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How to Evaluate a Casualty During Combat Continued, Back to page 1
CHECKING THE CASUALTY FOR BLEEDING
a. Look for blood-soaked clothes.
b. Look for entry and exit wounds.
a. Look for blood-soaked clothes.
b. Look for entry and exit wounds.
c. Place your hands behind the casualty’s neck and pass them upward
toward the top of the head. Note whether there is blood or brain tissue on
your hands from the casualty’s wounds.
d. Place your hands behind the casualty’s shoulders and pass them
downward behind the back, thighs, and legs. Note whether there is blood on
your hands from the casualty’s wounds.
e. If life-threatening bleeding from an extremity (arm, forearm, thigh, or leg) is
present, stop the evaluation and control the bleeding using a tourniquet
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ADDITIONAL CARE
a. After any needed immediate live-saving aid has been administered, move the casualty to an area where additional aid
can be given.
b. If possible, send a soldier to find a combat medic.
c. Administer additional care until the combat medic arrives or until you are told to resume your combat duties. Now that you
are in a safe area, you can render care that you could not administer while under fire.
NOTE: When the combat medic arrives, he may require your assistance, especially if several soldiers require treatment.
d. Reassure the casualty. Show confidence in your actions.
e. If you have administered the needed care and a combat medic has not arrived, initiate a Field Medical Card for the
casualty.
f. If needed, request aeromedical evacuation and/or evacuate the casualty Preventable Deaths.
As discussed in earlier, the three primary preventable causes of death from injury on the battlefield are:
(1) Severe bleeding from an arm or leg wound (apply a tourniquet or emergency trauma dressing).
(2) Collapsed lung (perform needle chest decompression).
(3) Blockage of the nose and throat from an injury to the face (insert a nasopharyngeal airway). Special Situations.
Listed below are some situations in which you should
avoid treating the casualty while under fire.
(1) Your own life is in imminent danger.
(2) There are other soldiers in your area who require treatment more urgently.
(3) The casualty does not have vital (life) signs; that is, the casualty is not breathing, does not have a pulse, and is not
moving.
(4) The casualty’s injury is not survivable unless the casualty can be evacuated to a medical treatment facility within a given
time and evacuation is not possible within the time limitation. Examples of such injuries are:
(a) Penetrating head injuries with brain tissue exposed.
(b) Severe burns covering a large part of the body.
(c) Mutilating blast injuries.
a. After any needed immediate live-saving aid has been administered, move the casualty to an area where additional aid
can be given.
b. If possible, send a soldier to find a combat medic.
c. Administer additional care until the combat medic arrives or until you are told to resume your combat duties. Now that you
are in a safe area, you can render care that you could not administer while under fire.
NOTE: When the combat medic arrives, he may require your assistance, especially if several soldiers require treatment.
d. Reassure the casualty. Show confidence in your actions.
e. If you have administered the needed care and a combat medic has not arrived, initiate a Field Medical Card for the
casualty.
f. If needed, request aeromedical evacuation and/or evacuate the casualty Preventable Deaths.
As discussed in earlier, the three primary preventable causes of death from injury on the battlefield are:
(1) Severe bleeding from an arm or leg wound (apply a tourniquet or emergency trauma dressing).
(2) Collapsed lung (perform needle chest decompression).
(3) Blockage of the nose and throat from an injury to the face (insert a nasopharyngeal airway). Special Situations.
Listed below are some situations in which you should
avoid treating the casualty while under fire.
(1) Your own life is in imminent danger.
(2) There are other soldiers in your area who require treatment more urgently.
(3) The casualty does not have vital (life) signs; that is, the casualty is not breathing, does not have a pulse, and is not
moving.
(4) The casualty’s injury is not survivable unless the casualty can be evacuated to a medical treatment facility within a given
time and evacuation is not possible within the time limitation. Examples of such injuries are:
(a) Penetrating head injuries with brain tissue exposed.
(b) Severe burns covering a large part of the body.
(c) Mutilating blast injuries.