New Combat Life Saver curriculum
 

I have been reviewing the new CLS curriculum and I Imust say that the changes are for the better. One skill that totally suprised me is the recognition and treatment of tension pnuemothorax! Combat Life savers will now carry 14ga needles and be trained on how to "needle" a casualtie's chest!

This presents new challenges to CLS instructors. I have my own oppinions of training non medical soldiers to do this when I know that a great number of ordinary line medics would panic over having to stick a needle in someone's chest.
As for me, BTDT several times. The pucker factor is always high!
HTM

The CLS Course was only a guide for us when I was training my Team Mates years ago; meaning they were well up to speed when they got through. I knew as the lone Medic that I had to instill the skills necessary for them to take care of me if I needed help. ;)

You'd be very surprised at the level of cross-training we go through. No man is an Island on a Team. One of the best trauma clinic's I saw ran was from an 18C.

Doc: That cross-training you mentioned sounds just like the type of stuff I like!
MY concern is the regular soldiers-many of whom are "forced" by their Cof C to be combat life savers being able to effectively use the CLS skills that they slept in class through. I see this often. Some students have gone so far as to tell the cadre that they want nothing to do with CLS!!! Slugs abound!

Understood.

I guess I was spoiled being around SF Guys. You taught a class and minutes later they are competing against each other to see who can do it the best and in the least amount of time.

Spoiled Doc? Wow Thats the main reason I want to be a QP! Every now and then we do get soldiers in the CLS program that are motivated like that but there are plenty of the unmotivated," I dont want to be here" types running around....but you know that already. I love the mind set you guys have!
HTM

the course has broad appeal and is long overdue IMHO....
I sincerely hope that the needles used for chest decompression are 5cm (2.5 inches), 14 or 16 G....anything shorted has a 65% chance of not entering the pleural space.. This has been well documented in 2 studies...the regular 1 1/4 inch that most people carry for IVs are inadequate for the chest.

ss

where can i get my hands on the CLS curriculum?

52B, I Googled Army Combat Lifesaver with good results.


I went through CLS about a year ago, and loved it. Only ever had to put it to use once, to make a stick after a Soldier fell out in the 4 in 36. Even for soft skills, its a must, and anything they care to add on is just icing on the cake.


S

cant find a new one just the old.
i like the new one

I'm doing the CLS course at the end of the month.. is the new curriculum already being taught?

haztacmedic,
Can you elaborate on any other changes to the curriculum?
I am very excited that tension pnuemothorax will be taught.
I last went through CLS March 2005.

Thanks,
Rob K

Moobob, A1k, Sorry guys Ive been at the great school of buffoonery called BNCOC. Moobob: My understanding is that if you go to CLS and get the old version-they are teaching you obsolete crap. You should be learning the new stuff.

A1K: The new course will have things like : The three stages of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Saline locks in place of running Iv fluid, plueral decompression, skedcos, 9-line medevac requests, FMCs and so on.

If I dont get back to you guys this week I'll catch up with you next week.
HTM

http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/clsp/
Use the above link...

Eagle

I went through the bulk of the new CLS course today, including the tension pnuemothorax training. Good stuff, very interesting. One of the instructors is a former SF medic with a long break in service, that recently joined the Guard.

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