first aid/medical supplies

[mr_dove]

I wasn't sure if this was the best area for this question. It seemed to fit best.

What kind of first aid/medical supplies should I have on hand for emergency/SHTF purposes? We have very basic first aid kits with band-aids and gauze, etc. Nothing special and no specialized stuff.

There are currently 2 adults and 1 child (2 years old).

Considering an additional first aid kit for the car as well.

A ready made kit would be nice but I'll assemble if needed.

 

[Josey]

www.labsafetysupply.com They have pretty much all you could need or want. Feminine pads are a needed item for major wounds. Gauze is useful. Ladder splints. Red Cross training/CPR class. A minimum of TWO weeks of reserve medications. Proper storage for insulin and supplies. Family medical history. Simple and basic really beats a CD-rom that can't work as there is no power or time.

 

[earthworm]

I recommend putting your own kit together vs. buying a kit & against carrying anything you do not know how to use.This is often cheaper than the 'ready-made' kits,allows you to customize your kit to your situation & skills & ,perhaps most importantly,serves as a self-assessment of skills.
Josey has an excellent point about the feminine pads:as good as ABD pad & a helluvalot cheaper.I go with Playtex kitchen gloves instead of disposable gloves:these latter don't store well,particularly if your kit is exposed to heat,etc. I like to go modular:a bandage kit,medicine kit,etc.
But the first thing you need is knowledge.Take all the first aid/paramedic/nursing courses you have available in your area & can afford.
(Hints:sometimes employers can be pursuaded to contribute to your course fees as they can get insurance breaks for having certified first aid/medical people on staff.Can't hurt to ask.You might also get a tax deduction under 'continuing education':ask a good tax consultant.)
I recommend the following books:
Any & all Red Cross handbooks. 'Where There Is No Doctor' & 'Where There
Is No Dentist'.'Ship's Medicine Chest & First Aid At Sea'.'Survival Medicine' by Ragnar Benson;while I have reservations on this one it's got some good ideas & suggestions. The Special Forces medical manuels. Any nursing & paramedic texts you can lay your hands onlder ones are OK as the basic principles do not change.
NOTE!! emergency care & extended care are NOT the same! I read an article in one of the nursing journals about how nurses(of which I am one) should respond at emergency situations.One paragraph strongly implied the nurse should take charge regardless of any personell at the scene.I thought "Like Hell!".My training is hospital-oriented while the EMT/paramedics are trained in on-scene stabalization.
NOTE! the expiration dates on medications is conservative & obviously dependent on storage condition.My rules of thumb are if it's kept in the house you should be OK for an extra 6 months,if it's kept in the care you lose 6 months, & "When in doubt throw it out".

 

[Joe Demko]

Be sure to include several packages of Immodium AD in your medical supplies. During an emergency, stress, bad water, unfamiliar food, etc. can all lead to diarrhea. That is unpleasant during normal times. In an emergency, you don't need the added risk of dehydration and electrolyte depletion. You don't need the problem of disposing of the additional human waste. You don't need the overall reduced physical effectiveness. For a 2-year old, diarrhea can be fatal in pretty short order. I'd keep some pedialyte on hand as well to stave off the dehydration and electrolyte depletion since you shouldn't give adult AD medications to small children.

 

[JamisJockey]

since you shouldn't give adult AD medications to small children.

In a true emergency, I would in a heartbeat. I'd break the tablet in half for a small child. (I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on TV).
Oh, and I absolutely agree, everyone needs a good supply of Amodium in thier kits. I'm pretty sure I have 2 12 packs, although I need to do an inventory before we move this month.
You should have a reserve of any longterm medications (like insiluin).
Spare eyeglasses (not contacts)
I agree that Maxipads are good bandages. Make sure and store extras for the wife, incase the emergency and her period coinicide (although during stress, women might skip thier period).

 

[FPrice]

"I recommend putting your own kit together vs. buying a kit & against carrying anything you do not know how to use."

I disagree with this, but only partially.

earthworm is correct in about putting together a kit that you know and can use. For most situations that you are likely to encounter basic supplies and basic to moderate first aid knowledge should suffice.

However if you plan on preparing for the worst it might not be a bad idea to have some advanced supplies and kits. As someone put it during the pre-Y2K discussions, "You are more likely to encounter medical professionals with limited or no supplies than you are to encounter supplies with no medical professionals." Having some items that a professional could use to your benefit might not be a bad idea.

However, DO NOT use this advice as permission to spend way too much money on something with only a very limited chance of being used. As with all things in life, think carefully before you act.

 

[444]

I would think that the first step is to come up with some idea of what kinds of injuries and illnesses you might encounter and can treat. By this, I mean, the amount of training you have and the equipment you have on hand will determine what you can treat. So, you have equipment on hand that will handle those situations. You need to face the fact that you can't treat every possible injury or illness. You also have to accept the fact that for most of us, the level of training we have is minimal; so our equipment should be minimal. I think most people get out of hand with these first aid kits.
Just to give you an idea of trauma type supplies, I work full time as a paramedic. In our bags (the bags we carry in on calls) we carry a box of 4x4s, tape, one trauma dressing, some sterile water, and of course IV solutions. That is it for trauma supplies carried on a paramedic staffed unit that has a good chance of using this stuff.

 

[ARGarrison]

I'll add my two cents.

I recomend getting or at least reading "A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine" by Eric A. Weiss MD. It can be had by itself, but also comes with some Adventure Medical Kits. As they had a hand in making the book.

You may want to look at http://www.equipped.org/survlkit.htm#MEDICALKITS for a list of supplies. They have other areas of intrest also.

 

[earthworm]

FPrice has an excellent point re worst case/long-term supplys.I was thinking short term & personal.Extra points for his last sentence:Well Said Sir!
Golgo-13 is right to recommend an anti-diarrheal & Pedialyte.
For what it's worth here's what I carry:
Bandage/trauma kit: Maxipads,roll gauze,tape,BP cuff,stethscope,
small flashlight(altho the Inovia on my keyring has replaced it),
ladder splint,cervical collar,triangular bandages,4X4s,eye pads,bathroom-size cups,bandage scissors,knife,hemostats & forceps(handiest things ever invented!Good in tool kits & tackle boxs,too!),notebook,pencils & Sharpie,a very small basic first-aid book,oral airways,a suction bulb,bandaids & the Playtex gloves I mentioned in my previous post.This usually stays in my vehicle.
Medicine kit:Tylenol,Motrin,Naprosyn & asprin.Different analgesics work differently on different people or types of pain.In my case Tylenol is great for a headache but Motrin is better for my back.Benadryl(a great seditive as well as antihistimine),Chlortrimiton,Sudafed,Maalox or Tums tabs,sting kit,toothache swabs(& these can be a bitch to find!),Dramimine,Immodium,
biscydol laxitive,Neosoprin,hydrocortisone cream,Bactine spray,Gas-X,& any
prescription meds I or the family need.
My sons are adults but if I'm going to a gathering where children are likely to be present I pack the pediatric versions of these meds.The med kit is seperate from the bandage kit & stays in the house.I'm leery of keeping meds in the car for long periods as the heat can really wreck them.
I used name brands in my med list for ease of recognition of the type of drug I was suggesting.Obviously the generics work just as well & are cheaper.
Add 'Forgey's Wilderness Medicine' to the book list I posted.
Points to Atc1man for suggesting extra glasses.
Baking soda can be mighty handy for anti-itch or upset stomach.Don't overlook home remedys & herbs.
Good thread mr_dove;we all need to keep this stuff in mind.

 

[pbhome71]

These are all good suggestion. I only want to add that make sure your medical supplies are not expired, or will be expired soon.

If there something that you use, rotate them out.

-Pat

 

[c_yeager]

I will second the recomendation to get some first aid training. The best kit in the world isnt much use if you don't know what to do with it. There are a hundred WRONG ways to do things and only a few right ways. DEFINATLY inculde whatever medications you and your family may need. Bandages are good as well. If you know a friendly doctor you can get him to prescribe some penicillin or comparable antibiotics. Just explain what you are intending them for. its been awhile since i've done it but, around here 'blue water' (long range) sailors do this all the time. If you have to go extended periods without access to medical care infections resulting from even properly cared for injuries can kill you.

 

[Dionysusigma]

In a SHTF or emergency situation that required medical expertise, I'm lucky my parents (Dad's an MD and my mom's a RN) live not far from my place. So there's the training... plus I picked up on a few things over the years from them (although the dinner conversation from a doctor to a nurse, to us normal people, is a bit... unappetizing. )

But for that reason, would a surplus M-5 Medic bag from http://www.cheaperthandirt.com be not enough, just right, or overkill? Personally, aside from my limited knowledge of what meds are/can be used for certain things, my solution for wounds is:

1) Apply tourniquet if necessary
2) Clean the affected area with soap, water, alcohol, etc.
3) Apply antibiotic ointment, anaesthetic if necessary
4) Band-aid if wound is small enough
5) If a large wound, use a skin stapler and dermabond (Although I know that people can't just be stapled and glued back together, it's better than the alternative)
6) If unsure, ask Mom or Dad.