Rate my new blowout kit

[Pax]

Did I miss your shears?

You can never have enough of those guys. Useful for everything. I keep a pair in every IFAK I make and keep some on my PC, some in the vehicle, hell I used to carry a pair IWB till I figured out the wore a hole in my pants. Very useful stuff, shears. I dont really have a preference as to type, apart from the rugged, i-will-cut-through-anything-arrrgghhh-let-me-at-it-i-can-eat-it!!! type.

[Fetep]

Looks great, trust me when I say pack a few more pairs of gloves.

Fetep

[rwheet]

Now go find a First Responder or EMT-B class in your area.

[Caduceus]

Looks great, trust me when I say pack a few more pairs of gloves.

Fetep

Can never have too many gloves. When I worked EMS I carried 3 pairs on every call - in addition to whatever the gurney or jump bag had.

[krisjon]

Measure the diameter of the npa against your nostril or the nail of your pinky finger. Measure the length from your nostril to your tmj. Long as its not too big or excessively long, should be fine. You're basically sticking a straw in a soda bottle.


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Thanks! Great info. Much appreciated.

[krisjon]

Now go find a First Responder or EMT-B class in your area.

Agreed. Already looking online at some of the community colleges, etc.

[blake g]

I'd say consolidate both gauze and chest seals - decide on which one you want to go with and settle on that one. I like simplicity, less to worry about, and simpler when things get hectic...

[FluxPrism]

I'd say consolidate both gauze and chest seals - decide on which one you want to go with and settle on that one. I like simplicity, less to worry about, and simpler when things get hectic...

Actually, I also do the 'multiple kinds of gauze' thing with almost all of my kits. I want the QC Combat Gauze for 'oh crap' injuries, but if I'm just putting gauze on a wound which isn't life-threatening, I'd rather use the $1.40 Primed gauze instead of the $40 QC Combat Gauze.

Don't get me wrong, I paid good money to have the Combat Gauze available, and it's so much cheaper than a funeral, but...why waste money if you don't need to.

Of course, if money is no object, then I'd have kits filled to the brim with Combat Gauze!

As to the chest seals, I have little opinion since I don't bother with any of the 'valved' seals, I just plan on burping the unvented ones if necessary.

I also second the notion to get more training. My last medical course was with the late Paul Gomez a few months ago, and it just whetted my appetite to learn more about all of this. RIP Paul.


FluxPrism

[blake g]

Actually, I also do the 'multiple kinds of gauze' thing with almost all of my kits. I want the QC Combat Gauze for 'oh crap' injuries, but if I'm just putting gauze on a wound which isn't life-threatening, I'd rather use the $1.40 Primed gauze instead of the $40 QC Combat Gauze.

Don't get me wrong, I paid good money to have the Combat Gauze available, and it's so much cheaper than a funeral, but...why waste money if you don't need to.

Of course, if money is no object, then I'd have kits filled to the brim with Combat Gauze!

As to the chest seals, I have little opinion since I don't bother with any of the 'valved' seals, I just plan on burping the unvented ones if necessary.

I also second the notion to get more training. My last medical course was with the late Paul Gomez a few months ago, and it just whetted my appetite to learn more about all of this. RIP Paul.


FluxPrism

Well there go my "attention to detail" points - I didn't even clue in to the fact that one was QC (maybe since I don't use it myself). I read "Z-fold" and thought "Z-Pak". I don't do valved seals either, sticking with the occlusive seal and periodically "burping the patient (never heard that before - I'm stealing it)...

[Six Feet Under]

I'd add an NPA, decompression needle, and a few more pairs of gloves. As far as the chest seals, the four sided ones are no less effective than three sided or valved ones from what I was told (in the NAR course I mention below). The difference is basically negligible, as far as I understand.

Personally I keep two or three pairs in my trauma kit behind the seat in my truck, one pair in the little cubby in the dash, and usually I'll have another set in the left cargo pocket of my shorts.

You may not know how to use the decompression needle, but the person caring for you might have the skills and knowledge to use it safely. One thing to thing about though; if a guy is absolutely going to die unless you poke that hole in his chest cavity, how much bad are you really going to do if you don't put it in exactly the right spot? If you can't breathe, you can't live. The side of the chest wall is a mofo to try to put them in because of the length of the needle, but the normal way is fairly simple... or at least it seemed that way when I was shown how to do it.

The NPA; it's not hard. If you tilt the head back a little and pig nose the person, then put the beveled side in toward the septum it should go right in. Never done it on a real person, but it was easy enough on the practice dummies the few dozen times I did it. You can use blood to help insert it if yours didn't come with a little surgical lube packet.

I took North American Rescue's Operator/First Responder course in Carthage, NC, back in May and found it extremely beneficial. I highly recommend it.