Who needs a tourniquet? And who does not? Lessons learned from a review of tourniquet use in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
BACKGROUND:Extremity tourniquets have proven to be lifesaving in both civilian and military settings and should continue to be used by first responders for trauma patients with life-threatening extremity bleeding. This is especially true in combat scenarios in which both the casualty and the first responder may be confronted by the imminent threat of death from hostile fire as the extremity hemorrhage is being treated. Not every extremity wound, however, needs a tourniquet. One of the most important aspects of controlling life-threatening extremity bleeding with tourniquets is to recognize what magnitude of bleeding requires this intervention and what magnitude of bleeding does not. Multiple studies, both military and civilian, have shown that tourniquets are often applied when they are not medically indicated. Overuse of extremity tourniquets has not caused excess morbidity in either the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan or in the US urban civilian setting. In the presence of prolonged evacuation, however, applying a tourniquet when it is not medically indicated changes tourniquet application from being a lifesaving intervention to one that may cause an avoidable amputation and the development of an array of metabolic derangements and acute kidney injury collectively called prolonged tourniquet application syndrome. METHODS:The recent literature was reviewed for papers that documented the complications of tourniquet use resulting from the prolonged casualty evacuation times being seen in the current Russo-Ukrainian war. The literature was also reviewed for the incidence of tourniquet application that was found to not be medically indicated, in both the US civilian setting and from Ukraine. Finally, an in-person meeting of the US/Ukraine Tourniquet Working Group was held in Warsaw, Poland, in December of 2023. RESULTS:Unnecessary loss of extremities and life-threatening episodes of prolonged tourniquet application syndrome are currently occurring in Ukrainian combat forces because of nonindicated tourniquet use combined with the prolonged evacuation time seen in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Specific numbers of the complications experienced as a result of tourniquet use by Ukrainian forces in the current conflict are treated as classified information and are not available, but multiple sources from the Ukrainian military medical personnel and from the US advisors providing medical assistance to Ukraine have all agreed that the problem is substantial. CONCLUSION:Unnecessary tourniquet morbidity might also occur in US forces in a variety of potential future combat scenarios in which evacuation to surgical care is delayed. Prehospital trauma training programs, including but not limited to tactical combat casualty care, place insufficient emphasis on the need to avoid leaving tourniquets in place when they are not medically indicated. This aspect of training should receive emphasis in future Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and civilian first responder curriculum development. An interim ad hoc training solution on this topic is available at the websites noted in this articles. Additional training modalities may follow in the near future. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:Therapeutic/Care Management; Level V.
10.1097/TA.0000000000004395
Summary of the best evidence for the safe use of pneumatic tourniquet in limb surgery.
BMC surgery
PURPOSE:To retrieve, evaluate, and summarize the best available evidence regarding the safe use of pneumatic tourniquet in patients undergoing Limb surgery, providing guidance for preoperative assessment, operation methods and precautions, complication prevention and treatment in clinical practice. METHODS:Using the PIPOST tool, we formulated an evidence-based question, conducted searches in relevant Chinese and international databases and websites for clinical decisions, guidelines, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, and expert consensus on the use of limb surgical tourniquets. The search was limited to literature published until September 30, 2023. Quality assessment and evidence extraction were performed on eligible documents. RESULTS:This study included a total of 13 articles, including 2 clinical decision-making articles, 3 guidelines, 5 expert consensus articles, 1 standard and 2 systematic reviews. A total of 34 best pieces of evidence recommendations were summarized across 10 aspects, including indications and contraindications for the use of pneumatic tourniquets, preoperative evaluation of operators, selection and placement of tourniquet cuffs, tourniquet inflation, monitoring during inflation, tourniquet deflation, common complications and prevention, equipment safety, documentation, and training and education. CONCLUSION:The best evidence summarized in this study can provide reference for clinical medical staff to safely use pneumatic tourniquets, but in clinical practice, targeted selection and application of evidence should be combined with specific situations to improve the safety and hemostatic effect of pneumatic tourniquet use.
10.1186/s12893-024-02579-w
Pneumatic tourniquets in extremity surgery.
Wakai A,Winter D C,Street J T,Redmond P H
The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Pneumatic tourniquets maintain a relatively bloodless field during extremity surgery, minimize blood loss, aid identification of vital structures, and expedite the procedure. However, they may induce an ischemia-reperfusion injury with potentially harmful local and systemic consequences. Modern pneumatic tourniquets are designed with mechanisms to regulate and maintain pressure. Routine maintenance helps ensure that these systems are working properly. The complications of tourniquet use include postoperative swelling, delay of recovery of muscle power, compression neurapraxia, wound hematoma with the potential for infection, vascular injury, tissue necrosis, and compartment syndrome. Systemic complications can also occur. The incidence of complications can be minimized by use of wider tourniquets, careful preoperative patient evaluation, and adherence to accepted principles of tourniquet use.
10.5435/00124635-200109000-00008
The efficacy of the tourniquet in foot and ankle surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Smith T O,Hing C B
Foot and ankle surgery : official journal of the European Society of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
Tourniquets are commonly used during foot and ankle surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the peri- and post-operative outcomes of tourniquet-assisted to non-tourniquet-assisted ankle and foot surgery. A systematic review was undertaken assessing the electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, AMED and EMBASE, in addition to a review of unpublished material and a hand search of pertinent orthopaedic journals. The evidence-base was critically appraised using the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group quality assessment tool. Study heterogeneity was measured using chi(2) and I(2) statistics. Where appropriate, a random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to pool results of primary studies, assessing mean difference or relative risk of each outcome. A total of four studies were identified. The findings of this study would suggest that hospital length of stay was significantly shorter, and that the post-operative period was less painful, with reduced swelling from the fifth post-operative day, in surgeries undertaken without a tourniquet, compared to tourniquet-assisted procedures. There may be a greater incidence of wound infection and deep vein thrombosis in tourniquet-assisted foot and ankle procedures. The methodological quality of the evidence base is limited. Further study is required to address these limitations, after which we may be able to determine whether a tourniquet should be used during ankle or foot procedures.
10.1016/j.fas.2009.03.006
Tourniquet Use During Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Ankle Fractures - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The Journal of foot and ankle surgery : official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
The intra-operative use of tourniquet in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures remains a topic of debate. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing clinical outcomes of patients undergoing ankle ORIF with tourniquet use versus a control group where no tourniquet was used. A systematic review was performed with reference to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines of the Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies were included if they were an RCT comparing tourniquet and no-tourniquet in ankle ORIF. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan, and p-value <.05 was considered to be statistically significant. On completion of the literature search, a total of 4 RCTs including 350 ankles (52.6% males), with a mean age of 47.1 ± 5.7 years were included. There were 173 patients in the tourniquet group (T), versus 177 patients in the no tourniquet control group (NT), with nonsignificant differences between the groups for age, gender and body mass index demographics (all p > .05). There were significantly shorter duration of surgery, with significantly higher patient-reported rates of pain levels at day 2 postoperatively (both p < .001) in the T group. Additionally, there were significantly greater ranges of ankle motion at 6 weeks postoperatively (p = .03), with nonsignificant differences reported incidence of wound infections and deep vein thrombosis (p = .056 and p = .130 respectively) between the groups. In conclusion, current evidence suggests that although intraoperative tourniquet usage in cases of ankle ORIF results in significant reductions in duration of surgery, this may be at the expense of higher patient-reported pain scores and reduced range of motion postoperatively.
10.1053/j.jfas.2022.01.019
Poorly controlled postoperative pain: prevalence, consequences, and prevention.
Gan Tong J
Journal of pain research
This review provides an overview of the clinical issue of poorly controlled postoperative pain and therapeutic approaches that may help to address this common unresolved health-care challenge. Postoperative pain is not adequately managed in greater than 80% of patients in the US, although rates vary depending on such factors as type of surgery performed, analgesic/anesthetic intervention used, and time elapsed after surgery. Poorly controlled acute postoperative pain is associated with increased morbidity, functional and quality-of-life impairment, delayed recovery time, prolonged duration of opioid use, and higher health-care costs. In addition, the presence and intensity of acute pain during or after surgery is predictive of the development of chronic pain. More effective analgesic/anesthetic measures in the perioperative period are needed to prevent the progression to persistent pain. Although clinical findings are inconsistent, some studies of local anesthetics and nonopioid analgesics have suggested potential benefits as preventive interventions. Conventional opioids remain the standard of care for the management of acute postoperative pain; however, the risk of opioid-related adverse events can limit optimal dosing for analgesia, leading to poorly controlled acute postoperative pain. Several new opioids have been developed that modulate μ-receptor activity by selectively engaging intracellular pathways associated with analgesia and not those associated with adverse events, creating a wider therapeutic window than unselective conventional opioids. In clinical studies, oliceridine (TRV130), a novel μ-receptor G-protein pathway-selective modulator, produced rapid postoperative analgesia with reduced prevalence of adverse events versus morphine.
10.2147/JPR.S144066