If there is anything worse than a loose cannon on the decks, it would be a rusty loose cannon..

So, I am a rusty loose cannon, seeking enlightenment...

Years ago, as an EMT primarily doing mountain SAR we treated numerous major wounds doing just fine with direct pressure and pressure points. At no time did we need to resort to a tourniquet. This included one situation involving an amputated arm (bad mistake with a rear rotor).

I recall talking with a fairly new paramedic friend and colleague, about the number of times he had used a tourniquet on the street. Drawing on about three years experience, he said he had never needed to use one.

Now I see a lot of excitement over the new clotting agents. I have no doubt they have value in a battlefield environment, but I, like many of us, am not on a battlefield.

Is it really worth carrying any of the clotting materials in a standard FAK, given that the vast majority of situations can be handled with direct pressure, and, in extremis, with the big T?