Several factors influence the delivery of TCCC and are worth mentioning, as understanding them can help you prepare yourself and your CMC or CLS personnel to deliver better care.11 Some of these were partially highlighted when we described the application of TCCC in different environments but warrant being repeated because of their importance. Although not inclusive, these factors include:
- Hostile environments – if you are not under fire, that risk is always present and requires some of your attention.
- Tactical environments – your situation will dictate your movements and communication options, as well as access to support personnel.
- Wound pattern differences – depending on your mission profile, you may anticipate different threats which may make certain injury patterns more likely.
- Environmental considerations – more often than not, you will need to deal with poor lighting, austere conditions, and maybe inclement weather.
- Unknown response personnel capabilities – in the best-case scenario, you will have had time to train and work with your ASM, CLS, and CMC personnel, but that is not always the case.
- Resource limitations – tactical considerations may limit what you can take with you, and resupply can be erratic (or nonexistent).
- Evacuation delays – the potential for significant delays may lead to prolonged field care issues.