What is Tactical Medicine?Tactical medicine is the intersection of prehospital medical care and combat, both military and civilian alike. It focuses primarily on providing medical care from traumatic, violent injuries in threatening situations. It is regularly associated with military and “SWAT” team medics, but can range extensively beyond those realms. Over the last decade and half, tactical medicine has evolved significantly due to combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Furthermore, the rise of post-9/11 terrorism and active shooter incidents has created an unprecedented demand for tactical medical resources domestically. As such, the lines between military, law enforcement, and emergency medical services have blurred. Today, tactical medicine is recognised as a legitimate sub-specialty of medicine that is rapidly to evolving and is still difficult to define due to the wide-ranging forms takes to reflect the demands of varying operational environments.
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