>Does anyone have a favorite commercially available medical kit, or useful information on this subject generally? Our local scout troop is considering >standardizing its med kits, and although we may build our own, we will also considering buying kits that have all the requisite components. I have a >number of wilderness medicine books and I have usually put together my own kits for my personal use. I am a little prejudiced against buying a kit, but >I would like to know others' experience. The kits would be intended for use in North America, without terrain restrictions. > >TFJ ----------------------- This was discussed in my mountaineering first aid class (which went a little deeper than your garden-variety first aid classes), where our instructor was of the opinion that if you're only talking about one kit, it may be cheaper to buy a prepackaged kit. However, much beyond that, you're better off building your own. Also, IMHO the prepackaged kits are 90% various bandaids and tylenol (though they at least come with a nice bag to keep everything in!). For a situations where you may be a day or more away from a doctor, you may want a more complete kit. For example, many kits don't even have items as simple as sugar packets (if someone experiences diabetic problems) or anti-histamines (for bee sting allergies), etc etc. Things like maxipads make excellent and inexpensive bandages for more severe bleeding. There's an excellent list of first aid items in Cliff Jacobson's book "Canoeing and Camping: Beyond the Basics", some of which require a doctor's prescription (which is usually not difficult to get for this sort of thing -- in fact, your doctor may even add some additional recommendations, such as stronger pain-relief medicine than you get from off-the-shelf stuff like tylenol). Evan Dallas Woodinville, Washington *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Things like maxipads make excellent and inexpensive bandages for more > severe bleeding. One of the best major injury with bleeding components that is available is one I included in my kit I carried as a rookie cop and again when I was a motorcycle officer/sgt. Sterile Maternity pads, I used to scam from cooperative nurses and Doctors at the ERs. I used to spend a lot of time there after accident scenes, and did Kiatsu treatments on the staff (aikido derived finger pressure therapy for aches and pains) and also restrained violent patients for them so they were quite willing to help. Maternity pads have nice long ties making them easy to attach to a serious wound anywhere on the body. I'm sure that most inventive kayakers could manage to score one. I'm sure they could be had from medical supply houses, as well. The latter might need a club for a group purchase 'cause I doubt the supply houses are used to sales of one each. I carried these and nylon parachute cord and straps for tourniquets, triangle bandages, and splinting sticks of various sizes which would go on with the cords/straps, or Duct Tape. The latter can even be used for sucking chest wounds and the like. In these cases you're more concerned with immediate death from inability to breathe than any infection from blocking the hole with a nonsterile material. I may evoke some unpleasant images, but I've used all these items and a few people lived because I did. Most first aid kits are useless for anything other than PR. Life saving first aid, especially when you may not be able reach help for days is very different. The above items and some Staples or butterfly bandages or sterile needles and suture material are the kind of things to consider adding in a real emergency kit. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Dave Flory, San Jose, CA. daflory_at_pacbell.net Go Sea Kayaking!! ©2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Speak softly and study Aikido, then you won't need a big stick. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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