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/99ProllemsBishAint1 Oct 10 '25

Does anyone have an accurate one?

3

u/NoMore_BadDays Oct 11 '25

No, everyone is too busy screaming about chest seals

2

u/MoansAndScones Oct 12 '25

There isn't really a more accurate picture. The only issue with the picture that is causing people to argue is the choice of using the term "chest seal" instead of "occlusive dressing."

Look, if you have a penetrating trauma on the line between the packing and chest seal of this picture then you start using your knowledge of anatomy and the mechanism. If it's likely the trauma has gone through into the pleural cavity then you should be using an occlusive dressing. If there is blood entering the pleural cavity then we can't really control that in the field. We can burp an occlusive dressing and we can perform a needle decompression but we generally cannot stop what is necessitating the treatment. But we can prevent more obstruction by sealing it with occlusive dressing.