NATO updated the procedures for providing assistance on the battlefield, taking into account the experience of the Armed Forces
The Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine proposed an innovation regarding the use of tourniquets.
Based on the experience of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the US Army and NATO have made changes to the protocols for providing pre-medical care during hostilities. In particular, methodical recommendations on the conversion of turnstiles were used.
“Taking into account the methodological recommendations developed by the command of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) committee reviewed the protocol for providing pre-medical care in combat conditions”, – the press service noted Medical forces in a comment for “Glavkom”.
The TCCC protocol is a set of instructions and procedures developed by the US Department of Defense and the US Special Operations Command to provide medical care to the wounded in a combat environment. Its main purpose is to increase the chances of survival of the wounded during hostilities. This protocol is used by most of the armies of NATO countries.
The experience of the war in Ukraine showed that in real combat conditions, the evacuation of a wounded person with a tourniquet on a limb to advanced surgical units can take more than two hours, and sometimes more than six hours.
“With prolonged use of the tourniquet, acute irreversible ischemia of the limb develops, which leads to amputation. Untimely conversion of the tourniquet can cause acute renal failure, multiple organ failure, and the death of a soldier.” – explains the commander of the Medical Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Anatoliy Kazmirchuk.
Tourniquet conversion means replacing the tourniquet with another method of stopping bleeding. This process should be done no later than two hours after applying the tourniquet. This is done in the zone of indirect threat, which is not far from the combat zone. This is an area where first responders are likely to be injured.
The experience of Ukraine in combat conditions is being actively studied by specialists of NATO partner countries, as their medical aid protocols have turned out to be insufficiently adapted to modern challenges. In May 2024, a conference was held in Brussels, where representatives of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were among the main speakers.
