Medical / First aid Kit

[lost1]

I am looking for a REASONABLY priced kit. This task is proving to be more difficult than I thought. Any suggestions?

[WileyCoyote]

Best Medical Kit -
Make your own!

The problem with the mass-produced ones is that they have a lot of things in them that you do not need.
As an Emer Med Tech, here are the basics:
Box of bandaids
10-20 4x4 bandages
1 large thick sterile bandage, 8x12
1 large burn sheet
3 rolls of 3 inch Kling or larger
2-3 rolls of 3-inch hospital tape
2 2-ft padded boards
2 4-foot padded boards
4 triangular bandages
bottle of ammonia or 2x2 ammonia pads
2-4 instant ice packs (turn to ice when schmacked against a hard surface)
2-4 instant hot packs
one 450 ml bottle of sterile water
one 450 ml bottle of sterile saline water
1 pack of needles and a clean sealed spool or container of thread
One OB (obstetrical) kit OR
1 bulb syringe, 1 scalpel or sharp sterilized cutting instrument, 2 'chucks' (plastic on one side, absorbent material on the other) and two sets of small sterile clamps


Substitutions can be made, but cleanliness is a factor, as is precision. You don't want to use a greasy clamp or one that breaks if you are delivering a baby and trying to clamp off the umbilical cord - or having to clamp off something else, and you don't want to whip out your trusty pocketknife to make an incision and have to hack away at your own or a loved one's flesh.
USES:

Box of bandaids - for small injuries to not become large infections, especially punctures

10-20 4x4 bandages - for multiple injuries requiring protection from the elements (use hospital tape or Kling to secure)

1 large thick sterile bandage, 8x12 - For a large injury especially to soft tissue over the organs; secure with tape or Kling - usually tightly. Moisten if used on the abdomen or chest.
1 large burn sheet - non stick, obvious uses. if you use fuzzy or lint-covered bandages on a burn, it will cause infection. Before applying, douse injury liberally with sterile water.

3 rolls of 3 inch Kling or larger - you can wrap any bandage with Kling; on extremities you can rip it in half and tie it or tape it.

2 2-ft padded boards - to stabilize broken arms or immobilize badly injured ones

2 4-foot padded boards - ditto above on legs

4 triangular bandages - can be used to sling and swathe broken or injured arms, shoulders, and tie down padded boards

bottle of ammonia or 2x2 ammonia pads - bug bites and stings, even jellyfish stings

2-4 instant ice packs (turn to ice when schmacked against a hard surface) reduces blood flow in deep injuries, also for heat exhaustion or heat stroke application to back of neck and pulse points, as well as to reduce swelling in sprains and strains

2-4 instant hot packs - for cold weather to help against short term frostbite situations, as well as to apply to strains and sprains 20 mins after the cold pack

one 450 ml bottle of sterile water - to use on burns as well as to moisten bandages over large injuries over organs

one 450 ml bottle of sterile saline water - to rinse out eyes and other mucous membranes

1 pack of needles and a clean sealed spool or container of thread - to remove splinters as well as to sew up wounds when a doctor is not feasible or available within 12 hours.

One OB (obstetrical) kit OR
1 bulb syringe, 1 scalpel or sharp sterilized cutting instrument, 2 'chucks' (plastic on one side, absorbent material on the other) and two sets of small sterile clamps

The OB kit is not just for OBs! You can use the bulb syringe to rinse out eyes with saline, the scalpel to cut away embedded foreign objects in an emergency, the chucks for a sterile setting to do minor surgeries or moist application, the clamps to hold back tissue or blood flow for cutting

And finally Aspirin or other pain killers or medications as necessary or available - always a good idea to keep them in the med kit so that you know where they are.

[Rick]

Hi Lost1,

Possibly you can save money by putting it together yourself..a little here and there each time you cruise through Wally World. This place has good deals on the more advanced items:

http://www.shopmedvet.com/

I have used them several times and the service and quality was great.

As far as carrying my med supplies, I go with a multi-level approach.

LBE gear, a plastic box with everyday fixer-uppers, a gym bag with supplies for more extensive problems, and banana boxes with supplies for extended care and replacements.

The gym bag is divided (using 2 1/2 gallon zip-locks) by type of injury: major trauma, broken bones, long term nursing, instruments, and OB. There is some crossover in supplies, for example there are 4" gauze sponges in the OB, Trauma, and Ortho bags, but it saves a lot of rooting around in the bag when there is an emergency.

It's not a perfect system, but it works OK. You may well decide on something different.

Here is a link to some med sites that will have lists of first aid boxes.

http://www.ssrsi.org/911/Medical/advan.htm

have fun,

;D