Preventable combat death. Quite the serious topic. I wish I was fully qualified to discuss each of the facets but my knowledge is limited. Luckily I have a couple quick resources that will allow me to drop some proper knowledge on you.
The graphic on the left was yanked from a PDF provided by North American Rescue. The brief case study mentions the Tactical Combat Casualty Care methodology and the goal to address the three major causes of preventable death in field. You can have a look at the PDF by clicking HERE.
Extremity Hemorrage = lots of bleeding. One major tool that has fallen back into favor thanks to experience in overseas combat is the tourniquet.
The North American Rescue version is widely popular and is known as the Combat Application Tourniquet. To read more about this tourniquet check out the Hemorrhage Control & Vascular Access section.
Ok, bleeding in check. What is this Tension Pneumothorax business? Sounds complicated. Let’s address the Pneumothorax portion first:
Pneumothorax is defined as the presence of air or gas in the pleural cavity, that is, in the potential space between the visceral and parietal pleura of the lung. The result is collapse of the lung on the affected side. Air can enter the intrapleural space through a communication from the chest wall (ie, trauma) or through the lung parenchyma across the visceral pleura.¹
A tension pneumothorax is a life-threatening condition that develops when air is trapped in the pleural cavity under positive pressure, displacing mediastinal structures and compromising cardiopulmonary function.¹
In other words, your trachea is displaced from the mid line (middle) of your chest and the now collapsed lung is putting pressure on your heart preventing it form beating properly. The most difficult part is recognizing this condition.
A partial solution in a combat situation may be a chest seal (occlusive dressing) with a vent. That’s making it extra simple as needle decompression can also be mentioned. BUT as a disclaimer, this is not medical advice and you should have training before “playing” with any of this equipment. We just want you to know it’s available. A trio of chest seals provided by North American Rescue can be found in the Airway & Breathing Management section.
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