FIRST-AID KITS

FIRST-AID KITS


First-aid kits should be designed according to the environment to be encountered, number of travelers, medical training of the party leaders, and distance from sophisticated medical care. The following lists include items that could be included to deal effectively with the most common problems. They are not camping lists (shelter, food, toiletries, and the like). Basic survival supplies must be adequate. The more multipurpose your selections, the less the weight of your pack.


In all cases, what you should carry depends on your predetermined needs. As you review the sections of this book, you will be able to decide what to carry. For instance, a day hiker need not carry a portable traction splint, but a rock climber on a lengthy expedition should consider bringing one along. A scuba diver should carry a bottle of vinegar to pour on a jellyfish sting. Select the items that make sense for your group or expedition. Carry a realistic quantity of supplies; you should be prepared to treat more than one person at a time. Specific medications to choose from are described in Appendix 1 and throughout the book. Remember to bring along pediatric doses (in liquid form, if necessary) when traveling with children.


First-aid supplies should be packed to be readily accessible, and marked clearly to allow rapid identification. The supplies must be carried in a container(s) that can withstand physical abuse, extremes of temperature, and exposure to water. On boating, rafting, or diving adventures, carry medical supplies in a plastic (a Pelican Case, Storm Case, or Otter Box, for example) or metal container equipped with a rubber O-ring gasket for a tight, waterproof seal, or store the supplies in a “dry bag.” Use Ziploc-type bags within the kit for extra material and to sort your supplies. For instance, it is helpful to partition supplies into modules “for wound care,” “for an allergic reaction,” and so forth.


Carry a small notepad and waterproof writing instrument. A preprinted first-aid report form, designed for use on mountain or backcountry expeditions, is a convenient way to record a victim’s medical condition and treatment, while serving as a good checklist for proper evaluation. Space is usually provided for a written rescue request to be carried by a messenger in an emergency.


Before the trip, show all members of the expedition where the medical supplies are stored and explain how they are to be used.


An excellent selection of first-aid kits is available in stores and by mail order from Chinook Medical Gear, Inc. (www.chinookmed.com).




GENERAL SUPPLIES




Medical guidebook


First-aid report form


Pencil or pen with small notepad


Steel sewing needle


Paper clip


Safety pins


Needle-nose pliers with wire cutter


Sharp folding knife


Disposable scalpels (#11 and/or #12 blades)


Paramedic or emergency medical technician (EMT) shears (scissors)


Swiss Army knife or Leatherman-type tool


Seam ripper


Sharp-pointed surgical scissors


Bandage scissors


Splinter forceps (tweezers)


Standard oral thermometer: digital, mercury, or alcohol


Low-reading hypothermia thermometer


Wooden tongue depressors (“tongue blades”)


Rolled duct tape (3 in × 1 yd, or 91 cm)


⅛- to ¼-inch-diameter braided nylon cord (minimum 10 ft, or 3 m)


Water bottle (such as Nalgene ½ to 1 liter)


Blue “baby bulb” or “turkey baster” suction device


Waterproof flashlight (such as Pelican MityLite)


Headlamp (and spare batteries)—preferably with floodlight and flash settings, able to withstand moisture and temperature extremes


Cyalume fluorescent light sticks


Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) mouth barrier or pocket mask (such as a Microshield X-L Mouth Barrier or NuMask CPRKIT)


Sterile (hypoallergenic or latex) surgical gloves; if you are allergic to latex, bring other (such as nonlatex synthetic) nonpermeable gloves


Signal mirror


Magnifier


Waterproof matches


Fine-mesh head net or travel tent to repel insects


Oral rehydration salts or Cera Lyte 70 oral electrolyte powder


Rubber cement


Urine pregnancy test



WOUND CARE—PREPARATIONS AND DRESSINGS




Elastic bandages (Band-Aid or Coverlet), assorted sizes (strip, knuckle, and broad); cloth with adhesive is preferable


Band-Aid Liquid Bandage


Butterfly bandages


Adhesive strips for wound closure (Steri-Strip or Cover-Strip II), assorted sizes (such as ¼ in × 4 in, ⅛ in × 3 in, ½ in × 4 in), reinforced (plain or impregnated with an antimicrobial) or elastic


3 in × 3 in or 4 in × 4 in sterile gauze pads (packets of 2 to 5) (such as Nu-Gauze highly absorbent)


5 in × 9 in or 8 in × 10 in sterile gauze (“trauma”) pads (packets of 2 to 5)


Nonstick sterile bandages (Telfa), assorted sizes


1 in, 2 in, 3 in, and 4 in rolled conforming gauze (C-wrap or Elastomull)


1 in × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled cloth adhesive tape


1 in × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled paper or silk (hypoallergenic) adhesive tape


1 in × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled waterproof adhesive tape


½ in × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled waterproof adhesive tape


Blist-O-Ban blister bandages (assorted sizes)


Molefoam (4⅛ in × 3⅜ in)


Moleskin Plus (4⅛ in × 3⅜ in)


Spenco 2nd Skin (1.5 in × 2 in, 3 in × 4 in, 3 in × 6.5 in) and Spenco Adhesive Knit Bandage (3 in × 5 in)


Aquaphor moist nonadherent (petrolatum-impregnated) dressing (3 in × 3 in)


Hydrogel occlusive absorbent dressing (4 in × 4 in × ¼ in)


Tegaderm transparent wound dressing (also comes in combination with a Steri-Strip in a Wound Closure System)


Liquid soap


Sterile disposable surgical scrub brush


Cotton-tipped swabs or applicators, sterile, 2 per package


Safety razor


Syringe (10 mL to 60 mL) and 18-gauge intravenous catheter (plastic portion), for wound irrigation (do not use plastic disposable syringes to administer oral medications, as the small caps can dislodge and inadvertently eject into the patient’s throat)


Zerowet Splashield (2)


Tincture of benzoin, bottle or swabsticks


Benzalkonium chloride 1:750 solution (Zephiran)


Povidone iodine 10% solution (Betadine), 1 oz bottle or swabsticks


Suture material (nonabsorbable monfilament nylon on curved needle, suture sizes 3/0 and 4/0; consider sizes 2/0 (thicker) and 5/0 (finer)


Stainless-steel needle driver


Disposable skin stapler (15 staples)


Disposable staple remover


Tissue glue

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Aug 11, 2016 | Posted by in EMERGENCY MEDICINE | Comments Off on FIRST-AID KITS

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