A doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive device that uses high-frequency sound waves to estimate the amount of blood flow through your arteries and veins, usually those that supply blood to your arms and legs. A doppler ultrasound can estimate how …
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.
A few months ago I was shown a new technique for an improvised tourniquet. Unlike the traditional military cravat improvised tourniquet that requires two cravats, this new technique only requires one. However, we have some concerns that the first step …
Sometimes when the ninjas invade, they capture family members. You need to be prepared to perform your own hostage rescue and medical care. Would you perform Bear Under Fire care and tourniquet him at the point of injury, or would …
A brief introduction to Tactical Casualty Care, using a giant stuffed dog to make the material accessible to everyone. In this “softer side of Crisis Medicine,” we work through a brief casualty evaluation, start to finish, including blood sweep, tourniquet …
No Emergency Department is fully prepared and stocked to manage 41 trauma casualties arriving in 45 minutes as happened at Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand in 2019. Crisis Medicine’s First Receiver class is designed to teach non-trauma center Emergency Department …
Jacob Hall, 6 years old, died of a femoral artery laceration after being shot by a 14-year-old while he was at recess at his school. Another student and a teacher were wounded. Would a tourniquet have worked to save him? …