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Thread: First Aid Kit with MD/Nurse at Hand

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Caduceus View Post
    As always, depends on what you're planning for? Holding over until the ambulance arrives, or SHTF and a long term lack of access?

    I'd say look at an ambulance and an urgent care and go from there.

    A jump bag with trauma supplies, then a base station with other goodies. Plan on things you can fix relatively easily. You won't be intubating (unless you plan on bagging someone by hand for a few days), running liters of specialized IV meds, running codes, or doing surgeries.
    Lord no. That's far beyond what I'm assuming.

    Quote Originally Posted by Caduceus View Post
    You could easily expect to do 'procedures' (such as sutures, simple excisions or debridements) or some wound-care type procedures. IV fluids for rehydration wouldn't be unreasonable. Lidocaine for anesthesia, maybe some opiates or stronger pain meds than just tylenol/motrin. Antibiotics of various flavors, arguably some muscle relaxers, meds for bladder infections, diarrhea, rehydration salt solutions, maybe some sleep meds. I hate to say go/no-go pills, but that might be a good idea in a real SHTF if you have enough people for mutual support and watch-standing.
    Most of that I can likely acquire. Go/no go are probably not feasible and I don't think really applicable for my goals.

    Quote Originally Posted by fyrediver View Post
    Whatever you get it has to be something your "staff" is trained with and for, otherwise you're opening up a big can of legal worms. Fine if the world ends and government goes away, but probably not likely. If you go out and buy chest tubes, endotracheal tubes, or a bone gun and none of your "staff" can use them then it's a waste. You have to stick with what they can actually use.
    Agree with the above. I never considered that level of care feasible. IMO if you require that type of care and more comprehensive care is a day or two away, you may as well start building the pine box...


    Quote Originally Posted by fyrediver View Post
    On the other hand, standard medical care items should be fine. Caduceus is right: BP cuff, stethoscope, light, IV supplies, wound care items like she mentioned, basic meds, and trauma first aid supplies like roller gauze, gauze pads, triangular bandages, etc are universal. LOTs of basic trauma stuff. If you need it you'll likely need a lot of it.
    Good list there. The good Mrs has at least a half dozen stethoscopes laying around.

    Quote Originally Posted by fyrediver View Post
    Also think Personal Protective Equipment like masks, eyeglasses/shield, gloves, and gown/cover and some way to clean/decon the care providers. You're contemplating a somewhat mass casualty or longer term event so add that to the mix.
    Already have plenty of PPE on hand for other reasons. Super long term or mass casualty aren't really a coverage goal.

    Quote Originally Posted by fyrediver View Post
    What's available to your wife in her practice? What kind of supplies does she go through there? That may give you some insight into what she's comfortable doing.
    I do need to go dig through the supply closet and see....

  2. #12
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    The thing about medicine, be it basic first aid or heart transplant surgery, is knowing the "what next?" If you equip for more complex things, then what do you do next? What's the follow on care? This is a good way to figure out where you can go with regard to supplies/equipment and procedures.

  3. #13
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    speaking about antibiotics...many broad spectrum antibiotics can be found in powdered form and just have to be resonstituted prior to use. They have an expiration date as all things but you can still use it if you had to with some diminished efficacy. But if you're ever at that point, something is better than nothing.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by epoch2k View Post
    speaking about antibiotics...many broad spectrum antibiotics can be found in powdered form and just have to be resonstituted prior to use. They have an expiration date as all things but you can still use it if you had to with some diminished efficacy. But if you're ever at that point, something is better than nothing.
    Most antibiotics are in powdered form...compressed into the form of a tablet, or stuffed into a gelatin capsule.

  5. #15
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    Get your hands on a ranger medical handbook from NARP. That'll cover most of your questions about medical procedures, supplies, and healthcare in an austere environment.

    Biggest thing about supplies is knowing how and went to use them. I've known medics who've performed more chest tubes and crics than their docs. The MD's can hang with medical patients. A good vitals kit and some go-to meds will suit. Trauma wise.. Keep it simple. Get tourniquets, chest seals, sam splints, Israeli bandages, kerlex, and ace wraps. Keep lots of tape around.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #16
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    If you are going to suture, think about local anesthetics and the means to inject them. Novocaine, procaine, etc...

    One of the bigger concerns is going to be crush wounds (maybe more than open bleeding). Know what gear is needed for their care.

    Also real sterilization supplies to make an area as clean as possible if you have to work on open wounds.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by jbjh View Post
    If you are going to suture, think about local anesthetics and the means to inject them. Novocaine, procaine, etc...

    One of the bigger concerns is going to be crush wounds (maybe more than open bleeding). Know what gear is needed for their care.

    Also real sterilization supplies to make an area as clean as possible if you have to work on open wounds.
    Ugh... Crush wounds can be a nightmare. Get a bit of compartment syndrome then rhabdo, kidneys start shutting down...good luck managing that without labs, IV fluids, etc

  8. #18
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    I'm an ER doc...so I'm biased, but here's my opinion FWIW. I have a VERY limited first aid kit in my truck. It basically has some quick clot, a tourniquet, a nasal airway, eye wash, some splints and lots of kerlex. The more training you have the less s**t you need. A backpack full of stuff you bought off the internet isn't going to help you if you don't know the basics. Take an EMT class or even first responder. Learn the basics of assessment. The most that you can expect to do in the field (without complex instruments and meds) will be to stop bleeding, do a jaw thrust on someone that needs an airway to keep their tongue out of the way, splint fractures or rinse something out of someone's eyes/wound. I don't get excited about having Benadryl, a ton of bandages, Tylenol etc in my first aid kit. That's not stuff that you are going to save a life with. Make sure their airway is open and functioning, they are breathing, and that blood is going 'round and 'round and not on the floor and you have done 90% of what you can do outside of a hospital.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by acjones20 View Post
    I'm an ER doc...so I'm biased, but here's my opinion FWIW. I have a VERY limited first aid kit in my truck. It basically has some quick clot, a tourniquet, a nasal airway, eye wash, some splints and lots of kerlex. The more training you have the less s**t you need. A backpack full of stuff you bought off the internet isn't going to help you if you don't know the basics. Take an EMT class or even first responder. Learn the basics of assessment. The most that you can expect to do in the field (without complex instruments and meds) will be to stop bleeding, do a jaw thrust on someone that needs an airway to keep their tongue out of the way, splint fractures or rinse something out of someone's eyes/wound. I don't get excited about having Benadryl, a ton of bandages, Tylenol etc in my first aid kit. That's not stuff that you are going to save a life with. Make sure their airway is open and functioning, they are breathing, and that blood is going 'round and 'round and not on the floor and you have done 90% of what you can do outside of a hospital.
    100% on the above
    And keep them warm. Someone who has suffered serious trauma needs blankets even in 75 degree F weather to stay warm.

  10. #20
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    Well, like I say fellas, I'm not looking for any extremes of care. I'm looking to keep someone going till we can get to more comprehensive care. A day or two tops. I'm looking at a scenario like post-tornados a few years ago, or post Katrina where roads were impassable for a time and LE/EMS/FD was stretched thin but better care was available as soon as people got the chain saws going.


    I'm planning on getting some more comprehensive training for myself, but for the time being the plan is to lean on the trained medical personel I have available to me. 2 drs and a nurse is 3 more trained people than most people typically have at hand so I think I'd be foolish not to use the resource....
    Last edited by nova3930; 01-08-15 at 10:38.

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