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There are two classifications of hemorrhage in the prehospital environment: compressible and non-compressible. Compressible hemorrhage is bleeding from a site that can be controlled by placement of a tourniquet. Non-compressible hemorrhage is bleeding from a site that is not amenable to tourniquet placement. This category is further divided into truncal hemorrhage, meaning bleeding from the chest and abdomen, and junctional hemorrhage, or bleeding from the groin, neck, and axillary. Non-compressible hemorrhage is challenging to control in the field and accounts for 90% of the potentially survivable deaths from hemorrhage in the field. [19] |
