🕖 Reading Time, 6 minutes Recently we posted a video outlining the challenges of using hemostatic granules as compared to gauze. In response, we were surprised by how many people advocated for tactical tampons to control massive hemorrhage in a …
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, 1 minutes We recently discovered “active shooter kits” being marketed to agencies and schools containing granular hemostatic agents. Granular or powdered hemostatic agents fell out of favor over ten years ago as they “wash out” of actively …
🕖 Reading Time, 4 minutes Although an IFAK is technically an Individual First Aid Kit, it should more appropriately be thought of as an Individual Trauma Kit. First Aid kits and First Aid courses, as commonly thought of, deal with …
🕖 Reading Time, 4 minutes Critics of improvised tourniquets say they are ineffective. Some claim, “if you’re planning to improvise, you’re planning to fail.” We disagree with this statement. Proper planning includes having a primary plan, in this instance a …
Proven commercially available tourniquets are always our first choice. 🕖 Reading Time, 3 minutes Though many say improvised tourniquets don’t work, 12 students in a recent class all successfully made them work, when using appropriate materials, verified by Doppler ultrasound. …
🕖 Reading Time, 5 minutes After a recent trip to Thailand teaching with the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine, many students wanted recommendations on travel medicine, medications, and vaccinations. While most travelers to the developing world and tropical destinations …