The primary focus of most tactical medical kits is traumatic injury. These lightweight kits usually include equipment to handle different forms of trauma, from specialized bandages to chest seals and tourniquets.
But the priority of any emergency treatment, whether trauma-related or medical, is securing the airway. So today we’ll discuss four airway tools to include in your tactical medical kit.
With any patient, your assessment must begin with the airway. Ensuring a patent airway is the best means of warding off hypoxia, so be alert for the signs, which include:
Since most tactical scenes involve violence and your treatments will likely be trauma-related, you should maintain a high index of suspicion for respiratory distress if you notice any of the following chest injuries:
Thoracic trauma can result in difficult breathing, hypoxia, and even respiratory arrest, so when assessing the chest, pay special attention to the following signs:
The rapid assessments that take place during tactical scenarios rely on minimal equipment—only what you can carry with you. To properly assess the airway, you will need at least the basics:
The intense nature of tactical scenarios requires rapid assessment and intervention. Basic airway tools may suffice, providing a patent airway and allowing you to assist ventilations. Basic tools include:
Applying basic airway management tools can ensure patency, stabilizing your patient until an advanced airway can be put in place or the patient is transported to an appropriate facility.
If the basic tools or techniques are inadequate, you may decide your patient requires an advanced airway. Endotracheal intubation, considered the most effective means of securing the airway, has many advantages, including:
Indications for placing an endotracheal tube are:
Your tactical kit should contain a range of advanced airway tools to choose from. These include:
Having an assortment of advanced airway tools will enable you to treat any respiratory emergency.
One of your most critical pieces of respiratory gear is your portable suction unit. This is especially important during tactical scenarios, since the patient will most likely suffer from trauma and may have profuse bleeding.
Manual, hand-operated suction units will not be able to keep up with copious blood or vomit. Using a battery-operated, lightweight suction unit, designed specifically for tactical medicine, will free up the hands of rescuers while providing continuous, efficient suction. This is especially important during intubation, when bleeding may impede visualization of the vocal cords. A battery-powered suction device will provide the necessary negative pressure to evacuate the oral cavity, allowing the placement of an endotracheal tube.
Consider including a hyper-curved catheter for difficult airways, which may present as:
Although your tactical medical kit must be small and easy to carry, it should still contain enough equipment to enable you to assess, stabilize, and correct a respiratory emergency. By including these four essential tools, you will be prepared to handle whatever tactical scenario comes your way.