Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2006 Sep;88(5):462-4.
doi: 10.1308/003588406X117052.

Forgotten digital tourniquet: salvage of an ischaemic finger by application of medicinal leeches

C Durrant  1 , W A Townley, S Ramkumar, C T K Khoo
Affiliations
Case Reports

Forgotten digital tourniquet: salvage of an ischaemic finger by application of medicinal leeches

C Durrant et al. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2006 Sep.

Abstract

Individual finger tourniquets are appropriate to the management of a wide range of conditions presenting to an accident and emergency department. They are simpler and more comfortable to use than upper arm pneumatic tourniquets and commercially available digital tourniquets are not readily available in the accident and emergency unit. However, if a finger tourniquet is overlooked, ischaemia of the digit results, and gangrene may follow if the problem is not defused early enough, leading to potential disaster. We present one case where a digit was salvaged after 4 days of tourniquet application, using medicinal leeches.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The swollen and discoloured finger on second admission to accident and emergency department.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Application of leech.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Finger showing a Mallet deformity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sheng-Mou H, Tang-Kue L. Salvage of tourniquet-induced thumb necrosis by a modified wraparound procedure. J Trauma. 1987;27:803–5. - PubMed
    1. Dove AF, Clifford RP. Ischaemia after use of finger tourniquet. BMJ. 1982;284:1162–3. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arci G, Akan M, Yildrim S, Akoz T. Digital neurovascular compression due to a forgotten tourniquet. Hand Surg. 2003;8:133–6. - PubMed
    1. Derganc M, Zdravic F. Venous congestion of flaps treated by application of leeches. Br J Plast Surg. 1960;13:187–92. - PubMed
    1. Shah A, Asivatham R, Ellis D. Tips of the trade 42: an improvised technique for creating a digital tourniquet. Orthop Rev. 1992;21:91–2. - PubMed

Publication types