Junctional Hemorrhage Control for Tactical Combat Casualty Care

Area of Science:

• Trauma Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Surgical Devices

Background:

• Most combat casualty deaths occur prehospital due to injuries, with many potentially survivable.
• Truncal, junctional, and extremity hemorrhage are common causes of preventable death.
• Advancements in hemorrhage control devices are crucial for improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated review of junctional hemorrhage control devices.
• To assess their application in military prehospital trauma and Tactical Combat Casualty Care.
• To encourage consideration for civilian, austere, and wilderness settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and FDA-cleared devices for junctional hemorrhage control.
• Analysis of current applications in military prehospital settings.
• Consideration of potential use in non-military environments.

Main Results:

• Four FDA-cleared junctional tourniquets exist for hemorrhage control.
• One device is also cleared for pelvic stabilization.
• These devices show promise for both military and civilian trauma.

Conclusions:

• Continued research and performance monitoring of junctional tourniquets are essential.
• Evaluating these devices alongside morbidity and mortality outcomes is critical.
• Expanding the use of effective junctional hemorrhage control methods benefits all trauma patients.