- Incorrect materials or application, which increases the damage and bleeding. If narrow materials are used or the tourniquet is too tight, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles may be damaged.
- Damage to the limb from a tourniquet. Survival of a limb is almost never possible after a correctly applied tourniquet is left in place too long. Only a physician should remove a tourniquet. If you apply a tourniquet, leave it in plain sight (don’t bandage over it), and attach an adhesive label to the victim’s forehead stating the time the tourniquet was applied.