Medical Bag Esentials
 

I am going to include a few things in a small fannny pack size bag for medical purposes. Here's a list of what I'm thinking. Please feel free to comment on each item and tell me pros/cons etc...

1.) Bandages(large,small,med). Maybe some liquid skin too. Ace bandages

2.)Needles and thread

3.) orajel (for numbing purposes). or would it be better to just get some illegal numbing agents?Keep in mind that this would be aSTHF med bag. So not concerned with legality.

4.) A small bottle of high proof alcohol (500 or so ML)

5.)pain pills(vicodins or something similar),motrins (for anti inflamatory), some aspirin

6.) Hemos, some sharp scisors and razors

Am I missing anything? Feel free to point out flaws etc and also to recomend what you would put in your small med bag or even large med bag aswell.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

You don't seem to have a real focus to your kit. You have partial supplies for various problems, but perhaps not really enough supplies to deal with any one of them well. Consider the injuries you want to treat and your level of training. Here's some of the stuff I've included in my med kits.

General: Nitrile gloves, antimicrobial wipes, rescue mask. penlight, paramedic shears, bandage scissors. (If you anticipate dealing with an infectious disease situation: eye protection and respirator mask). Moleskin instead of Liquid Skin (have you ever used Liquid Skin? Horrid, horrid stuff!!!!).

Airway: Suction bulb, disposal resuscitator (for larger kits), oral airway kit, nasopharyngeal airway tube & Surgilube, Asherman chest seal, 2 petroleum gauze (have to be replaced when they dry out), 14-gauge IV catheter (3.25") or pneumothorax kit (if you know how to do a chest decompression...something you absolutely should learn how to do, if you don't). Could add Magill forceps for clearing airway.

Hemostasis: various bandages sizes (including an abdominal dressing and a bottle of saline/water to wet it), compressed gauze, CAT tourniquet (or similar), pressure bandage (I like the Israeli ones), Steri-Strips, tape, eye pad, 2 petroleum gauze, Celox or other hemostat. Suturing isn't something one really needs to do in the field, and it could set the patient up for an infection in the wound. I don't carry suturing supplies in the field kits.

Dental: Orajel, 2"x2" hemostatic gauze, cotton pellets, small mirror, clove oil.

Misc. for small kits: Benadryl (can help in allergic reactions), aspirin or NSAIDs for minor analgesic needs (don't give to an injured patient who may be bleeding), heavier pain meds (if you've got them), watergel burn dressing, forceps, scalpel, tweezers, biohazard bag (or at least a Ziplock Freezer bag), SAM splint, if you have the room for one.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Good recommendation, Kahlil! If I may add something to it, everyone should be sure to read the directions and dosages before taking them. If you have hyperthyroidism, don't take them. If you're over about 55, you probably don't need them (that means, you'll be dead of old age before the radiation damage the pills protect you from sets in). Also, be aware that iodine tablets are very hard to keep down. They make many people vomit. The Iosat pills are supposed to be easier to keep down than the regular stuff.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

I took delivery of some Celox, blood coagulent and a couple of Isralei bandages the other day.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Get a couple of tubes of neosporin, it can help prevent infection of a wound.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

do you guys know of any good places to learn basic first aid? take a class with an instructor and learn the fundamentals...

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Here's what I use to patch myself together when necessary. I'm sure anybody formally trained and practiced in the healing arts will object and everybody else will say it belongs in a toolbox not a first aid kit but here goes...

* Superglue
* Duct tape
* gauze, cotton balls or similar
* waxed dental floss, unflavored
* needle
* exacto knife kit
* hemostat
* scissors
* tweezers
* neosporin

The duct tape and gauze/whatever are used together for bandaging. Regular bandaids have no chance in the field and the cloth tie-on type tend to get caught on things and absorb mud, water, etc. The duct tape can be wrapped all the way around a limb, finger, etc so it'll hold on better but it's low profile, waterproof and out of the way. By adjusting the tension when you put it on you can make a compression dressing to stop bleeding or hold a deep slice of skin together. You have to freshen the bandage every so often which is another reason why I like duct tape, there's plenty of it on a roll. Of you're done bleeding and the skin is holding together or you've formed a good scab then I've found open air is the best thing if the wound can stay dried out. Otherwise you'll want to keep foreign matter and the worst of the water out.

Superglue bonds skin instantly, quick easy stitches but if there's still a lot of bleeding then I'd go for the bandage instead. Waxed dental floss and a needle are for real stitches. I can't say I particularly like doing them and I'm sure somebody will have some technical reason why waxed dental floss is the wrong thing to use but it's worked for me and on animals I've known. You just have to remember to remove the stitches.

The exacto knife gives you a solid scalpel with replaceable blade. The needle, hemostat, exacto knife, tweezers and scissors can all be used to remove foreign bodies and trim dead skin.

On top of this you're going to need basic stuff to clean out wounds like a source of clean water, soap, maybe a toothbrush, etc. Other things like anbesol and stout liqour can definately be a great help.

There's a whole range of chemical additives that can come in handy. Asprin or similar can get rid of a bad headache and help you think clearly or get some rest when you really need some. Caffeine to help stay awake. Pepper hot enough to get your attention will also help keep you awake and I find it leaves me feeling a little more energized and alert. Bleach works good on poison ivy and against medical advice I've even been known to use it on shallow cuts and scrapes, it seems to harden and dry out the upper layers quickly. It can also be used to sterilize water. Only the solid bleach cakes are shelf stable, liquid bleach breaks down quickly, just add a liitle to water when needed. Mosquito repellent can make life much more bearable. I find deet makes life much more intolerable and that awful smell says "HUMAN!!!" to all interested parties. I like cintronella oil better and I'm intending to try beauty berry when I get around to finding some, scientific tests have shown it works at least as good as either of the previous two. Something to get you poop'n, stop you from poop'n and settle your stomach or relieve cold and flu symptoms can all keep you in the fight.

My medical ability is mostly limited to everyday problems like flesh wounds and common ailments so that's what I've built my kit around. Fortunately that's also the greater portion of situations you'll have to deal with. Don't ever forget the old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure." Be careful when you work or play, don't drink dirty water or eat bad food, wear armor and fight smart. I've never broken a bone in my life and I'm no surgeon. I know a bit about splinting or setting a bone from a mostly theoretical perspective but I'll leave all that to somebody more qualified.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Mole skin if you plan on doing some serious hiking. Good for taking care of your dogs.

Might consider some alcohol, bendadine, or iodine as a disinfectent.

QuickClot might be useful be as a stabilizer but unless you can get to a hospital such heroics may not be practical.

If you don't have a Sawyer Venom extractor I'd strongly recommend paying the $15 and adding the 2-3 oz to your kit. Good for bee stings as well.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Is their an available surrogate for anti-biotic drugs?

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

The Red Cross offers advanced First Aid classes.

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss...community.html

You can also enroll in EMT and Paramedic training if you're really ambitious. I've looked at the wilderness First Aid courses that are sometimes advertised, but I haven't found one that teaches something I don't know and yet allows those of us without professional credentials to take part. If you're involved in any kind of outdoor activity, see if there's a rescue squad you can join or take training with. I got quite a bit of free training that way.

Finally, here are a couple of good courses with a survivalist mindset:

http://www.medicalcorps.org/

https://www.jrhenterprises.com/displ...?productId=178

At the Medical Corps seminars you can also usually buy medical supplies that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as casting plaster and glass syringes that can be re-sterilized (bring a few hundred bucks for goodies, if you can!). They'll ship so you don't have to worry about carry-on luggage issues if you're flying home. You also learn things like how to use a pressure canner as an autoclave, how to fight and survive diseases like cholera when medication isn't available, how to repopulate your gut with bacteria after you took all your doxycycline during an anthrax attack (you really don't want to know...), and so on. Plus, it's just plain fun to get together with other survivalists and compare what kind of body armor you own and the best design for a homebuilt Faraday cage. :laugh:

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

I was kinda hoping that Maddie was going to be broadcasting to us GIMers after the internet went down. You know...um...wtshtf?

:rose::rose::rose: this is Maddie on KGIM tonight... :rose::rose::rose:

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

There are pet antibiotics in all the most common ones available without prescription. Mostly labelled for fish tanks where I have seen them online.

I certainly am not qualified to give anyone medical advice, so please be clear that I am not doing that, but if I personally had gangrene in some disaster and nothing else was available, I personally would risk penicillin intended for fish tanks rather than do nothing. It might have impurities, but if the other choice is certain death....

Unless things were that grim, I prefer to not take antibiotics anyway... I mean I have when the need was clear, but I give my own immune system a good shot at most things.

Other than that, things like echinachea (sp?) and other herbals can be helpful.

Another option is to ask your doctor to prescribe a wilderness trip range of antibiotics.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

The ...chair...is against...the wall. The chair is against the wall... :D

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

:D John has a long mustache...John has a long mustache

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

what, come on now, tell us, you stitched up your dog or yourself? my brother stitched up his leather jacket with wax dental floss and believe it or not I had the same idea myself and tossed it in my bag but I sure in hell never had or gave stitches with wax floss!

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

About 10 yrs ago, I bought a USGI field surgical kit from Sierra Supply of Durango Co., Wm. Henry's place. He also had suture kits which I bought. Also found a book called Emergency War Surgery. About the same time there was the Larry Wayne Harris whistleblowing about bio attacks etc. He focussed on using veterinary antibiotics for adults. Terramycin powder and also noted that veterinary injectibles were human compatible. Anyone really interested in his comments, (Harris is a registered microbiologist), might find his book on Amazon or the net somewhere.

I carry Arnica Montana 200c, hypericum 200c and arsenica 30x in homeopathic remedies, and also homeopathic burn salve from boiron. Several herbal tinctures are also desirable, echinacea, olive leaf oil for oral disomfort. Oscillococinum is a flu remedy that WORKS, if taken at the onset of symptoms. Comes in small tubes, 1/2 -1 tube is a dose, depending on how bad you feel. Nice to have an ankle brace, ace bandage, eye drops and CAYENNE PEPPER for heart attack remedy and sprinkling on a wound to promote clotting.

Electricians tape works good for minor cuts, ask a carpenter. Liquid skin is good stuff. Antiseptic pks for wiping instrument or skin. Purse pkg of baby wipes etc.

Motrin for pain & muscle aches. Thermometer. BP cuff. Tourniquet. A few syringes. Vitamins.

Eat right, eat good quality whole grains and organic foods; you won't get sick.

Might want to read up on home birth child delivery, own a Gray's Anatomy, Where There Is No Doctor, Barefoot Doctor, etc.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Hack saw, in case you need to amputate that gangrenous leg.

Cyanide capsule.

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Jeesh Fiat. Nothing like offering the patient a choice. :smokin:

Re: Medical Bag Esentials
 

Wooden mallet for anaethetising victims^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hpatients....