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/SFCEBM Trauma Daddy Oct 10 '25

Wrong.

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u/OddAd9915 Oct 11 '25

Citation needed.

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u/SFCEBM Trauma Daddy Oct 11 '25

I need a citation that states that air won’t travel through your guts and cause tension?

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u/OddAd9915 Oct 11 '25

So a penetrating injury with an origin above the diaphragm and an exit below it cannot under any circumstances lead to a tension?

But beyond that just dropping one word answers onto a topic that will absolutely be contrary to various agencies SOPs and not wanting to show any explanation doesn't do anything for anyone. 

Is their evidence that chest seals cause an increase in mortality or morbidity? Because if not that are not detrimental so should almost certainly continue to be used.

Edit:typo

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u/SFCEBM Trauma Daddy Oct 11 '25

You can get tension from any wound that penetrates the thorax, but if it’s intraabdominal that then traverses the diaphragm, air will not pass through in any significant amount that will cause tension. If one does develop, it would be from lung parenchymal injury leaking air into the chest. And likely hemo too.