🕖 Reading Time, 1 minutes Kerlix Gauze packing can generate up to 197 mmHg at the bottom of the wound and 45 mmHg on the sides. Xstat can generate 156 mmHg and 123 mmHg respectively. Although it’s unclear XSTAT is …
MARCH: Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia Prevention
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.
🕖 Reading Time, 4 minutes In concept, any non-elastic material wrapped circumferentially around a limb and tightened should be able to generate enough pressure to occlude arterial flow and act as a tourniquet. Although there are numerous tourniquets on the …
🕖 Reading Time, 3 minutes 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 …
🕖 Reading Time, 3 minutes 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 …
🕖 Reading Time, 1 minutes 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 …
🕖 Reading Time, 1 minutes 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 …