Attn medical people MM,Groin,Ash etc | Page 2 | Emergency Preparedness | Forums

I don't have my laptop with me, or I would be able to just attach a few docs. But I'll try to whip something on the fly here. Random thoughts, in no particular order.....

At its core, you want a kit that s small/lightweight enough that you will actually carry it and simple to use under duress. But NOT so small & simple that its useless! You also don't want things in there that you don't know how to use.

Ideally, every item should do at least two things. Most of the time this can be acheived.

I agree that most off the shelf kits are pretty much useless.

In a simple kit, you want to be able to address the basics- Airway, Breathing, & Circulation (to include bleeding control). Crap like a snake bite kit are wasted space & dangerous. Items like sutures are good if you know how to suture and are in practice. I know how to suture quite well, but still prefer to carry staples (not always easy to get if you don't have a hook up but acout idiot proof) and glue (I carry surgical grade, but OTC glue works)(you can REALLY MESS SOMEONE UP with glue if you don't know what you are doing and a simple laceration can become a limb and even a life threatening injury!).

So, at the EMT Basic level I would recomend

AIRWAY

-Various sizes of OPAs. I find NPAs to be about useless for anything other then making you feel like you did something, and prepping the nares for a nasal tube.

-Some kind of Suction for clearing the airway. A turky baster works just fine for this. Also works well to irrigate wounds.

BREATHING

-A pocket mask is nice to have, even if you are only treating family... keeps the puke/blood out of your mouth.

-An occlusive dressing for sucking chest wound or an ashermans (sp?) seal. The inside of a steril 4x4 wrapper makes a fine 3 sided occlusive dressing. remember that if someone recieves an open chest wound, sterility is already compromised.

CIRCULATION

-KNOW CPR & PRACTICE IT. "Air goes in, blood goes around, close any holes that should be closed"

-Know that in an adult, CPR is usually a bridge, a way to buy time and keep the PT viable, until ALS shows up with electricity & drugs (which isn't likely in a remote location/SHTF situation). In a child, cardiac arrest is usually secondary to respiritory arrest so if you get there quick and can own the airway you have a good chance of getting a positive outcome. Traumatic arrest has a survival rate or 0.01 percent. Many agencies do not even work traumatic arrest as it is usually futile.

-A couple trauma dressings for major bleeding. Maxi pads work well, as do thick cotton T shirts, use someone elses shirt :). Tape, Ace bandages to secure.

-Treating for shock is part of "C", and likely most important. Raise the PTs feet approx 8-12" off the ground AND NO MORE, a little goes a long way. Insulate the PT ABOVE & BELOW. A pile of blankets on top of a person laying in the snow doesn't do much for them. One of those blue camping pads will work great for this, as well as make the beginnings of a litter. It can also be cut up for splints.

ADDITIONAL TRAUMA

-Learn to improvise a spine board, Learn how to clinically clear a spine in the field so that you don't need the board.

-C-Collars are good things, but take space, are expensive/hard to get for most people, and only do one thing. You can fashion a servicable c collar out of a sam splint. I carry 2 long SAMs in my week long "river expitition" kit. In my "winter mountaineering" kit I have one of the afore mentioned blue pads. on this pad is traced the outline of a c collar in sharpie. cut that out, secure with duct tape and you have a decent collar.

"Hope is not a strategy" "If they cant walk, they crawl... a carry out should always be your last resort"

This is a very basic kit, off the cuff, and does not include any sort of cache items at your base of operations (antibiotix, long term care items...).

Feel free to ask me questions, I will feel free to make up answers!

*I have taught wilderness/remote location medicine for well over a decade.

-MM