The easy to remember mnemonic MARCH reminds us of the priorities in treating casualties during TECC and TCCC situations. MARCH provides a framework to address immediate life threats and gives an organized approach to begin a casualty evaluation. The MARCH mnemonic is preferable to the ABCDE model because it takes into consideration the reason you need an airway and to be breathing is to circulate blood to the casualty’s brain. Recognizing that, the first step in our casualty evaluation should be to look for massive hemorrhage.
Once past massive hemorrhage, A-R-C is loosely approximated by A-B-C. H- is a reminder that a large number of traumatic casualties arrive at the emergency department or medical treatment facility hypothermic which dramatically increases their death rate.
The MARCH mnemonic can be applied to any patient, as the initial casualty evaluation usually rules out massive hemorrhage.
In war wounds, nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections are common. This occurs due to initial high wound contamination, extensive devitalized tissue in the wound, multiple surgical interventions, prolonged hospitalizations, and extensive use of early broad-spectrum antibiotics.1 In late 2025, Co-TCCC changed their …
WWII’s Most Compabt Proven Tourniquet? Six Feet of Surgical Tubing Our first choice is always a proven, commercial tourniquet. For historical reference only, we demonstrate the most combat proven tourniquet of WWII, proven by doppler ultrasound: six feet of 1/2 …
Actual casualty data from Ukraine is sparsely published. Whether that’s because they want to limit its propaganda value, because the medical providers are already overworked saving lives, or simply because active war zones are difficult to collect detailed data in …
Pelvic fractures occur in 8% of major trauma patients. You can improvise a pelvic binder. 🕖 Reading Time, 3 minutes IED induced injuries resulting in traumatic lower limb amputation are associated with a 22% rate of pelvic fracture; half of …
Recently, both a Special Forces Medic and a civilian fire paramedic asked me about a new hemostatic product being actively marketed on social media: SEAL Hemostatic Wound Spray. Like many things on social media, you have to check the veracity: …
Fatal Penetrating Neck Wounds 🕖 Reading Time, 4 minutes Originally published Feb 25, 2023, but updated based on recent events and questions from students. This video of an attempted bank robbery in Brazil shows that some injuries are just too …
