Abdominal Tourniquet Used to Control Bleeding from an Accidental Gunshot Wound
A 50-year-old male presented in hemorrhagic shock from an accidental inguinal gunshot wound — a location where no standard tourniquet could be placed. Robeson County EMS applied the AAJT-S to the abdomen on scene. He survived.
Location: Robeson County, North Carolina
Provider: Robeson County EMS
Setting: EMS · Pre-hospital
Application site: Abdomen
Case ID: US-26-03
Clinical Case Summary
Synopsis
Injury, intervention, and outcome at a glance
- Inguinal GSW
- Accidental firearm discharge
- Pain, diaphoretic, tachycardic
- Signs consistent with hemorrhagic shock
- AAJT-S applied to abdomen
- Whole blood resuscitation on scene
- 1 unit O+ whole blood
- TXA & calcium per protocol
- Stabilized for transport
- Hemorrhage control achieved
- Vital signs improved
- Stabilized with minimal intervention
Accidental Firearm Discharge
The patient sustained a gunshot wound to the inguinal region following an accidental firearm discharge. On arrival, the patient was pale, diaphoretic, and tachycardic — presenting with signs consistent with hemorrhagic shock.
Inguinal Bleed Beyond Limb Tourniquet Reach
The inguinal region sits at the junction of the leg and the abdomen — too high for a standard limb tourniquet to compress effectively. With the patient in shock and bleeding that couldn’t be controlled..
AAJT-S Applied on Scene
Advanced Practice Paramedic Jonathan Valenzuela, Paramedic Trishan Barfield, and EMT Dean Foggan applied the AAJT-S to the abdomen, delivering external aortic compression to control bleeding. One unit of O+ whole blood, TXA, and calcium were administered. The patient improved significantly. He was transported to a local hospital and subsequently flown to a trauma center for definitive care.
Hemorrhage Controlled. Patient Survived.
Hemorrhage was controlled, vital signs improved, and the patient was stabilized with minimal additional intervention. He survived to hospital discharge.
“The AAJT-S has proven to be an outstanding product. In real-world applications, it has performed exactly as intended and has been a valuable tool in managing critical patients.”
— Deputy Chief Nestor Rivera · Robeson County EMS
