A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 4 7
can affect the ability of the cuff to stop blood flow, interfere with surgery and
further increase the risk of injury.
2. Automatic limb occlusion pressure (LOP). In the past, sur-
geons might have been inclined to request specific default pressures One reason
was that optimal LOP was very difficult to measure manually. But with default
settings, there was no way to be sure pressures wouldn't be too high or too low
for certain patients, and actually increase the risk of injuries or bleeding.
Newer systems automatically measure the minimum pressure required to stop
the flow of arterial blood into the limb distal to the cuff and recommend a cuff
pressure that's personalized for each individual patient. That's a big improve-
ment in safety that dramatically reduces the risk of nerve-related injury.
3. Pressure regulator safety. New user interfaces help prevent you
from making inadvertent and unintended changes in cuff pressure during a pro-
cedure. Alarms alert you if the tourniquet pressure becomes hazardously high or
low.
4. Cuff hazard interlock. Prevents tourniquets from being turned off
while a cuff is inflated.
5. Automatic IVRA cuff lockout technology. If you use a tourni-
quet system for intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) — also known as
Bier block anesthesia — this feature prevents a dangerous release of a bolus
anesthetic into the patient. The lockout technology prevents accidental dual-
cuff release by prompting you to confirm that you intend to deflate a second
cuff.
6. Integrated cuff testing. This continually monitors cuffs, tubing and
