So I got to thinking we should have a thread that can serve as shopping list / idea bag. Almost like a brain storming area for items you might want / need in your kit. Let's go from simple boo boos to full blown trauma. As people make suggestions I'll do my best to update the OP as to make one big old list. Feel free to add categories, items, or your $.02. Disclaimer: My medical training is limited to advanced first aid, AED, CPR, buddy care. I'm not a medical professional. And as said here so many times and I'll say it again, get some training and if you don't know how to use it DON'T!! BOO BOO KIT / bandages: Band aids (asst sizes and styles) Antiseptic Med tape Steri strips OTC meds: Pain reliever Chewable asprin (heart attack) Anti-diarrheal Allergy pill Stabilization: C collar SAM Splint Finger splint Triangle bandage Trauma: Tourniquet Gauze (rolled, 4x4, etc.) Hemostatic agent or impregenated gauze Saline NPA (nasopharyngeal airway) OPA (oralpharyngeal airway Decompression needle Iraeli bandage Chest seals Needle & thread Tracheotomy tube Tools/devices: LOTS of gloves Trauma sheers Scissors Seatbelt cutter Glass breaker AED (I know I can't afford it, but I wish I could). Stethoscope Light source CPR mask/shield Sharpie Blanket Ice pack Alcohol wipes Tweezers Moleskin Thermometer Hand suction Random good stuff to have: Chem light(s) High viz vest Hand sanitizer Heavy work gloves I'll think of more later and I look forward to everyone's input.
Good idea! A few thoughts: Boo boo kit My personal preference here is band aids that can be cut down to the appropriate size/shape and then a few basic standard size. Carrying a bunch of different sizes is usually bulkier and you eventually end up with sizes/shapes that are not being used. Trauma OPA in addition to the NPA. Israeli bandage or similar. Saline for what? Wound irrigation? Eye irrigation? Irrigating wounds with low pressure saline is not worth the weight/hassle in a prehospital setting. For eye irrigation it might have a place but should ideally be designed for this purpose. Tools Light source should be mountable, either a head lamp or something that can easily be clipped for hands free operation. Hand disinfectant should be alcohol based. Regarding AED, even if you can't afford one/want to carry one it is always good to make a note (mental or otherwise) on the locations of public AEDs. Around here we got an app for smartphones that links to a registry for AEDs. In addition the app contains instructions on basic and AED CPR. Heavy gloves, such as work gloves. Nitrile/vinyl/latex (preferably not the last one) is all good and well, until you realize you need to move broken glass, metal, sharp edges etc. CPR mask should be the standard, the shield versions are inferior in all ways except size/weight (and to some extent, cost). Maybe we should keep it light on the acronyms to make sure everyone knows what is what. OPA is oropharyngeal airway,a plastic piece you put into the mouth to secure the airway airway. NPA is nasopharyngeal airway, a rubber(y) tube that goes into a nostril to secure the airway.
gloves epinephrine albuterol inhaler whatever size gauze your heart desires tourniquet *a hospital close by*
Hmm To the tools/random column, I would add a Good set up tweezers. Maybe a slant and needle nose set. Moleskin - preventative medical. Not necessary but a thermometer. A real one or the disposable strip that don't take up any room. My girlfriend like checking her temperature a lot for some reason. She always might be getting sick lol. Come to think of it, Most things I carry because of her or others. I don't get hurt much (I mainly use Advil, Benadryl, or moleskin) when I do use my kit) but people around me seem to always be scraping into everything. I don't get it.
I don't know if there is a commercial product available, but in one of my HS classes that certified us for the 80 hour Red Cross course had us get some thick knee high socks. We cut the toes off and rolled them into donuts to stabilize an object tha impaled a patient so it would move less (think piece of debris that struck someone and was lodged into them). The triangle bandage might work for that also, but we were told to have something pre made that could be used quickly.
Ace is pretty thin, the point of it was so it would come up the side of the object a little ways to make sure it didn't move around and to stabilize the object if you need to leave it in. Sometimes pulling something out can cause more damage and it is best to stabilize and let the doctors remove it when the patient gets to the ER.
You should practically always leave it in, there's very few situations where removing a foreign object in the field yields positive results. That said a pre-rolled "bandage" seems to be a bit overkill, it can be done with most trauma bandages. Especially since there's a difference in circumference on impaling objects.
Haven't seen a chest seal noted. should be pairs - one entrance one exit for booboo stuff - Lighter and sewing needle will do wonders for blood blisters under finger nails. Steri strips are a must have. Skip over butterflies, they suck. +1 on tweezers, I work with glass for a living, and they are the single most used item in my work kit
+1 on steri strips (there's a neat trick to make steri strips from med tape, but pre fab are easier) hypafix tape (wide, very stretchy, very sticky - multitude of uses) trach tube (or something that will work as one) scissors *** Also, for a portable (aka: packable) kit, I discovered these little guys in the sporting goods / fishing dept. at a well known SuperStore, for less that $6 … completely watertight and pretty rugged …
- Safety pins. Great for securing triangular bandages for makeshift slings and countless other uses - After Bite. Helps relieve insect bites.
i used to use one of these for my pfak. but i switched over to the condor rip-away emt lite. i think i'm going to build a secondary fire kit to put in the plano box since it's waterproof.
OTC meds that are good to have on hand: Tylenol. Motrin Aspirin Benadryl sudafed Mucinex Stool softener Pepto Imodium Afrin nasal spray Saline nasal spray Eye drops Kids meds and know the doses for your little ones. Creams: Cortisone Triple antibiotic Anti fungal Prescription: Zofran (nausea/vomiting) Pain meds (as long as your not an addict) Tessalon Pearls (stop coughing) Lunesta (sleep). I say lunesta because it has fewer side effects then ambien.
I don't see it mentioned and I noticed I have one of these in my kit as well: disposable razor. They come in real handy for shaving an area around a wound when applying bandaids etc so they don't pull hair when taken off.
I'd suggest burn gel as well, I carry it in my work bag and an outing kit for my kids when camping. I also carry 5mg Melatonin as a sleep aid as you can divide them.
I'd suggest burn gel as well, I carry it in my work bag and an outing kit for my kids when camping. I also carry 5mg Melatonin as a sleep aid as you can divide them.
