What is the medical priority in care under fire?

The medical priority in care under fire is focused on immediate measures that can save a life while addressing life-threatening conditions in a high-risk environment. Extremity hemorrhage control with tourniquets is crucial in this scenario as uncontrolled bleeding can lead to death within minutes. Tourniquets effectively stop the blood flow from injured limbs, allowing for stabilization before evacuation to a safer area or further medical intervention.

This priority acknowledges the urgent need to manage severe blood loss, particularly in a combat or emergency setting where casualties must be treated quickly and efficiently to minimize the risk of fatality. Other options, such as rescue breathing and administering IV fluids, while important aspects of medical care, are secondary to controlling hemorrhage in the context of immediate threats to life. Transporting to a hospital is necessary, but it occurs after critical interventions have stabilized the individual. Thus, controlling hemorrhage with tourniquets takes precedence when under direct threat.