The recommendations of CoTCCC and the TCCC Guidelines they produce form the backbone of TCCC training and prehospital care for the DOD. Recent policy statements from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs highlight the importance of these guidelines and recommendations in training34 and choosing lifesaving material (equipment for use in TCCC),35 in addition to the DOD instruction on TCCC training for All Service Members.36

Although the importance of the CoTCCC Guidelines and recommendations is highlighted by the emphasis placed on it through policy statements, the impact that the guidance has had on casualty outcomes really validates their importance. Beginning with initial studies that demonstrated improved survival when responders followed TCCC guidance,37,38 research has shown that adhering to the recommendations of CoTCCC and using the TCCC Guidelines positively affects casualty outcomes.39,40,41

A primary reason that the recommendations and guidance remain important tools for prehospital medical personnel is that they are not based on anecdotal experiences or outcomes from individual scenarios but use an evidence-based approach that is augmented by the subject matter expertise of very combat-experienced professionals. This applies not only to the treatment guidelines and clinical practice guidelines but to recommendations for equipment and TCCC training.