Army Medical Department Journal, 2005, PB 8-05-4/5/6 Apr/May/Jun
At the time this article was written, the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines had been widely practiced with excellent results throughout the SpecialOperations community. However, there had been very little spread of the use of the TCCC guidelines into conventional units. This article reviews the use of the principles of TCCC by a mechanized infantry unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom1 One (OIF I).
Antibiotics were administered to all casualties with open wounds, even relatively minor fragmentation wounds. None of the casualties developed wound infections. The exact antibiotics recommended in the TCCC guidelines could not be obtained, but suitable alternatives were found. Soldiers who could take oral medicines received Levofloxacin, which was convenient due to its once daily dosing. Those wounded who could not take medicines orally received IV Cefazolin for extremity wounds and lV Ceftriaxone for abdominal injuries.