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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 29, 2014 11:44:34 GMT
About a year or so ago I axed the foo' what I needed to carry in my truck for general mayhem after I almost smashed a car that cut me off. If I wasn't 100% focused I'd have killed this idoit. Anyway, here's his list. 1. Window punch/seatbelt cutter combo 2. Flashlight dedicated to kit. 3. Good gloves like Mechanixs for sharp metal and glass in car crash. 4. Latex or Nitrile gloves. Can be worn under gloves to isolate body fluids. 5. Vehicle fire extinguisher 6. Hi Vis vest. Don't get run over helping out. 7. Medical Shears 8. Emergency Blanket. Loads of uses; shock prevention/management, fire protection, drag sheet, litter, stabilize injury. 9. Guaze pads: 4x4" 5-10 5x9" 1-5 Bottled water for wound flush, irrigation, eye wash, clean up afterwards. 4" Roll of Kerlix 2-4 2" Medical tape 1-2 rolls SAM Splints 1-2 10. 10x30" Trauma dressings 2 11. Tourniquets 2 IF anyone sees anything the BIG D missed please feel free to post. I have about half this list. Working on. I suck.  |
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Post by Browning35 on Sept 29, 2014 15:27:46 GMT
Looks/Sounds pretty good to me. You could get quite a bit treated with that. Recommendations I'd make for a FAK besides what you already have. - Quik Clot/Celox : To stop major bleeding. - Blue bulb : Not exactly the best for suction, but it's better than nothing and for it's small size you can actually get quite a bit of spit and blood out of the mouth and nose. Actually better than those ridiculous V-Vac manual portable suction units in the airway bag). - Maglite Mini-Mag or other flashlight that has a lower light setting : IMHO a medium to low light works better in looking in the mouth than those brilliant high lumen flashlights as those wash everything out with those). You have a flashlight in there, but I don't know if it's one if the Surefire, Streamlight, Fenix or whatever lights that have a lower setting or what. - Black Sharpie Marker : Stands out better than pen and will write on anything - A small notebook and a pen : Taking notes of important events (time you put on the tourniquet) or allergies and past medical history if they're still conscious. The main thing I care about getting from the patient/family/friends is what their allergies are (I can generally work around everything else) and after that past medical history. - Ace bandage : I always wondered why we didn't have these on the box. Maybe it's cause the owner of the company was a cheap POS. IMO it provides a bit more support than just gauze and can be used alone if you don't have a splint. - Vaseline gauze or chest seal : For sucking chest wounds www.tacticalmedicine.com/files/TWSep09.pdf |
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Post by dannusmaximus on Sept 29, 2014 17:45:41 GMT
Glad you found this, GBM.
Browning, good suggestions, especially the ACE wrap. Really good piece of general FA gear. I'm also not sure why we don't include them in our 'pro' gear items, and will start to include them in my recommendations.
I didn't include hemocoagulants because I've never used them, and am hesitant to recommend stuff I don't have any experience with. I know the stuff is good to go and is likely a good addition to a kit. Likewise with the chest seal items, I've used them but (IMO) for GBM's purposes I thought an ad hoc solution using bulky dressings would suffice. Still, the chest seal is good gear and a good inclusion.
My general opinion on suction is for a layperson to treat it positionally, but inclusion of a bulb suction of some type is cool. I concur that the manual suction units are generally ass.
A quick note on the emergency blanket - - I didn't mean one of the mylar or other synthetic variety. I was trying to make sure each suggested item played a generalist role, and while the synthetics are good for keeping a person warmer, that's pretty much all they are good for. My suggestion was to pick up a wool blanket or similar non synthetic item from a surplus store or camping store. They are somewhat fire resistant, thick enough to provide some protection from sharp metal or glass, sturdy enough to be used as a drag blanket or litter, and also bulky enough to be used for splinting and stabilizing. Plus the warmth thing. Endless uses for a good sturdy blanket.
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 29, 2014 18:10:22 GMT
Opinions: wool or a moving blanket?
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Post by Browning35 on Sept 29, 2014 19:19:06 GMT
I didn't include hemocoagulants because I've never used them, and am hesitant to recommend stuff I don't have any experience with. I know the stuff is good to go and is likely a good addition to a kit. I actually don't have a whole hell of a lot of experience with them either. It was only on the last company that issued the Celox impregnated bandages and that was only for the last year and a half. Before that it was gauze, gauze and more gauze, direct pressure, elevation etc etc. There's just been a move toward them gradually just so long as they're actually being used on arterial bleeds and they aren't just being used on anything and everything. I just didn't want them to get skipped I think you're right there to. I was actually more leaning recommending the Vaseline gauze dressing and then just taping 3 (or 4) sides. Those are easy to do. Opinions: wool or a moving blanket? Wool. I hate to mention their name but before they turned into gigantic assholes I bought several of them from CTD. Now any army surplus store, Majors Surplus or Sportsman's Guide has them. I keep both a wool and a couple of those emergency foil-type blankets in my truck, those cheap wool blankets warm people up way quicker though. They're between $5 and $15. |
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