Page 106 - JSOM Fall 2023

APPENDIX A

Preamble to Tactical Emergency Casualty Care support are key principles for addressing the mental health
Guidelines needs of patients, survivors, and responders.
Traditional response paradigms that prioritize scene safety be- The TECC system of care is administered during incidents in
fore patient care may result in treatment delays that negatively which operational threats, such as active violence, hazardous
affect patient and rescuer outcomes in environments with real material, fire, and structural instability, shape the medical re-
or perceived threat(s). To address this gap, the Tactical Emer- sponse. This system of care is based upon principles, not proto-
gency Casualty Care (TECC) guidelines describe patient care cols. While the TECC principles are universal, the applications
standards for persons of all age groups in an all-hazard, high- thereof are specific to the agency, provider, practitioner, and
threat environment.
resource.
The TECC construct consists of three dynamic phases of care: The TECC guidelines are agnostic to specific commercial
direct threat, indirect threat, and evacuation. These phases are products but depend on the scope of practice. They require
intended to correlate directly with the contemporaneous threat a systems approach based on the totality of the event, includ-
level and are not solely geographic in nature. Immediate access ing available resources and clinical capabilities. The Commit-
to the injured, rapid life-saving interventions at or near the tee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care does not endorse
point of injury, and early extraction of those needing transport specific training programs or instructors but encourages all
to definitive medical care, are paramount to reduce mortality end-users to appropriately employ these guidelines.
and morbidity throughout all phases of TECC. In addition to
treating physical injuries, limiting exposure of personnel to PMID: 37699260; DOI: 10.55460/APZU-5IKO
the incident and providing appropriate early psychological

104 | JSOM Volume 23, Edition 3 / Fall 2023