to hold the garment about the victim a separate pressure engagement means is used to set the needed counterpressure a zipper 14 in each leg section is the preferred type of fastener to be utilized as the pressure engagement means but any fastener which can compress the material and hold it in place can be used a zipper allows a more gradual increase in counterpressure than either the 34 velcro 34 strips or the pull straps this method gives the finest gradient for controlling the counterpressure and also helps in eliminating the strength of the attendant who applies the garment as a variable in setting the counterpressure to achieve greater counterpressure about the abdomen a removable stiffener plate or plates can be situated in the upper section the stiffener plate can be made of a thick foam or a thin piece of metal in the preferred embodiment exhibited in fig1 an abdomen flap 31 can be used to secure a contoured stiffener plate 32 pockets 17 can also be sewn into the exterior of the lower torso section to secure the stiffener plates 16 see fig4 sizing adjustments are inherent in the present invention abdomen flaps 25 on the lower torso section allow the counterpressure garment to be adjusted to a particular victim leg flaps 22 serve the same purpose other sizing adjustments can be made by properly situating the contoured stiffener plate 32 over the victim 39.