Extensive First Aid Kit?

Hi Folks,

A good friend of mine (and a fellow prepper) asked me where he could find a really complete first aid kit.

He wants one with sutures, needles, antibiotics etc. All the stuff you would need if you were really on your own and had to DIY it.

Do any of you know of such a kit?

Thanks,

Bill

 

There are several such first aid kits available but the knowledge to use them is much more valuable. Have him get an EMT (and above) course under his belt. My first aid kit is in an Aluminum cargo shipping container that has ample supplies for many people. My auto/BO kit has just the basics. Just picked up @ 100 rolls of adhesive gauze and "scads" of 4X4s at a flea market. A close relative just gave me a good supply of IVs and sutures. Am going to have to reorganize the "kit" into two--one for minor wounds and the other for serious stuff. Just a side note--a couple of boxes of ladies sanitary napkins make wonderful "battle dressings". Add to what ever skills/experience you have a Special Forces field surgery manual and a veternarian's guide to surgery. A physician's desk guide to meds is another good resource.

 

I'm with broker.
I bought a couple of bags and bought supplies to stock them.

 

A good basic start to a kit is one of these.
USGI Style Surgical Kit ~ Old Sarge's Drop Zone - Dunkirk, New York - (716) 203-7221

As others have said it's best to build one yourself and a lot less expensive.

 

A better question might be what do you stock in an extensive first aide kit... How many of what items?

 

you know the ladies sanitary pads were originally wound dressings for the military
they just found out they had other uses....lol

i dont keep a huge kit, just a small one in my pack but its got a lot in it
gauze, ace wraps, plaster of paris, bandaids, iodine, ointments, athletic and wound tape, ladies napkins and 4x4 wound pads. so far thats been more than enuff for me
but its not like i dont have other supplies in the closet

 

Well, "extensive" could mean different things. For example, hundreds of assorted types of bandaids as compared to a tin assorted bandaids. Are we talking about simple first aid for minor injuries or "extensive" care?

Most of us think of first aid as something pertaining to minor wounds and burns and stings, etc. First aid is the FIRST aid one will get regardless of the type of injury. The way I see it is "First Aid" comes in layers and the aid required will be dictated by the injury. What we "preppers" need to do is rethink "first aid" by going into trauma and even surgical packs.

Sure, a first aid kit is fine and dandy. I would wager that most of us know how to deal with bee stings and cuts and scrapes. But, do we all know how to reset that broken arm? After all, what first aid does one receive for a broken arm? Cold packs...Sling...pain relievers. But how do you set it? How do you make a cast? What if the bone has broken the skin? What about multiple fractures of the same bone?

So you see, first aid comes in layers. A bullet hole in the upper arm without bone or artery damage is a fairly simple fix. But one will need an "extensive" kit for a bullet that has smashed bone or penetrated vitals.

Extensive?
Here's my list of medical supplies (and the list still grows):
Bleeding cheat sheets
Wound cheat sheets
Medications cheat sheets
Fractures and Sprains cheat sheets
Safety pins
Clean and sealed bed sheets

Thermometers (95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit)
triangular bandages
2 pair 4 in. EMT shears
Antibiotic ointment packets
20 cc irrigation syringe with 18 gauge tip
Laerdal® CPR face shield
5 x 9 in. trauma pad
8 x 10 in. trauma pad
Sterile scrub brush
Topical over the counter anesthetic
Antiseptic wipes
3 in. elastic bandages with Velcro® closure
1 x 4 in. stockinette tubular bandage
1 x 3 in. adhesive fabric bandages
Adhesive fabric knuckle bandages
Pkg. of 10 0.25 x 4 in. wound closure strips
Sterile eye pads
2 x 2 in. sterile gauze dressing (2 per pkg.)
4 x 4 in. sterile gauze dressing (2 per pkg.)
3 x 4 in. sterile non-adherent dressing
3 in. non-sterile conforming gauze bandages
4 x 7 in. non-woven adhesive bandage
3 x 5 in. molefoam sheet
4 x 7 in. moleskin sheets
2 x 1.5 in. Spenco 2nd Skin dressing
1 in. x 10 yards cloth tape
Nitrile gloves with bag and hand wipes
Cotton tip applicators
Splinter picker or tick remover forceps
Tincture of benzoin topical skin adhesive vials
Povidone iodine solution
Pencils, legal pads to make notes
4 x 36 in. SAM® splint
Roll of duct tape
Burn Gel with Lidocaine 1 oz. packet
Sting and itch relief wipes
Cortisone cream packets
Dentemp temporary filling mixture
Oral hydration salts
Glutose paste packet
Waterproof matches
Combat dressings
Petroleum gauze
Plastic bags, ziplock
Band-Aids - assorted sizes and shapes
Elastoplast dressing
Steristrips - assorted sizes
Tincture of Benzoin
Roller (elasticated + cotton) bandages (2in/4in/6in)
Cotton balls
Paper tape (1/2 in/1in)
Sleek tape (1/2in/1in)
Oropharyngeal airways
BP cuff
Stethoscope
Otoscope
Light source
Heavy duty scissors
Space blanket
Air splints (arm/long-leg/short-leg)
SAM splints
Plaster of Paris (or fiberglass) roller bandages (4in/6in)
Multidip. urine test strips
Pregnancy test kits
Sterile and unsterile latex gloves
Sm eye magnet
Snake bite kit (for those of you unlucky enough to have them )

IV Kit

• Normal Saline
• Haemaccel or Pentaspan (a colloid resuscitation fluid)
• IV giving sets - maxisets + standard sets
• Blood collection bags + filter giving sets
• Syringes 2/5/10/20 ml
• Needles 20/22/24 g
• IV cannulas 16/20/24g
• Spinal needles 22g
• Leur locks/Heparin locks
• Tourniquet
• Alcohol Wipes

Surgical Kit

• Mayo scissors
• Dissecting forceps
• Sm curved clamps
• Sm straight clamps
• Lg curved clamps
• Scalpel Handle + Blades (size 11,12,15) or disposable scalpels
• Sm Bone Saw
• LIft Out obstetric forceps
• Emergency Obstetric Kit (includes cord clamps, bulb suction etc.)
• Suture Material
  • Vicryl 0/,2/0
  • Chromic 0/,2/0
  • Dermalon 0/, 2/0 Surgical stapler and remover
• Hemilich flutter valve
• Penrose drains
• Foley Urethral Catheters
• Urine Bags
• N-G tubes + spigots

Dental KIt

• Oil of cloves
• Zinc Oxide paste
• Dental mirror
• Sharp probe
• Compactor
• Extraction forceps

 

my 2 cents

i would take at least a first aid course from the red cross. i agree wholeheartedly that knowledge is paramount . take a emt course and/or paramedic course if possible.
then you need to think about your kit. who will it be for? what kind of things can you anticipate needing it for? remember multiple uses for things.many lists on the net, even tactical first aid kits

What to keep in your tactical first aid kit

there is a list for like a shelter/ alot of folks and i can't seem to find it just now. i will post it when i find it. another hint is look at what catalogs list in their kits and and use that as a list and go buy it cheaper yourself like at walmart or something . and get a good bag to put it in . i have one of my kits in a tool box i bought brand new at walmart for about 5 bucks and it works good.

 

A friend of mine bought a kit from Militia of Montana that was a good start and seemed user friendly. The have a web site so you can look it up.

 

The basic first aid class offered by the Red Cross is very basic. It doesn't need to be complicated. The class I took had a list of supplies needed. I suggest that every one should those classes as well as the CPR classes they offer.

 

The most important thing with a first aid kit is having the skills to use the items. I agree that the Red Cross is a good place to start, however, there are LPN and RN quick guides available at Amazon and local universities that may prove very helpful. They are flip guides, very portable....

 

As most early Americans died from infections; a huge supply of antibiotics and the knowledge of which works on what.

 

You might also check into common ailments like cold/flu medicines, back ache/sore muscle ointments, upset stomach/diarrea medicines, ect...

Dehydration due to diarrea will kill or incapacitate just as quickly as a gunshot or broken limb.

 

Keeping in mind the ABC's a good "first aid" kit will be stocked with things to accomplish completion of those tasks.

Airway Maintenance
naso Pharyngeal/oro pharangeal/endo trach tubes

Air supply
Ambu Bag and mask

Circulation sealers
Stats, clamps, ligature, tourniquets, bandages, and blood stoppers

All of the rest of the fancy stuff should be found back at the field aid station.

The KISS rule should apply.

 

A well-stocked first aid kit is a handy thing to have. To be prepared for emergencies, keep a first aid kit in your home and in your car. Carry a first aid kit with you or know where you can find one. Some kits are designed for specific activities, such as hiking, camping or boating. Whether you buy a first aid kit or put one together, make sure it has all the items you may need. Include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest. Check the kit regularly. Make sure the flashlight batteries work. Check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents.

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A BASIC MEDICAL KIT FOR A 10-20 PERSON SHELTER

list for 10-20 people in shelter

 

I would suggest (as have others) that your friend take some training, I would also suggest that he seek information/training on local herbs/plants used in so called folk medicine. FA Kits are, by their very nature, finite.

Why - if you are truly 'on your own' almost any major injury will result in death.

Think of it like this - an injured person //a diseased person will
get better pretty much on their own (not withstanding antibiotics)
or
die.
People die every day in hospitals with massive amounts of high tech medical gear.

In a post-disaster situation, you can provide support to a person so they might heal.
That persons initial health, access to clean water, healthy food of sufficient amounts and support will likely make more of a difference in the final outcome than anything you might stock in a first aid kit.

I hope your friend is able to find a kit to his linking, but I have always maintained the very first thing to go in any kit is training. The contents should then be determined by that persons training.

**.

I recommend a book elsewhere on this site
Letters of a Woman Homesteader (9780395911518): Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Reading the book will give you a better understanding of what life is really like when there is no doctor at hand. The book was based on material written in 1909 to 1913 and based in the western US.

 

I agree with much of what has been already said. Training is the most important.

A friend of mine bought over $400 in medical supplies, but doen't know how or when to use a lot of them.

Start initially with a basic first aid for home and each car.

 

dont forget duck tape