First Aid Kits

[Hmac]

scrubber3 laid out a good basic no frills first aid kit

bleeding/LACs
bandages/gauze... 4x4s, 2x2, abd pads, band aids
ace wrap
vacuum sealed kling wrap

or instead of abd pads or 4x4s and ace wrap you could buy pre-made pressure bandages like large or small israeli trauma dressings


wound cleaning/preparation/irrigation
Hibiclens or iodine
20cc syringe and sterile water for pressure irrigation
Neosporin or any topical ABx ointment


swelling/allergic reaction
Benadryl
cold packs
Epipen (if you have a Rx or child/adult that has known allergic reactions)
hydrocortisone

burns
Silvadene cream (it's a wonder "drug" just like Neosporin)
and again sterile water and STERILE gauze

pain
acetminophen or ibuprofen

foreign objects... Specifically eye and orbit
Visine
or again sterile water and syringe for irrigation

misc non medical items
flashlight or headlamp!!!!!!!!! cant tell how often I have needed one and it wasn't close by
tweezers
space blanket
gloves
cloth tape or Coban

This is a nice, basic first aid kit. I would go no farther unless you have training and ongoing training. I would recommend such training, with recurrent refreshers, if your "operational environment" includes the likelihood of penetrating trauma.

Keep it simple. The new Celox Rapid, CAT or SOFT/W, chest seal, Z packed gauze and an Izzy call it good. Maybe add a rescue hook or shears.

After than I want to be in my helo.

Mission and training drive the gear. This is stuff is unnecessary for the vast majority of civilian non-first responders.

[ROG Tactical]

Bumps, cuts, sprains, and eye irratants are what concern me in a basic first aid kit.

Bandaids, gauze pads, gauze wrap, ace wrap, antiseptic, saline, water, shears, tweezers, pocket knife.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[thirteen/autumns]

Keep it simple. The new Celox Rapid, CAT or SOFT/W, chest seal, Z packed gauze and an Izzy call it good. Maybe add a rescue hook or shears.

After than I want to be in my helo.

My understanding of the OPs question was a no frills basic home first aid kit, not a penetrating/GSW/blow out kit.

[williejc]

For years I've used nasal saline spray for its intended purpose. Because it's nacl concentration is compatible with human blood, it neither burns nor stings when hitting the nose's mucus membranes. My question is this: Would this product serve as a rinse for the eye, ear, or small wounds? It's cheap, and the bottle sizes are handy also. For me, it relieves itching inside the outer ear. I apply the saline with a Q tip for this application.

Here is a good place to remind folks that distilled water can be dangerous when used to flush eyes. Having zero solute, its osmotic pressure causes rapid diffusion of water into cells. Plasmolysis or bursting of the affected cells can occur. I for one would not use it on any wound.

[tb-av]

Which is why I listed what I did. Notice there is no stethoscope... Or blood pressure cuff? Or glucometer? Etc...

Just the mere basics that can fit in a small tackle box.

Can the average person get an epi-pen? I thought that was rx only.


==============
I would add eyeglass repair kit and spare contacts if it's your personal kit. Sounds crazy but if you can't see that can become a real issue.

[zombiescometh]

I have had pretty good luck with getting different adventure medical kits for more then half off with store/site sales/coupons. They are a great starting point for me.

[quackhead]

There seems to always be confusion with the term " 1st aid kit " or even "IFAK" in some cases. In my opinion, 1st aid kits covers band aids and other non life threatning medical response supplies . A trauma kit/"IFAK" should cover immediate response for GSW/IED...immediate life threatning wounds.