Been searching online for a good first aid kits. Found one good site so far at firstaidsuppliesonline.com in case anyone is interested. A first aid kit is a highly underestimated piece of gear. Does anyone have any suggestions in this area?
The kits you buy in drug stores are overpriced junk. They have weird stuff you'll never use. Go out and get a rubbermaid container at any supermarket. Get some red electrical tape and put some red crosses on it. Buy things you'll actually use seperately and put them in the kit. I'd suggest you include:
Antiseptic
Analgesic
Antacids
Bandaids
finger bandaids
Tweezers
Maybe a first aid guide
Maybe numbers for local hospital, etc. written on inside of lid in big easy to read letters.
Some of that medical tape for when the baindaids won't stick.
I've got a few first aid kits. Two in the house, one in each car, a camping version and small basic one that I can carry with me anywhere.
I suggest you tailor for your needs, your level of experience and where you'll keep it. For instance--you wouldn't keep a SAM splint in your small travel kit, but it might be a good idea to have one in the car. Also, there are people out there that keep suture kits in their first aid kit--for what purpose? If you don't know how to use it, it's probably best not to pack it.
Also if it's something you'll carry with you--make it small and portable and most of all, waterproof!
Here's a fairly good list to use as well from WildMed.
Since my large home kits are fairly extensive and I've got the necessary training to use them, I won't detail the contents--but the smaller kits are comparable to the WildMed list.
The most important peice of first aid is knowledge. First, I suggest you go to your local hospital and ask for CPR training. You can patch a bloody finger with a bandaid, but you could save a life with knowledge and action.
Next, take that first aid guide and read through it once or twice. It's nice to kind of know what you're doing before the emergency starts.
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I would agree that you are better off purchasing the items you need and know how to use. If you just want to be prepared for most first aid injuries without needing to know much about what's available, I would recommend Galls 3 in 1 kit. I would add to this a variety of medications you use. Benedryl is very useful for allergic reactions. Red cross first aid and cpr classes are very good as well.
Based on the injuries I have personally observed over the last several years where a first-aid kit was required, I recall the following items were needed:
1. a needle and tweezers for removing several splinters
2. plenty of gauze bandage and disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide or other) for cuts, bites, and other wounds
3. a roll of first aid tape to hold gauze bandages on wounds
4. good first aid scissors to help cut gauze and tape cleanly and to remove clothing from around wounds
5. the largest bandaids available (at least 1 inch wide) and even some that are about 2 inches wide if available (plenty of them for skinned knees and elbows and finger cuts)
6. Neosporin antibiotic ointment
7. a small bar of soap to clean around wounds
8. plenty of extra strength Tylenol or other favorite pain reliever
9. Many sterile individually packaged gauze pads varying in size from 2 X 2" up to 4 X 4"
10. Antacid and antihistimine tablets.
11. An ACE bandage
All these items would have handily covered the first aid emergencies I've encountered for some time, although I'm sure other items could be handy for other emergencies. YMMV, of course.
An additional item that would have been handy would have been a about a quart size or somewhat smaller bottle of sterile saline solution with a stream nozzle for helping to flush grit and other crud out of scrape wounds to help prevent infection.
I have a few; two or three that include sutures. I do know how to use them been many years since I needed too. I carried tools in my old van even though im no mechanic there have been a few times I was broke down and a guy stopped to help and was able to get me going cuz I had the tools needed even though I did not no how to use them. Several times I have stopped to offer a ride to a stranded driver to find out they could fix it if they only had a "whatever" low and behold often times I had one in the toolbox and they fixed it to get going. I kept oil, brake fluid,power steering fluid, water,anti-freeze as well as a few hundred bucks worth of sockets and wrenches just in case (really crappy van at that time) so I agree we should know our personal limits envolving first aid however I tend to disagree about having items that might be useful
in the event others present might could use them. I have been certified in first aid and CPR a couple times in the last few years just to see if things have changed much over the years. Now if I could only learn to spell and type.
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The worst problem with first aid kits , is getting a good program for maintaining consumables . It's a pain when all the good stuff has been pilfered , and not replaced !
I'll Nth the "Make it yourself" route, and also to go take at least a basic first aid with CPR/AED
I find that MOST "home" first aid kits are sadly deficient where they most need to be. Let's face it - you get a cut/scrape that can be covered with a 1" band-aid (R), you can live for a while. Most don't have nearly enough BIG bandages - things like 4x4 gauze pads, rolls of gauze, adheasive tape. Heck, both my car kits, the kit in my desk at work (the boss supplied kit sucks), my main "Home" kit, and my backpack kit all either have a trauma pad, a Cederoth "Bloodstopper" or both. I PRAY I'll NEVER have to use them, but if I do, there won't be TIME to look for something, or wait for someone
I'd say you should have at least
1 BOX large bandaids
1 box knuckle/finger bandaids
1 box 4x4 gauze pads
2 rolls gauze
1-2 rolls tape
1 triangular bandage
neosporin/polysporin
tweasers
bottle of saline (sterile)
stick to itself "ace" bandages
shears (buy a set of EMT shears - cheap)
eye drops
analgisic of your choice
antihystimne
decongestant
at least one week of whatever prescription meds you normally take (rotate regularly)
BIG bandage - or at least a couple of sealed maxi-pads (make good field expedient trauma pads!)
Mild soap (Phisoderm - and/or Chlorhexime soap if you know how to use it)
Liquid Bandage
Moleskin
a small flashlight (IN THE KIT)
Tincture of Benzoine (sp?) - helps bandages stick
Immodium
1-2 pairs of non laytex exam gloves
Right now I need to replace my saline in one kit. Don't forget to rotate your drugs
Basically - there are 2 things you have to be ready to do with a home first aid kit
1)Treat minor stuff (relatively) - small cuts/scrapes - the kind of stuff you always have, and have never gone to the MD for
2)Stablize "Major problems" until the pros can get to you, or you to the pros - that's what the bloodstoppers/maxi-pads etc are for - then again, if it's that bad, you can grab clean rags, or anything practially - the idea is to keep the guy alive. I came to the realization I needed this kind of stuff when I was the first person on scene where the person had a hole through the back of their leg large enough for me to put a finger through - trust me, you are going to be looking for something bigger than a band-aid
Dont forget the grey tape. I cut my self in the woods once and my friend patched me up with gauze, medical tape and topped it off with grey tape. I had to climb back to where we were. I keep a small roll of gray tape in a PSK kit. And yes i carry lots of guaze, 3m medical tape and gray tape.
IMO most first aid kits are kinda disappointing. Anything you can treat with neosporin or a bandaid isn't going to kill you. In my car I have a QuikClot kit with a trauma bandage. Now that will do a bit more than a bandaid [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Thanks for the link... now that's what I'm talking about. That guy is pretty hardcore.
Another thing that would be nice would be an adrenaline shot for a potentially fatal case of anaphylactic shock. Unfortunatley, those are prescription only, and have a limited shelf life. I used to have one for my soy allergy, which isn't too bad anymore, would be nice if they gave a license to let you buy some restricted first aid kit items once every 5 years or something.
I'm in the DIY group. We have first aid kits at home, in our camping/survival backpacks, one in my desk at work, and one in my Tahoe as well as my husband's Jeep. I mostly have some of the stuff that's been listed here - to take care of something minor and stabilize something major, should it happen, long enough to get help or get to an actual hospital. Tylenol, antihistamine, tweezers, bandages, burn gel, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, gauze, a first aid guide, etc. Since I'm not serving in Iraq and I generally don't venture into the jungle or anything, I don't have a lot of need for a massive trauma kit.
My goal with a first aid kit is to treat everyday injuries that would happen in a normal situation - cuts that could get infected, insect bites - that type of thing. I also know CPR, and I actually cleaned and bandaged myself up, using one of our first aid kits, after I had an ATV accident a couple of years ago that left me pretty cut up from being thrown into a barbed wire fence. If I can handle doing that while drunk at 2 in the morning, I think I'm pretty well covered. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Yep - started carrying a very small kit in my bag when my daughter was born - it's provided infinite amounts of neosporin-to-go and teeny-tiny Cinderella bandaids.
Now that my son is on the scene (he's 2 1/2), I've moved into the much more-often used items - 4x4's, very large skinned knee bandaids, a large roll of first-aid tape, and lots of Neosporin +pain....
As many of you, I have several, mainly DIY. However, our camping kit is built on this Adventure Medical kit as a base: AM fundamentals
Here are the details & contents, including a SAM splint:
Mountain Series, Fundamentals
Size: 9" x 6" x 3.25"
Weight: 1lbs. 12oz.
FIRST AID MANUAL / MEDICATION / INSTRUMENT
"Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine 2nd edition"
- by Eric A. Weiss M.D.
1..... Digital Thermometer (90F°-105F°)
1..... EMT Shears
1..... Splinter Picker Forceps
1..... Duct Tape
2..... Pill Vials
3..... Safety Pins
1..... Accident Report & Pencil
8..... Extra Strength Tylenolĺ
6..... Motrinĺ
2..... Aspirin (325mg)
4..... Antihistamine
CPR / BLEEDING ITEMS
1..... CPR Filtershield®
2..... 8x10 and/or 5x9 Trauma Pads
4..... Nitrile Examination Gloves
2..... Antimicrobial Hand Wipes
1..... Infectious Control Bag
WOUND CARE / BURN / BLISTER
1..... 20cc Irrigation Syringe
1..... Povidone Iodine Solution (1 oz.)
10..... Wound Closure Strips
1..... Tincture of Benzoin
2..... Antibiotic Ointment
6..... After Cuts & Scrapes®
10..... 4x4 or 3x3 or 2x2's Sterile Dressing
3..... Non-adherent Sterile Dressing (3x4)
1..... Stockinette Bandage
2..... Conforming Gauze Bandage (2" or 3")
1..... Adhesive Tape 10 yards ( 1" or 1/2")
13.... Strip & Knuckle Bandages
4..... Cotton Tipped Applicators
1..... Tender's After Burn® Aloe (1 oz.)
2..... Spenco 2nd Skin®
1..... Moleskin (7x4)
1..... Non-woven Adhesive Knit
1..... Tincture of Benzoin
1..... Antibiotic Ointment
FRACTURE / SPRAIN ITEMS
1..... SAM® Splint
1..... Elastic Bandage w/ Velcroĺ (2" or 3")
1..... Triangular Bandage
2..... Motrinĺ
It's well thought out and has a little bit of room for you to add to it. I recall we've added some drugs, an Israeli wound bandage, some other larger bandages, peroxide, a few instruments like a hemostat, sutures, scalpel.
Since my boys and I go camping all the time with the boy scouts. I tend to carry a pretty complete first aid kit. Seems I'm the go to guy on the troop for med emergencies.
when it comes to active boys scouts, you'll see some accidents. I like taking a good kit and adding items missing.
Butterfly bandages is one item that has not been highlighted. those are really handy for gluing wounds together until, you can get real stitches. Eye wash and a great pair of tweesers is good.
be sure and keep fresh butterfly bandages in your kit. older one will not stick as well
1) Alcohol wipes
2) Iodine wipes
3) Tylenol
4) Imodium
5) Aspirin chewable
6) Band aids
7) Oclusive dressing
8) Space blanket
9) Charcoal tablets
10) CPR shield
11) 5 ml syringe
12) 2 18 gauge needles
13) epinephrine 1 mg 1:1000
14) Bendarlyl 50 mg for IM injections
15) Narcan 2 mgs
16) Atropine 1 mg
17) Burn gel
18) Antibiotic Paste
19) Couple of 2x2 sterile
I didnt include klings in that kit beacause of the space but I can imporvise.
And I also have big one in Western Medical Pouch that has all the klings, cravats, sam split, peroxide and other goodies which I take when going on trips longer than two days.
Mine was put together myself.
Lot's of the Army bandages that can hold up to a pint of blood supposedly,
a few cravets,
lots of Band Aid type bandages and ointment for the smaller cuts and scratches that can still lead to infection,
providont-iodine swabs,
benzlekonium chloride for cleaning the hands,
alcohol swabs (left over aling with the providone-iodine, when I was still certified to give IV's.),
saline solution,
eye wash,
eye bandages,
lots of nitrile gloves,
CPR mask,
some oral-pharangeal or "J" tubes,
a SAM splint,
shears of course,
medical tape in various widths,
small tweezers, tick tweezers actually,
surgical tubing (again left over from being able to give an IV,
And a few more items I can't remember.
This was mostly based on the Army's Combat Lifesaver bag. A CLS is a non-medical person who is trained to give slighlty more care than the first aid that everyone gets. How to give IV's, the ability to carry more Atropine, dispense Ibuprofin and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (Pseudafed, the decongestant), and some other little things.
Its from First Aid Only, seems pretty thorough and I thought that price was pretty good. What do you guys think? I was gonna order one or two and keep in my BOB and in the house/car. Thanks
What, no morphine sulfate in your kit? And no SL NGT?
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I was going to say that you can tell he's an EMT - has access to "stuff" most of us don't. Another one he is missing is atropine (I know someone who carries that!)
What you want (need?)in a first aid kit is obviously determined by the situation you find yourself in. What you need in a combat situation would be overkill for a weekend campout. First aid items for yourself will differ from the needs of a Boy Scout troop on a wilderness expedition. One of the most commonly overlooked, but most painful needs for first aid treatment is for a broken or aching tooth. Throw in a tube of Orajel and maybe some dental filling material...
What, no morphine sulfate in your kit? And no SL NGT?
For shame [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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I was going to say that you can tell he's an EMT - has access to "stuff" most of us don't. Another one he is missing is atropine (I know someone who carries that!)
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Maybe, but most of what is listed is beyond the scope of NREMTB people. The only injection that is allowed is to *assist* a patient with an epi-pen if it is theirs and (four other ifs go here)
Using any of this stuff is beyond the scope of practice for a paramedic if not working on an ALS (Advanced Life Support) vehicle. It can and has resulted in laws suits even if everything was done right and lives were saved.
If you are not working the good samaritan law does not protect you if you go beyond your training.
FIRST AID KITS - Do you have one?
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