It is important to understand how to perform a visual blood sweep to distinguish life-threatening hemorrhage from minor bleeding. The following are examples of when bleeding is considered life-threatening:

1. There is a traumatic amputation of an arm or leg
2. There is pulsing or steady bleeding from the wound
3. Blood is pooling on the ground
4. Overlying clothes are soaked with blood

If you see any of these examples during your visual blood sweep, apply a limb tourniquet over the uniform clearly proximal to the bleeding site(s). If the site of the life-threatening bleeding is not readily apparent, place the tourniquet “high and tight” (as proximal as possible) on the injured limb and move the casualty to cover.

You may not really know if hemorrhage is life-threatening until the Tactical Field Care phase when the wound can be exposed and evaluated. If you suspect it is life-threatening in Care Under Fire, treat it.

Remember during CUF the only medical intervention is applying a limb tourniquet to stop life-threatening bleeding from an extremity injury. Other wounds (like the neck, armpit, groin, or abdomen) are not treated during CUF. However, if the casualty is able, direct them to apply pressure to the wounds as self-aid. Airway and other issues are also not treated until the TFC phase.