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The Tarkov Handbook

Medicine

Every injury type and the item that fixes it, plus which medkit is actually worth carrying.

Core Concepts

The injuries you'll be treating, ordered from most to least urgent. Colored bars flag severity.

Heavy Bleeding

−0.9 HP / 4s Treat First

Fast HP drain across all body parts that also leaves a blood trail. Stop it before anything else with a tourniquet, hemostatic injector, or medkit.

Destroyed ("Blacked") Limb

Surgery Only

A limb at 0 HP can't be healed by a medkit — only a surgical kit restores it, and only to a capped % of max HP for the raid. A destroyed Head or Thorax is fatal and can't be repaired.

Light Bleeding (Blood Loss)

−0.8 HP / 6s

A slower drain across all body parts. The least urgent bleed, but it still adds up — a bandage or any medkit stops it.

Fracture

Movement / Aim

A broken limb limps (leg) or shakes your aim (arm), same as a destroyed limb until healed. A splint stops the effect temporarily; a medkit or surgical kit fully heals it.

Contusion

~30–60s, self-heals

From a nearby explosion or a bullet glancing off your helmet: muffled hearing, ringing, and swaying vision. Harmless and clears on its own — no item needed.

Medkits

Medkit HP Value Fixes Notes
AI-2100NoneBasic USSR-era service kit; HP restore only.
Car First Aid Kit220Blood lossEmergency-only kit, like a fire extinguisher for your body.
Salewa First Aid Kit Recommended400Blood Loss (45), Heavy Bleed (175)Contains bivibag + bandages/dressing tools.
IFAK300Blood Loss (30), Heavy Bleed (210)US Marine Corps gen-3 personal kit.
AFAK400Blood Loss (30), Heavy Bleed (170)Advanced personal kit, adaptive design.
Grizzly Medical Kit Best-in-Slot1800Blood Loss (40), Fracture (50), Heavy Bleed (130), ContusionConsidered one of the best kits overall.

The Most Important Section On This Page

Which Medkit Should You Run

Raw HP value isn't the whole story — what a kit actually fixes, and how many uses it has of each fix, matters just as much. Here are the two that matter, head to head.

Salewa

Recommended
HP Pool
400
Fixes
Blood Loss, Heavy Bleed
Cost / Rarity
Cheap · common
Best For
Every raid

Covers the two things that actually kill you mid-fight. The default "always carry one" kit.

vs

Grizzly

Best-in-Slot
HP Pool
1800
Fixes
Bleeds + Fracture + Contusion
Cost / Rarity
Expensive · rare
Best For
All-in-one loadouts

The only kit here that also fixes breaks and concussions. One item handles everything.

The Verdict — Run Salewa for the vast majority of raids: bleeding is what kills you mid-fight, a fracture just slows you down. Save Grizzly for when you want one item that does it all, or when inventory space is tighter than your wallet. Don't assume more HP means better — check what a kit actually fixes against what you'll face.

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Splints

×1

Immobilizing Splint

Single-use. Immobilizes you while applying to a leg; arm application allows movement.

×5

Aluminum Splint

Five uses. Same movement rule as the Immobilizing Splint — the reusable pick when you can afford it.

Painkillers

Item Uses Duration Notes
Analgin Painkillers41:20Cheapest, most available.
Morphine Injector15:00Powerful, single-use.
Ibuprofen154:20NSAID — pain, fever, inflammation.
Vaseline Balm65:00Also usable on small cuts/burns.
Golden Star Balm65:50Vietnamese balm (Cao Sao Vang).

Surgical Kits

×5

CMS Surgical Kit

The budget option. Repairs a destroyed limb but leaves it fragile for the rest of the raid.

Caps at 25–45% HP
×15

Surv12 Field Surgical Kit

The upgrade. More uses, a higher HP cap, and it clears any fracture on the same limb in one use.

Caps at 60–72% HP

Injectors & Stimulants

Buff Debuff / cost

Strength Dominant

SJ1 TGLabs Combat Stimulant

+20 Endurance +20 Strength +20 Stress Resistance −0.25/s Energy −0.3/s Hydration

M.U.L.E.

+50% Weight Limit −0.1/s Health +9% Damage Taken

L1 (Norepinephrine)

Painkiller (2 min) +10 Endurance +20 Strength +30 Max Stamina −0.45/s Energy Rec. −0.45/s Hydration Rec.

Endurance Dominant

SJ1 TGLabs Combat Stimulant

+20 Endurance +20 Strength +20 Stress Resistance −0.25/s Energy −0.3/s Hydration

Meldonin

−10% Damage Taken +0.5 Stamina Rec. +20 Endurance +10 Strength −0.1/s Energy Rec. −0.1/s Hydration Rec.

Adrenaline

+10 Endurance +10 Strength +10 Recoil Control +4/s HP −0.8/s Energy Rec. −1/s Hydration Rec. −10 Stress Resistance

Regenerative

Propital

+20 Metabolism +20 Health +20 Vitality +1/s HP Tremors Tunnel Effect

ETG-Change

+20 Metabolism +20 Immunity +6.5/s HP +0.5/s Energy Rec. −3/s Energy Rec. −5 Health −5 Endurance

xTG-12 Antidote

Removes Toxin Gives Antidote Status −5 Health

Hemostatic

Zagustin

+20 Vitality Prevents Bleeding Tremors −1.4/s Hydration Rec. −5 Metabolism

AHF1-M

+5 Health Prevents Bleeding Tremor −0.25/s Energy Rec.

Other

SJ9 TGLabs Combat Stimulant

−7°C Body Temp (thermal evasion) −20 Metabolism Pain

3-(b-TG)

+30 Attention +30 Perception +10 Strength +1/s Stamina Rec. Tremor −0.25/s Energy Rec.

P22

−10% Damage Taken +30 Stress Resistance +30 Health +30 Vitality −10 Endurance −0.8/s Stamina Rec.

"Obdolbos" Cocktail

+10 Endurance +10 Strength +20 Stress Resistance +20 Charisma +0.5 Stamina Rec. −20 Memory −20 Intellect −20 Attention +25% Abdominal Bleeding +20% Damage Taken Tunnel Effect

Gamble drug — negative effects vary each use.

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Medicine FAQ

How do I heal?

Right-click a medkit and select "Use", or bind items to number keys (the item must be in your vest or pockets first: hover over it and press a number). Standard bindings: 4 = Medkit, 5 = Painkillers, 6 = Splint/Hemostat.

Are meds easy to find in raid?

Rarely — most medical containers yield bandages, not full kits. Bring a backup medkit rather than relying on loot.

Should I heal mid-fight?

Risky but sometimes necessary. Prefer injectors over medkits during active engagements — faster, less audio giveaway. Only medkit mid-fight if absolutely necessary or you're safely at range.

Is it OK to not be full HP after a fight?

Yes — prioritize healing over looting once safe, unless you need to leave immediately. Below 50% HP, avoid further engagements.

What heals blood loss?

Car First Aid Kit, Salewa, IFAK, AFAK, Grizzly, a bandage, or the Zagustin injector.

What heals heavy bleed?

Salewa, IFAK, AFAK, Grizzly, a tourniquet, a hemostat, or the Zagustin injector.