Medical
First Aid & Trauma Care
Stop the bleeding, save the life
Why Learn This Skill
In a grid-down or disaster scenario, emergency services may be unavailable for hours, days, or indefinitely. The leading cause of preventable death in trauma is uncontrolled hemorrhage. Basic trauma care skills — particularly tourniquet application and wound packing — can save lives in the critical first minutes.
Step-by-Step Guide
Scene Safety and Assessment
Never rush into a scene that puts you at risk. Assess: is the scene safe? Number of patients? Mechanism of injury? Call for help if available. Your safety is primary — an injured responder helps no one.
Hemorrhage Control (MARCH Protocol)
Massive hemorrhage first. Apply tourniquet 2–3 inches above wound for limb bleeds. Pack deep wounds with hemostatic gauze (QuikClot or Celox) using firm pressure for 3 minutes minimum. Wound packing for junctional wounds (groin, armpit, neck) — no tourniquet possible.
Airway Management
Check for breathing. Unconscious patient: head-tilt chin-lift or jaw thrust (suspected spinal injury). Recovery position for unconscious breathing patient. Nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) for unconscious patients. Clear airway of obvious obstructions.
Respiration / Chest Wounds
Tension pneumothorax (collapsed lung from penetrating chest wound) is rapidly fatal. Seal open chest wounds with a vented chest seal or folded plastic taped on 3 sides. Signs: difficulty breathing, tracheal deviation, absent breath sounds.
Hypothermia Prevention
Trauma victims lose body heat rapidly and shock worsens with cold. Apply mylar emergency blanket early, even in mild weather. Wet clothing accelerates heat loss — remove if possible.
Shock Management
Signs: pale/cool/clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, confusion, rapid breathing. Lay patient flat, elevate legs if no suspected spinal injury or leg fractures, keep warm, control bleeding. Do not give water to an unconscious or shock patient.
Pro Tips
- Take an official Stop the Bleed course — free training widely available
- Practice tourniquet application until you can do it in under 30 seconds
- Your IFAK is only useful if it's on your body, not in your bag across the room
- Know which medications in your kit do what, and their dosages
- Maintain currency — skills degrade without practice
Common Mistakes
- Not applying a tourniquet tight enough — it must be painful to be effective
- Removing a tourniquet once applied — never remove in the field
- Using a tourniquet on a torso or head wound (anatomically impossible)
- Skipping hemostatic gauze for deep wounds where direct pressure isn't enough
- Not writing the time of tourniquet application on the patient's skin
Recommended Tools & Gear
Related Threats
Scenarios where this skill is critical.