WOUND PACKING USING A FOLEY CATHETER

**This is intended as a tool for your kit that can be used if you feel it is clinically appropriate and within your standard of care**

Introduction:
We know that finding, and stopping
catastrophic haemorrhage is a key early step. This can be as simple as splinting a long bone, applying focal pressure, or putting a tourniquet on a limb. But what can you do if this is just not physically possible? What do you do if they are bleeding from the neck, groin or axilla, for example?

1. Wound packing with a haemostatic gauze is one very effective method.
2. A second method is using a Foley Catheter.

Method:
Take a sterile catheter, put it in the wound and inflate the balloon, ideally with 510mls of water just enough to occlude the hole. This should provide enough local pressure to tamponade the wound, and free up your hands to do something else instead.

Just remember to tie the Foley in a knot, or clamp it, otherwise any blood will just flow up the tube.

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References:
ilroy D, Lakhoo M, Charalambides D, Demetriades D. Control of lifethreatening haemorrhage from the neck: a new indication for balloon tamponade. Injury. 1992;23(8):5579.

Navsaria P, Thoma M, Nicol A. Foley catheter balloon tamponade for lifethreatening hemorrhage in penetrating neck trauma. World J Surg. 2006 Jul;30(7):12658