Tourniquet use in orthopaedic anaesthesia

SummaryArterial tourniquets are commonly used in orthopaedic anaesthesia to provide a bloodless field for better operating conditions. It is also used in intravenous regional blocks both for upper and lower limbs. Complications can be either local to the affected limb or systemic. Systemic effects can occur during inflation and deflation of the tourniquet. General guidelines should be followed in order to minimize such complications.