What is the TQ-RAM used for?
The TQ-RAM is a pressure point device designed to provide hands-free, sustained compression at junctional wound sites — areas such as the groin, axilla, or neck — where a conventional tourniquet cannot be applied. It is used in conjunction with the Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT): the TQ-RAM dome is placed over a packed wound or arterial pressure point, and the TMT strap secures it in place to maintain compression without continuous manual pressure from the responder.
Is the TQ-RAM CoTCCC recommended?
The TQ-RAM is not independently listed on the CoTCCC's recommended tourniquet list, as it is an adjunct pressure device rather than a standalone tourniquet. However, it is purpose-built to work with the CoTCCC-recommended Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT) and is designed to address junctional hemorrhage scenarios within the TCCC framework. It is manufactured by Safeguard Medical, the distributor of the CoTCCC-recommended TMT.
Can the TQ-RAM be used without the TMT Tourniquet?
While the TQ-RAM is designed primarily as a TMT accessory — using the TMT strap to apply and maintain pressure — it can in principle be improvised with other circumferential straps or bandages to deliver point pressure. However, full functionality and optimal pressure delivery are achieved when used with the TMT, which provides the strap routing and tightening mechanism the TQ-RAM dome is sized and shaped to interface with.
How does the TQ-RAM help in multi-casualty situations?
In mass casualty scenarios, a responder's hands are an extremely limited resource. Standard hemostatic wound packing requires 1–3 minutes of sustained manual pressure to achieve hemostasis. The TQ-RAM allows the responder to apply and secure that compression, then move on to assess and treat other patients. By allowing the TMT-and-TQ-RAM system to hold pressure hands-free, a single medic can manage more casualties simultaneously — a capability that can be decisive in tactical or civilian mass-casualty events.
What is the shelf life of the TQ-RAM?
The TQ-RAM has a 7-year shelf life from the date of manufacture. It is a single-patient-use device, latex-free, and made in the USA. Packaging should be stored in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight to maximize shelf life. Once opened and used, the TQ-RAM should not be reused on the same or another patient.
What is the TQ-RAM and how does it work?
The TQ-RAM is a hands-freeing point pressure accessory designed to work with the Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT). Its arched dome design delivers targeted direct or indirect pressure to a wound site, maintaining hemostatic dressing compression after wound packing so the medic's hands are free to continue the trauma survey, manage the airway, or prepare additional interventions. It is designed for wounds not amenable to tourniquet application — particularly junctional sites like the inguinal (groin) and axillary (armpit) regions where standard windlass tourniquets cannot be effectively applied.
Why is junctional hemorrhage control important and how does the TQ-RAM address it?
Junctional hemorrhage — bleeding from the groin, armpit, or neck — is a leading cause of potentially preventable combat death because standard extremity tourniquets cannot be applied at these sites. Hemostatic gauze wound packing remains the primary intervention, but maintaining consistent direct pressure for the 1–3 minutes required for hemostasis is difficult when the medic must simultaneously manage other life threats. The TQ-RAM provides sustained, targeted pressure over the wound packing, freeing the medic's hands for concurrent interventions and reducing the risk of prematurely releasing hemostatic dressing pressure.
Is the TQ-RAM only compatible with the TMT or can it be used with other tourniquets?
The TQ-RAM was purpose-built as a TMT accessory, designed to integrate with the TMT's windlass system for combined tourniquet plus point-pressure application. While the pressure dome can functionally provide direct pressure in isolation, the TMT integration is the primary design intent. Users of other tourniquet systems may use the TQ-RAM independently for point pressure, but the device's full value is realized in the TMT platform where the combination delivers hands-free proximal pressure management.
Where in the trauma survey should the TQ-RAM be applied?
The TQ-RAM is applied in the Massive Hemorrhage phase of MARCH — at the time of wound packing for non-tourniquet-amenable bleeding. After wound packing with hemostatic gauze (ChitoGauze, QuikClot, or similar), the TQ-RAM is positioned over the packed wound to maintain pressure while the medic continues the survey. Per TCCC guidelines, direct pressure over hemostatic gauze should be maintained for a minimum of 3 minutes to achieve hemostasis — the TQ-RAM enables this without requiring the medic to remain stationary.
