Tactical Combat Casualty Care

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) is a set of evidence-based, best-practice prehospital trauma care guidelines custom-designed to reduce preventable combat death. TCCC guidelines are routinely updated and published by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC).

History[edit]

TCCC was developed in the mid-1990s by special operations forces in the U.S. military who recognized the need for a new approach to treating casualties in the tactical environment. The concept was first introduced by Dr. Frank Butler, a Navy SEAL physician.

Principles[edit]

TCCC is built around three distinct phases: Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, and Tactical Evacuation Care.

Care Under Fire[edit]

In the Care Under Fire phase, care is rendered at the scene of the injury while both the medic and the casualty are under hostile fire. Actions in this phase are designed to stop major hemorrhage, the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield.

Tactical Field Care[edit]

The Tactical Field Care phase is the care rendered by the medic or corpsman once he and the casualty are no longer under effective hostile fire. It also applies to situations in which an injury has occurred on a mission but there is no hostile fire.

Tactical Evacuation Care[edit]

Tactical Evacuation Care (TACEVAC) is the care rendered once the casualty has been picked up by an aircraft, vehicle, or boat.

Training[edit]

TCCC training is provided to all branches of the military and to all levels of medical personnel. It is also provided to non-medical military personnel who are expected to provide medical care as part of their duties, such as Special Forces soldiers.

Impact[edit]

TCCC has been credited with reducing the rate of preventable combat death in the U.S. military to the lowest level in history. It has been adopted by many civilian emergency medical services (EMS) systems worldwide.