Drowning Response 2026: The Evidence-Based Protocol (Updated for WMS 2024 / ILCOR Utstein Terminology)
Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid — outcome is nonfatal or fatal....
Evidence-Based Reporting
Tactical Medicine News Blog
Protocols, Gear, and Doctrine
Clinical updates, CoTCCC guidance, product reviews, and field reports for tactical medicine professionals. Curated by medical SMEs and veterans.
Shop Tactical GearJUL 03, 2026
Prehospital Airway 2026: Ketamine In, Etomidate Out, and the Post-Intubation Sedation Discipline Every Medic Needs to Memorize
SPEMS 2026 formalized what leading services have been doing for two years: ketamine replaces etomidate as the primary RSI induction agent, apneic oxygenation is now mandatory during attempts, and post-intubation sedation gets its own protocol block. Here is the no-BS...
Read Article →Head Injury on the Street (2026): When TXA Matters, When It Doesn’t, and the First 10 Minutes That Decide Outcomes
A no-BS 2026 playbook for EMS/LE medics: immediate priorities in head injury, blood pressure/oxygenation targets, and when tranexamic acid (TXA)...
Shock Index in Trauma Triage (2026): The HR >= SBP Rule for Tactical and Austere Medicine
Shock Index (SI) is simple: HR ÷ SBP. In 2026, more EMS systems are using SI ≥ 1.0 (HR ≥...
Wildfire Smoke + Youth Sports 2026: The AQI Decision Tree Every Coach, Camp Director, and Athletic Trainer Needs
Oregon just rewrote the youth wildfire-smoke playbook. Here's the AQI cancel-or-modify decision tree, the duration thresholds, and the kit add-ons...
Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Smoke Exposure: Recognition, Decon, and Treatment (First Responder Guide)
Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Smoke Exposure: Recognition, Decon, and Treatment (First Responder Guide)
K-9 Tactical Casualty Care 2026: Why Tennessee and Florida Just Changed the Game
Tennessee just cleared EMS to treat and transport injured police K-9s, joining Florida's 2021 statute. Here's the K-9 TCCC field...
Church Safety Medical Plan (2026): Bleeding Control + AED Setup That Volunteers Can Actually Run
Church Safety Medical Plan (2026): Bleeding Control + AED Setup That Volunteers Can Actually Run
Hypothermia After Trauma 2026: The Lethal Triad, the Lethal Diamond, and Why Cold Stops Clots
The 2026 deep-physiology field manual on trauma-induced hypothermia. Why cold stops clots — Q10 enzyme kinetics, GPIb/vWF platelet failure, fibrinogen...
Wound Packing 2026: The Definitive Field Manual (TCCC-Aligned, Myth-Killed, Bilingual)
The definitive 2026 wound packing playbook. Modern TCCC/TECC doctrine on where to pack and where you never do, plain gauze...
TCCC Tourniquet Reassessment (2026 Update): Repositioning, Conversion, and the 2-Hour Rule
A no-BS guide to the TCCC proposed update on tourniquet reassessment: what ‘repositioning’ means, when conversion is appropriate, and how...
Heat Illness in the Field 2026: The Cooling Kit That Actually Works (Ice Sheets, Groin/Axilla Packs, and Cold-Water Immersion)
Cool first, transport second. Exertional heat illness kills when teams delay cooling for transport or use the wrong method. The...
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Clinical field medicine for the prepared household. Pharmacology, prolonged field care, and household medicine series. Filed every other Tuesday.
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