Final answer:
The pneumatic tourniquet is used during surgery to occlude blood flow and create a bloodless surgical field, enabling surgeons to operate with improved visibility and precision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of pneumatic tourniquet use during surgery is to occlude blood flow to a particular area of the body to create a bloodless surgical field. This is instrumental in allowing the surgeon to operate with greater precision and visibility. The tourniquet is typically a blood pressure cuff-like device that is tightly wrapped around the limb and inflated, which compresses the blood vessels and stops the blood from flowing into the area distally (farther from the heart).
The correct answer to the question is b) to occlude blood flow. The tourniquet is not intended to allow an anesthetic bolus to flow systemically through the patient, nor is its purpose to obtain a bloody field during surgery; instead, its purpose is quite the opposite, which is to maintain hemostasis and provide a bloodless surgical area.