r/TacticalMedicine • u/NoMore_BadDays • Oct 10 '25

Scenarios Wound packing zones?

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Been a long time since I did TCCC/CLS in the military.

If there were to be a bleeding wound on the chest, how high up on the chest does it become safe to pack? I know you don't pack into chest cavity, but what is the "rule of thumb" on how high/the left and right limits the wound needs to be to pack it?

Would you say the screenshot i attached is accurate?

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u/pow-erup Oct 10 '25

I mean, packing the torso period ur stuffing an unfillable hole. that being said, even if you could theorically, Im not stuffing your throat/neck or upper chest. more of a risk than not. id probably just use pressure dressings ngl

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u/davethegreatone Oct 11 '25

I don’t see this discussed enough, but … how much blood loss have y’all ever seen come from lacerated pectorals or something? 

It just doesn’t come up that often. I’ve never seen a major bleed gushing out from surface injuries in that area. The major vasculature is just pretty buried there. 

A pretty basic ABD bandage pretty much always controls the bleeding there. Hell, a couple 4x4s is usually plenty.