Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)

 

The Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) course introduces evidence-based,

life-saving techniques and strategies for providing best-practice trauma care

on the battlefield. TCCC has been documented to produce dramatic

improvements in casualty survival in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)

conducts TCCC courses under the auspices of its Prehospital Trauma Life

Support (PHTLS) program, the recognized world leader in prehospital trauma

education. NAEMT’s TCCC courses use the PHTLS Military textbook and are

fully compliant with the Department of Defense’s Committee on Tactical

Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) guidelines.

 

TCCC is the only set of battlefield trauma care guidelines endorsed by the

American College of Surgeons.  PHTLS combines the expertise of worldclass

trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, paramedics and EMS educators.

NAEMT’s TCCC courses are taught by a global network of experienced

instructors fully trained in both PHTLS and TCCC. NAEMT maintains a strict

quality control program for its instructors. To support course sites, instructors

and students, NAEMT maintains a network of TCCC regional coordinators both in the U.S. and internationally, and staff at its Headquarters Office. Course administration is streamlined and cost-effective. NAEMT’s TCCC course is accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and recognized by the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT).

 

Who should take the TCCC course???

 

The course is designed for combat medical personnel, including medics, corpsmen and pararescue personnel deploying in support of combat operations, SWAT Operators, Tactical Medics, firefighters, EMTs, Emergency Medical Responders, Police Officers and Emergency Management Personnel.  The TCCC course’s content and structure also can be modified for law enforcement special weapons and tactics and special response teams.

 

What students will learn???

 

NAEMT’s TCCC course trains to these goals using the PHTLS core principle of critical thinking as the foundation in addressing multi-system trauma. After attending a TCCC course offered by NAEMT, students will be able to:

 

• Understand the role of firepower supremacy in the prevention of combat trauma.

• Demonstrate techniques that can be used to quickly move casualties to cover while the unitis engaged in a firefight.

• Understand the rationale for early use of a tourniquet to control life-threatening extremity bleeding during Care Under Fire.

• Demonstrate the appropriate application of the C-A-T to the arm and leg. 

• Understand why immobilization of the cervical spine is not a critical need in combat casualties with penetrating trauma to the neck.

• Explain the common causes of altered states of consciousness on the battlefield.

• Understand why a casualty with an altered state of consciousness should be disarmed.

• Describe airway control techniques and devices appropriate to the Tactical Field Care phase. 

• Demonstrate the recommended procedure for surgical cricothyroidotomy.

• List the criteria for the diagnosis of tension pneumothorax on the battlefi eld and describe the diagnosis and initial treatment. 

• Demonstrate the appropriate procedure for needle decompression of the chest.

• Describe the progressive strategy for controlling hemorrhage in tactical field care.

• Demonstrate the correct application of combat gauze.

• Demonstrate the appropriate procedure for initiating a rugged IV field setup.

• Explain the rationale for obtaining intraosseous access in combat casualties and demonstrate the appropriate procedure for initiating an intraosseous infusion.

• Recognize the tactically relevant indicators of shock in combat settings. 

• Describe the pre-hospital fl uid resuscitation strategy for hemorrhagic shock in combat casualties

• Describe the management of penetrating eye injuries in TCCC.

• Understand how to prevent blood clotting & problems from hypothermia.

• Understand the appropriate use of pulse oximetry in pre-hospital combat casualty care and recognize the pitfalls associated with interpretation pulse oximeter readings.