BCLS

Adapted from concepts taught in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and in accordance with principles outlined in the Hartford Consensus, Asymmetric Solutions' Basic Combat Lifesaver course provides both classroom and field experience for the basic management of blunt and penetrating trauma in and out of a combat environment. The class assumes no prior medical training and begins with the basics of injury assessment and triage of a wounded person or persons. The course outlines priorities of trauma care in three separate phases of the combat/tactical environment (Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, and Tactical Evacuation Care).

BCLS combines lecture, skills labs, and practical exercise to highlight the procedural aspects of the necessary care, including, but not limited to -- Recognition and Triage of the traumatically injured patient--Physical Examination skills to recognize life-threatening injuries --Basic emergency airway management --Assessment and management of penetrating chest and abdominal trauma --Management of Pneumothorax --Use of needle for decompression of tension pneumothorax --Recognition and treatment of shock --Use of the Israeli dressing --Bleeding control of extremity hemorrhage, Including Application of direct pressure dressings, tourniquet selection, tourniquet application and tourniquet improvisation --Assessment of head and spinal cord injuries --Mechanics of blast injuries --Hypothermia management --Basic burn treatment.

This course may also includes instruction on the creation and personalization of an individual first aid kit (IFAK) appropriate for field expedient care.