Page 21 - 2022 Ranger Medic Handbook

STANDING ORDERS AND PROTOCOLS
As published, these standing orders and protocols will be used ONLY by Ranger Medics SECTION 1
currently assigned to the 75 th Ranger Regiment who have demonstrated competency through
Ranger Medic Assessment & Validation (RMAV) and expressly given a scope of practice by
their supervising Medical Director.

Purpose
The primary purpose of these protocols is to serve as a guideline for tactical and nontactical pre-hospital trauma and medi-
cal care. Quality out-of-hospital care is the direct result of comprehensive education, accurate patient assessment, good
judgment, and continuous quality improvement. The protocols contained within this handbook make the following specific
assumptions on when and how they are employed.
Ranger Medics may often find themselves in austere tactical environments where evacuation of a unit member to a medical
treatment facility for a medical emergency would entail either significant delays to treatment or compromise the unit’s mis-
sion. The disorders chosen have one of the following properties in common: they are relatively common, acute in onset; the
Ranger Medic is able to provide at least initial therapy that may favorably alter the eventual outcome; the condition is either
life-threatening or could adversely affect the mission readiness of the injured or ill Ranger; immediate evacuation may not
be possible and, even if it is, may still entail significant delays to definitive treatment; and the medical problem may worsen
significantly if treatment is delayed. The Ranger Medic will contact a consulting physician as soon as feasible. Treatment
will be done under the appropriate protocol.
Medical Director approved medication regimens are designed to provide the Ranger Medic the ability to manage multiple
conditions without compromising standards of care. Appropriate documentation of diagnosis and treatment rendered in
the patient’s medical record will be accomplished when the unit returns to their forward operating base.
Unit Protocols are not designed to conduct Medical/Civic Action (MEDCAP) missions independently. Evacuation recom-
mendations are based on the appropriate therapy per protocol being initiated on diagnosis. The definitions of urgent, prior-
ity, and routine evacuations are based on the times found in Joint Publication 4-02.2 of 2, 4, and 24 hours, respectively.
Unit medical officers use protocols to develop the knowledge base and capability of Ranger Medics during unit sick call.
Ranger Medics should not perform any step in a standing order or protocol if they have not been trained to perform the SECTION 6
procedure or treatment in question.
Emergency, trauma, and tactical medicine continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Accordingly, this document is subject to
change as new information and guidelines become available and are accepted by the medical community. The Ranger
Medic must continuously expand and sustain his knowledge base.

Standing Orders and Protocols
These standing orders and protocols are for use ONLY by Ranger Medics while providing emergency care under
the license of their medical director. Ranger Medics who are authorized to operate under the trauma management
team guidelines may not use these standing orders outside of their military employment. Revocation of privileges
will be considered by the granting authority if these standards are violated.

2022 RANGER MEDIC HANDBOOK 7