Page 178 - ATP-P 11th Ed

Preface
Management of medical emergencies is best accomplished by appropriately trained physi-
cians in an emergency department setting. However, Special Operations Combat Medics
(SOCMs) may often find themselves in austere tactical environments where evacuation
of a teammate to an MTF for a medical emergency would entail either significant de-
lays to treatment or compromise the unit’s mission. Although SOCM trained medics are
not routinely authorized by the services to treat nontraumatic emergencies, in many SOF
situations, training SOCMs to treat at least some medical emergencies may result in both
SECTION 2 disorders chosen have one of the following properties in common: they are relatively com-
improved outcome for the individual and an improved probability of mission success. The
mon; they are acute in onset; the SOCM is able to provide at least initial therapy that may
favorably alter the eventual outcome; and the condition is either life-threatening or could
adversely affect the mission readiness of the SOF Operator.

The Protocols outlined in the following pages carry the following assumptions:
1. The SOCM medic is in an austere environment where a medical treatment facility or
a unit sick call capability is not available. If a medical treatment facility or a medic
authorized to treat patients independently is available, then the patient should be seen
in those settings rather than by a SOCM medic.
2. Immediate evacuation may not be possible and, even if it is, may still entail significant
delays to definitive treatment. The medical problem may worsen significantly if treat-
ment is delayed.
3. The SOCM will contact a consulting physician as soon as feasible.
4. SOCM treatment will be done under the appropriate Protocol.
5. Medication regimens are designed to minimize the number of medications the SOCMs
are required to learn and carry. Medications have been used for multiple conditions
when feasible without compromising care.
6. Appropriate documentation of diagnosis and treatment rendered in the patient’s medi-
cal record will be accomplished when the unit returns to forward operating base.
7. Note these Protocols are not designed to allow SOCM medics to conduct Medical/
Civic Action (MEDCAP) missions independently.
8. Evacuation recommendations are based on the appropriate therapy per Protocol being
initiated on diagnosis.
9. The definitions of Urgent, Priority, and Routine evacuations are based on the times
found in Joint Publication (FM) 4-02.2 of 2, 4, and 24 hours respectively.
10. For any infection, limit contact and use universal precautions.

168 SECTION 2 TACTICAL MEDICAL EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS (TMEPs) ATP-P Handbook 11th Edition 169