PFC Podcast 281: Crisis Standards of Care: The Hardest Conversations Medics and Teams Must Have

About this episode

Dennis and Thad Snyder discuss the difficult conversations medics must have regarding crisis standards of care in combat medicine.

In this raw and unflinching episode of the Prolonged Field Care Podcast, Dennis sits down with Thad Snyder (physician, former medic, and brigade surgeon) to tackle one of the most uncomfortable topics in combat medicine: what happens when resources run out, evacuation timelines collapse, and “doing everything” is no longer possible. Drawing from a 72-page crisis standards of care memo (originally written for flu and updated for COVID), Thad explains the shift from standard → contingency → crisis care, the ethical duty to plan for no-win scenarios, and why medics, teams, and leaders must have real conversations about capabilities, limitations, and what “living” actually means after catastrophic injury. They explore palliative/comfort care in austere environments, the emotional weight of those decisions, and practical ways to share the burden so the medic isn’t left carrying it alone. Essential listening for medics, operators, team leaders, and anyone preparing for large-scale combat or prolonged operations where the next casualty might not get a bird out for days or weeks. Key Takeaways There is a duty to plan for crisis standards of care before you’re in the middle of it. Leaders…

People in this episode

Host: Dennis

Guest: Thad Snyder

Topics covered

• Crisis Standards of Care
• Combat Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Ethical Decision Making
• Resource Limitations
• Team Communication

Keywords

• Crisis Care
• Combat Medicine
• Medics
• Palliative Care
• Ethical Duty
• Resource Management
• Advanced Directives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Prolonged Field Care Podcast, COVID, flu

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