In general. I see a lot of medical supplies sold at gun shows. Things that quite honestly, no one will really use, but they sell the crap out of. Unless you have access to definitive medical care (meaning you can get your victim to an ED in a reasonable amount of time), the average person does not need endotracheal tubes, IV supplies, etc. You need a way to stop bleeding....whether a tourniquet (that you'd better understand when and how to use it), or gauze (impregnated with hemostatics or not) or your gloved hand holding pressure. If you need more than that and you're by yourself, your victim probably is not gonna do well.
http://www.galls.com/dyna-med-hydro-series-als-kit
This is what we carry on every fire truck(among other EMS equip bags), several of us carry one in our POV's. Cheap, no, small, no, but equipped. Combi-tubes are a nice addition.
This is what we carry on every fire truck(among other EMS equip bags), several of us carry one in our POV's. Cheap, no, small, no, but equipped. Combi-tubes are a nice addition.
Again, can you use EVERYTHING in your bag competently and proficiently? I have no idea of your skill level. You may be able to. But like I said, I see so much wasted crap at gunshows or online that will benefit no-one. I am an ER doc, and I'm not gonna be able to place an endotracheal tube (even in a family member) and then bag them w/ an ambu-bag for some unknown amount of time. Are you bagging too fast? Too slow? What do their blood gasses tell you? Oh, that's right, you don't have ABGs available because you're in some field with zero hope of EMS finding you. Now that you have them tubed, you gotta control the hemorrhage from their brachial artery. How you gonna do that? Your hands are busy bagging your loved one and you can't stop to place the tourniquet because then there is no ventilation so they keep bleeding. What about oxygen delivery? Wait, I don't have any oxygen because I just got this bag out of my truck....Now there's been about 1 to 2 liters of blood loss. It's time to start an IV. Can you do that? You need to give fluids....do you have any? Saline, Ringers, D5? What is the correct fluid to give?
Powerman, I'm not singling you out brother, I just posted to your quote. You may be totally competent to do all of those things and to that I say awesome!!! But we all need to really, critically think about what we *really* need in our kit, what can we *really* do if in that situation.
My take? The current trauma acronym is CAB instead of ABC. That's why I always have 1'3 TQ's on me. Brachial bleed comes before intubation. I'd be dropping a King, since I don't carry a laryngoscope (yet, prolly get given on this or next month). If nothing else safety pin their tongue to their lip. ABG's? I don't care. There's nothing I could do about it right then anyway. Fluids? Nope. Unknown time to definitive care, 1-2 liters blood loss and I just got a clot. I don't want to disrupt, weaken or otherwise jack with the clotting factors. UNLESS by some miracle I was carrying TXA. Then it'd be on. Ideally of course it should be blood out, blood in as far as fluids go.
We could always have a thread or discussion of everyones medical items, and ALL their uses.
We could always have a thread or discussion of everyones medical items, and ALL their uses.
For a basic kit you can get away with very little since the majority of injuries are going to use the same supplies.
1. Emergency Shears
2. High quality "super stick" medical tape (if you skimp on this you might as well skip it)
3. Sterile 4x4 pads (as many as you can carry-these are the mainstay of trauma bandaging)
4. Sterile assortment of various size pads
5. Rubber/latex/nitrile gloves (get good ones-skimp on this and they WILL break)
6. Sterile water to irrigate wounds or eyes
7. Gauze rolls for wrapping
8. An ACE bandage
9. A tourniquet
10. Blood clotting agent
From my experience (8 years Fire/Rescue/EMT) these 10 items will be enough to stabilize most injuries short term. If you are wanting a kit that covers intermediate or long term care you will need more items and, preferably, more than basic medical training. In a SHTF scenerio having EMT's, paramedics, nurses or a doctor in your group will improve your survivability dramatically. The funny thing is most people think having a doctor would be enough but many doctors, aside from ER/trauma docs (ER/Trauma doc's and nurse's are the ****...if you know one make him or her your friend cause they are awesome), don't have a great trauma skill set. It wasn't uncommon for doc's to volunteer to ride along so they could learn from the medics. I remember one doc was just amazed how fast and how well the medics could show up on scene, assess the patient and provide care to stabilize them without any kind of hesitation, he was blown away buy it, I could tell he was hooked on the adrenaline rush lol.
If you're a full blown as seen on TV prepper or just someone who likes to be prepared for emergencies make friends with people who have advanced medical training and, preferably, a lot of experience in the field already, you'll thank yourself later.
1. Emergency Shears
2. High quality "super stick" medical tape (if you skimp on this you might as well skip it)
3. Sterile 4x4 pads (as many as you can carry-these are the mainstay of trauma bandaging)
4. Sterile assortment of various size pads
5. Rubber/latex/nitrile gloves (get good ones-skimp on this and they WILL break)
6. Sterile water to irrigate wounds or eyes
7. Gauze rolls for wrapping
8. An ACE bandage
9. A tourniquet
10. Blood clotting agent
From my experience (8 years Fire/Rescue/EMT) these 10 items will be enough to stabilize most injuries short term. If you are wanting a kit that covers intermediate or long term care you will need more items and, preferably, more than basic medical training. In a SHTF scenerio having EMT's, paramedics, nurses or a doctor in your group will improve your survivability dramatically. The funny thing is most people think having a doctor would be enough but many doctors, aside from ER/trauma docs (ER/Trauma doc's and nurse's are the ****...if you know one make him or her your friend cause they are awesome), don't have a great trauma skill set. It wasn't uncommon for doc's to volunteer to ride along so they could learn from the medics. I remember one doc was just amazed how fast and how well the medics could show up on scene, assess the patient and provide care to stabilize them without any kind of hesitation, he was blown away buy it, I could tell he was hooked on the adrenaline rush lol.
If you're a full blown as seen on TV prepper or just someone who likes to be prepared for emergencies make friends with people who have advanced medical training and, preferably, a lot of experience in the field already, you'll thank yourself later.
Maybe I said it wrong way, I agree 100% with what you are saying. If it is a shtf situation and in bfe anything where you need 98% of stuff at gunshows wont do you any good. If you have a critical patient in the type situation they sell kits for, you are just prolonging the problem. Basically all a guy will be able to do in that stuation is controlled some bleeding, try to prevent infection and may spint. I am just a basic EMT and laugh at all the crap they sell at shows. They have no idea what will happen when they sew up that dirty cut.
Also Brandi, everything you have listed is what I carry in my bag except blood clotting agnt. It is not in our protacals yet. Carry a few more items such as glucose, st scope, blood pr cuff, etc.
