The wrist tourniquet: an alternative technique in hand surgery.

This study investigated the efficacy and safety of the use of a size 8 1/2 surgical glove as a wrist tourniquet in hand surgery. A neonatal blood pressure cuff was placed under the wrist tourniquet to measure the presssures generated with use of this technique. The wrist tourniquet was applied in 25 consecutive procedures. Pressures generated with this technique ranged from 110 mm Hg to 260 mm Hg, with a mean pressure of 158 mm Hg. The average tourniquet time was 29 minutes, with the longest time being 135 minutes. The tourniquet achieved a bloodless surgical field in 24 (96%) of the 25 patients, and was well tolerated in all but two patients. Aside from tourniquet pain in these two (8%) patients, and tourniquet failure in one (4%) patient, there were no other complications associated with the wrist tourniquet. The size 8 1/2 surgical glove can be adopted as an effective and safe tourniquet in hand surgery.