Next Generation Combat Medic

Knowledge Weighs Nothing in the Rucksack

Prolonged Field Care

PFCLogo

     www.prolongedfieldcare.org is the official site of the Prolonged Field Care Working Group. Some of the members of NGCM are also involved with PFC.

Prolonged Field Care should not be attempted until mastery of TCCC is attained. While the content is mainly geared towards Special Operations and Forces medics, the basics is what saves lives and there is plenty of applicable information.

The podcasts are good to listen to, and afterward head to “Downloads” and you’ll have plenty to save, print and laminate to help with training, as well as put in the aid bag and aid station.

 

 Posts about PFC:

  • Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation - Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use in combat is usually reserved for a Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT) like team.  These ECMO teams are specially trained to perform this skill.  As as military medic, you may find yourself assisting or eventually part of the care team for a patient on ECMO. Like many other medical advancements ECMO […]
  • Alternative Hydration Options - Replacing fluids during resuscitation whilst working in a remote clinic can be challenging. The best option, of course, is whole blood followed by various intravenous solutions. Few remote locations have whole blood outside of the walking blood bank option which is still a hot top in the industry and unfortunately, not widely accepted. Once you […]
  • Blood Transfusions, Reactions, and More - This article was last reviewed in December 2018 and is based on research available at that time. We will attempt to update this page as new evidence and best practice becomes available. “Colloids and Crystalloids don’t carry oxygen or clotting factors. As Combat Medics we stop hemorrhaging, so it only makes sense to replace the […]
  • U.S. Army Rangers use IV fluids to rehydrate 46 hours into the rescue mission following Operation Red Wings II, July 2005 Oral or I.V. fluid for Heat Casualties and Dehydration on extended patrols? -      On multiple occasions, missions have taken longer than previously thought. (Shocking, I know.)  When briefed that it’s only a few hours some may take less (or even no) water on mission to ‘stay lighter’, and then the mission can end up taking days instead of hours. This is a situation the Medic going […]
  • MAJ Jonathan Monti, EMPA, teaches medics in the 82nd Airborne Division how to use ultrasound. Prolonged Field Care for the Combat Medic - We anticipate the future threat environment may require casualty care holding that exceeds current evacuation planning factors (i.e. the Golden Hour).  — LTG Nadja West, Army Surgeon General addressing the Senate Committee on Appropriations, March 2017 The Army Medical Department is pushing for medics to be capable of caring for a wounded patient in the […]
  • Tranexamic Acid - Updated January 2019. Tranexamic Acid or TXA is a drug administered for a variety of reasons. In Japan, women can buy it over the counter for heavy menstrual bleeding. It is used for prophylaxis before some knee surgeries to prevent bleeding. In the military, it is used as an anti-fibrinolytic in trauma patients and has […]
  • Whole Blood Toolkit: Questions & Answers for your Medical Director - This article was last reviewed in February 2022 and is based on research available at that time. We will attempt to update this page as new evidence and best practice becomes available. You may be aware of the recent resurgence in talk surrounding whole blood transfusions on the battlefield. There is quite a bit of […]