U.S. troops are currently equipped with Kevlar body armour and helmets that have decreased the number of fatalities resulting from penetrating chest wounds and serious head trauma, but the number of deaths attributable to extremity wounds have increased.1 Evidence suggests that approximately 7% of these deaths could be prevented with the prompt application of an effective tourniquet.
Special Operations corpsmen (Navy SEALS) have identified arterial occlusion, quick application, light weight, and compact design as the top four requirements for a combat-deployable, self-applied tourniquet.
Responses to the MAT were overwhelmingly positive: it received the highest ranking on the subjective scores. Users applauded such characteristics as its quickness of application, ease of use, and the sense of adequate tightness after tourniquet was secured. For subjective ratings, the MAT had the highest overall subjective scores. Using 25 test subjects, 13 tourniquets were evaluated — a total of 650 trials (50 trials per tourniquet). Tourniquets tested were the Burke, the CAT, the FST, the MAT, the McMillan, the MET, the NATO, the OHT-2, the Q, the SOFT-T, the TIAX, the TK-3, and the TK-4. The MAT performed statistically better than all other tourniquets tested.