The Potential Use of the Abdominal Aortic Junctional Tourniquet® in a Military Population: A Review of Requirement, Effectiveness, and Usability.
Journal of Special Operations Medicine · 2019-01-01 · Other / unclear
Abstract
Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable prehospital death on the battlefield; 20% is junctional. This is a challenge to manage in the forward and prehospital military environment. With the widespread use of body armor, peripheral tourniquets and continued asymmetric warfare this consistent figure is unlikely to reduce. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an often-quoted potential solution; however, this invasive strategy requires a high skill level alongside a significant failure and complication rate. The Abdominal Aortic Junctional Tourniquet® (AAJT) is a noninvasive potential adjunct for the management of hemorrhage below the level of the aortic bifurcation with published case reports of successful use in prehospital blast and gunshot wounds. When placed at the level of the aortic bifurcation, alongside a pelvic binder, it can be used to control pelvic hemorrhage, buying time until definitive management. Importantly it has a low training burden and is easy to use. The AAJT has potential use as a prehospital device in the exsanguinating patient, those in traumatic cardiac arrest, as a bridging device, and as fluid conserving device in resource-limited environments. The evidence surrounding the AAJT is reviewed, and potential uses in the military setting are suggested.
Abstract © the authors or publisher, via PubMed. Reuse and removal
Tags
Haemostatic dressings & wound packing · Low- and middle-income settings · Military & tactical · Pelvic binder · Tourniquet
Related articles
- Initial management of haemorrhagic war casualties: tactical priorities and innovative approaches in modern and future warfare. (Crit Care, 2025)
- Evaluation and Testing of Junctional Tourniquets by Special Operation Forces Personnel: A Comparison of the Combat Ready Clamp and the Junctional Emergency Treatment Tool. (J Spec Oper Med, 2016)
- Abdominal aortic junctional tourniquet (AAJT-S): a systematic review of utility in military practice. (BMJ Mil Health, 2025)
- The effectiveness of junctional tourniquets: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg, 2019)
- Prehospital control of life-threatening truncal and junctional haemorrhage is the ultimate challenge in optimizing trauma care; a review of treatment options and their applicability in the civilian trauma setting. (Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med, 2016)
- A systematic review of the use of tourniquets and topical haemostatic agents in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. (J R Nav Med Serv, 2015)