First Aid Kits and Supplies

[lakeside]

While this is an old thread, keeping safe never gets old. I noticed someone said a tourniquet. The issue of a tourniquet runs hold and cold but with the CAF experience in Afghanistan, a combat tourniquet is definitely something every first aid kit destined for a remote area or in an area where catastrophic injury can happen.

I bought several off Amazon and each and every first aid kit I have has one. If there's a traumatic bleed from an extremity that can't be stopped with traditional techniques, you have two options. Let the person bleed out, or apply a tourniquet and maybe safe a life. The first option, bleed out, has absolutely no risk of the person loosing a limb, but then they won't really care 'cause they're dead. The second option may just keep them alive.

Good tourniquet skills, releasing tension every few minutes to allow for blood flow, may very well keep the patient alive.

It's really important to practice, practice, practice applying a tourniquet on yourself, one-handed in case it's one of your arms that's injured.

 

[3930dave]

Good point lake.

The impression I got first time around in my first-aid course was they may have backed off teaching tourniquet use in basic public courses..... like you said, hot/cold.....

I'd expect any wilderness or combat related course would still be teaching its use.

Rgds, D.

 

[aczlan]

Good point lake.

The impression I got first time around in my first-aid course was they may have backed off teaching tourniquet use in basic public courses..... like you said, hot/cold.....

I'd expect any wilderness or combat related course would still be teaching its use.

Rgds, D.

The OSHA First Aid course we had a couple months ago at work talked about it. They said that it's not recommended, but it's better than bleeding out if those are your two choices.
They also said that if you put one on, write the date and time that it went on with a sharpie next to it on the body part so that when they get to the ER they know what time it went on and what precautions to take before taking it off.

Aaron Z

 

[ArlyA]

We've been to two first-aid courses recently as part of me getting a NFS sawyer certification. One was Basic FA done at our local hospital which we thought was rather worthless. The good one was a SOLO Wildernesses FA that was really good and practical help for people who spend much time in the woods and at remote sites. SOLO is a commercial company who specialty is back county first aid. In it, they did speak of tourniquet use.

 

[N2DFire]

I have been involved in Fire/EMS for 28 years now, 20+ of those at the Paramedic level. Lakeside is correct that tourniquet use is historically a hot topic and the general approval rating goes up and down but it's much like the stock market, things take short term dips & gains but long term tend to increase. Likewise tourniquet use has steadily gained in acceptance over the long haul thanks to research and real world usage from the Military (globally not just the U.S. military).

When transferred into the civilian world, there really is no compelling reason NOT to use a tourniquet when other hemorrhage control methods have failed or are not practical.

And I 100% agree with the part about purchasing something you can apply one handed.

As for release-reapply:
The American College of Surgeons recommends no removal at all prehospital - in general
Tourniquet Use Recommendations from the American College of Surgeons - ACEP Now

Our EMS protocol goes all the way out to 45 minutes before we consider reverting back to traditional methods and releasing the tourniquet.

The current general threshold right now is right around the 2 hour mark, however the majority of the tourniquet usage in the study was pneumatic tourniquets in the surgical suite, so real world field numbers still aren't in yet.
Tourniquet use in the civilian prehospital setting Note this was written in 2007 but I have read things as recent as 2015 that still cite this number.


Sorry - Didn't mean to get uber geeky but it's actually a very hot topic right now and new developments for battle field use are moving to the civilian world faster than ever before -like the new Abdominal Aortic & Junctional Tourniquet.

WARNING - Some images on the following page may not be suitable for young / squeamish viewers. If you pass out and fall off your chair it's not my fault - I warned you.
Compression Works LLC Abdominal Aortic & Junctional Tourniquet (AAJT) | Chinook Medical Gear, Inc.

 

[3930dave]

The OSHA First Aid course we had a couple months ago at work talked about it. They said that it's not recommended, but it's better than bleeding out if those are your two choices.
They also said that if you put one on, write the date and time that it went on with a sharpie next to it on the body part so that when they get to the ER they know what time it went on and what precautions to take before taking it off.

Aaron Z

Documentation..... medical or engineering related, it can matter a lot.....

I like Sharpies for many reasons - should get a mini one for my kit !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

We've been to two first-aid courses recently as part of me getting a NFS sawyer certification. One was Basic FA done at our local hospital which we thought was rather worthless. The good one was a SOLO Wildernesses FA that was really good and practical help for people who spend much time in the woods and at remote sites. SOLO is a commercial company who specialty is back county first aid. In it, they did speak of tourniquet use.

We tend to think of remote areas first, but it can be critical closer in. Recent incident in Hamilton ON, kids playing at a park near RR tracks.....

Eight-year-old girl hit by train on Hamilton tracks - CHCH

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I have been involved in Fire/EMS for 28 years now, 20+ of those at the Paramedic level. Lakeside is correct that tourniquet use is historically a hot topic and the general approval rating goes up and down but it's much like the stock market, things take short term dips & gains but long term tend to increase. Likewise tourniquet use has steadily gained in acceptance over the long haul thanks to research and real world usage from the Military (globally not just the U.S. military).

When transferred into the civilian world, there really is no compelling reason NOT to use a tourniquet when other hemorrhage control methods have failed or are not practical.

And I 100% agree with the part about purchasing something you can apply one handed.

As for release-reapply:
The American College of Surgeons recommends no removal at all prehospital - in general
Tourniquet Use Recommendations from the American College of Surgeons - ACEP Now

Our EMS protocol goes all the way out to 45 minutes before we consider reverting back to traditional methods and releasing the tourniquet.

The current general threshold right now is right around the 2 hour mark, however the majority of the tourniquet usage in the study was pneumatic tourniquets in the surgical suite, so real world field numbers still aren't in yet.
Tourniquet use in the civilian prehospital setting Note this was written in 2007 but I have read things as recent as 2015 that still cite this number.


Sorry - Didn't mean to get uber geeky but it's actually a very hot topic right now and new developments for battle field use are moving to the civilian world faster than ever before -like the new Abdominal Aortic & Junctional Tourniquet.

WARNING - Some images on the following page may not be suitable for young / squeamish viewers. If you pass out and fall off your chair it's not my fault - I warned you.
Compression Works LLC Abdominal Aortic & Junctional Tourniquet (AAJT) | Chinook Medical Gear, Inc.

Great data and background ! Thanks (and also for the warning..... I have a strong stomach, but not everybody does....).

Rgds, D.

 

[oosik]

For many years I carried the "standard" first aide stuff on my tractor. Gave me a good feeling. Then it finally hit me - I seldom get hurt - the supplies get "dirty" and eventually must be discarded. About 100% of anything serious that has ever happened to me involves me getting "cut" with or on something. I've reduced my first aide supplies to - - a clean roll of paper towels - a few clean (never used Terry cloth) shop rags - a roll of "McGuiver" duck tape. I apply the paper towel to soak up the blood - I add the clean shop towel to restrict blood flow - I bind it all up with duck tape. I go like the wind - get in my pickup and head to the local fire station or medical clinic.

If the situation is so serious that I'm unable to accomplish the above tasks - - then all the First Aide supplies in the entire world will make no difference.

I just hope that somebody friendly finds me before the coyotes do.

 

[Jstpssng]

I carry one of these, First-Aid-Product.com: QuikClot Advanced Clotting Sponge 5g - Blood Stoppers - Bandages & Dressings - Bandaging & First Aid Supplies and a few- very few- other things. I'm often a mile or more from the truck, so if something major goes wrong it's hasta muerte anyways. I've been thinking about getting an Inreach Garmin, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It would be a lot easier if it tracked good enough to replace my 64.