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Vol 3, No 1 (2018)
REVIEW ARTICLE
Published online: 2018-06-12
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TACTICAL MEDICINE INSPIRING CIVILIAN RESCUE MEDICINE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HAEMORRHAGE

Maciej Sip12, Bogdan Serniak2, Dariusz Rogozinski2, Rastislav Kosec3, Alias Zajo3, Stepan Vokaty4, Thomas Bräutigam5, Piotr Krawczuk6, Bartosz Zawada7, Marek Dabrowski12
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Disaster Emerg Med J 2018;3(1):15-21.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Medical Rescue, Chair of Emergency Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  2. Polish Society of Medical Simulation, Poland
  3. Police, Slovakia
  4. Police, Czech Republic
  5. Police, Germany
  6. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Provincial Hospital in Poznań, Poland
  7. Journal Club, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland

open access

Vol 3, No 1 (2018)
REVIEW ARTICLE
Published online: 2018-06-12

Abstract

 Accidents remain to be the most common cause of death amongst men of ages 10–39 and women of ages 5–24. The sudden occurrence of simultaneous multiple events or a mass casualty event with many patients suffering severe injuries, including severe haemorrhage, requires emergency medical personnel to modify the algorithms, which dictate their actions. The military war mission in Iraq and Afghanistan brought many experiences, which were used and applied to guidelines, which are now used for the management of patients experiencing trauma in the civilian sector. The current trauma ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) guidelines suggest to use compression bands or haemostatic dressings in order to control bleeding in case of massive haemorrhage. An example of this recommendation being used can be seen in the regional par­amedic station in Poznan, Poland, where each ambulance is outfitted with “rescue packages” to be used in the event of massive haemorrhage. This practice can also be seen in Great Britain as well as Germany, where local protocols recommend the use of medical equipment taken from tactical medicine. The use of such tools allows for achieving a greater chance of rapid and effective haemostatic control in the event of massive haemorrhaging. These tools allow for more efficient use of time at the scene of the event, reducing the time a patient spends at the scene, allowing more rapid transport to hospital and more specialised surgical support. Reducing the time spent at the scene of an event while carrying out important procedures such as stabilising the patient’s airway, stopping haemorrhage and immobilising the patient, markedly improves the survival of trauma patients.

Abstract

 Accidents remain to be the most common cause of death amongst men of ages 10–39 and women of ages 5–24. The sudden occurrence of simultaneous multiple events or a mass casualty event with many patients suffering severe injuries, including severe haemorrhage, requires emergency medical personnel to modify the algorithms, which dictate their actions. The military war mission in Iraq and Afghanistan brought many experiences, which were used and applied to guidelines, which are now used for the management of patients experiencing trauma in the civilian sector. The current trauma ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) guidelines suggest to use compression bands or haemostatic dressings in order to control bleeding in case of massive haemorrhage. An example of this recommendation being used can be seen in the regional par­amedic station in Poznan, Poland, where each ambulance is outfitted with “rescue packages” to be used in the event of massive haemorrhage. This practice can also be seen in Great Britain as well as Germany, where local protocols recommend the use of medical equipment taken from tactical medicine. The use of such tools allows for achieving a greater chance of rapid and effective haemostatic control in the event of massive haemorrhaging. These tools allow for more efficient use of time at the scene of the event, reducing the time a patient spends at the scene, allowing more rapid transport to hospital and more specialised surgical support. Reducing the time spent at the scene of an event while carrying out important procedures such as stabilising the patient’s airway, stopping haemorrhage and immobilising the patient, markedly improves the survival of trauma patients.

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Keywords

rescue medicine, tourniquet, haemorrhage, dressings, haemostatic agents

About this article
Title

TACTICAL MEDICINE INSPIRING CIVILIAN RESCUE MEDICINE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HAEMORRHAGE

Journal

Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal

Issue

Vol 3, No 1 (2018)

Pages

15-21

Published online

2018-06-12

Page views

2335

Article views/downloads

1033

DOI

10.5603/DEMJ.2018.0004

Bibliographic record

Disaster Emerg Med J 2018;3(1):15-21.

Keywords

rescue medicine
tourniquet
haemorrhage
dressings
haemostatic agents

Authors

Maciej Sip
Bogdan Serniak
Dariusz Rogozinski
Rastislav Kosec
Alias Zajo
Stepan Vokaty
Thomas Bräutigam
Piotr Krawczuk
Bartosz Zawada
Marek Dabrowski

References (16)
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