Getting Serious About First Aid Kits

[Arcadia0927]

. Do you think I'm being overly paranoid? Am I leaving anything vital out? What do other people keep in their kits?

I would add some bandage cutting scissors for cutting away clothing or bandages, along with some latex gloves and a roll of gauze.

[pointatopointb]

havn't purchsed from them, but I found Quality Medical Supplies (http://www.qualitymedicalsupplies.co...ode=Wound-Care), looks promising for filling your kit. They have large telfa pads (I'm used to the 3x8 size, seems about perfect to me)

[mlh122]

My local sporting goods store had a selection of 3 first aid kids. I don't remember what is in the one that I got but it perfectly fits in 1 of the smaller pockets on my cycling backpack. on shorter rides I don't bring the backpack but those rides are in the city and i always have my cell phone with me and i'm within a mile of a supermarket.

[Captain Blight]

The mil-spec pressure dressings do a fantastic job of stopping heavy bleeding from deep cuts due to glass or psychopaths with knives. DAMHIKT.

The best tool you can have in your first-aid kit is a level head and the ability to think clearly under stress and in pain.

[NightShift]

I hate that I'm the first to mention this, especially with some of you leading group rides: Portable Blood Glucose Meter.
$30 from Walgreens, size of a film canister, good for one year or 30 uses.
And glucose gel, or a small tub of cake frosting.

[NightShift]

Definite +1 For gloves (I always wear a glove pouch on my belt), breathing barrier, aspirin, salt tabs, super glue, bandana, and eye wash.

[pointatopointb]

I hate that I'm the first to mention this, especially with some of you leading group rides: Portable Blood Glucose Meter.
$30 from Walgreens, size of a film canister, good for one year or 30 uses.
And glucose gel, or a small tub of cake frosting.

valid if you are diabetic. more important than knowing what a persons BGL is, is knowing what signs to look for, since hypoglycemia can present at higher sugar levels during physical exertion. the rule is that if someone is diabetic, it doesn't matter what they BGL is, give sugar and transport. If you're drawing blood (pricking someone's finger), you're performing a medical act, not first aid. only the person who needs the test, and has been trained to do the prick and calibrate the meter and read the meter and interpret the results should be messing with that. a group ride leader should insist that anyone with diabetes have their own (and check on it, make sure they know how it works).

Along the same lines, anyone with Asthma should be compelled to ride with an inhaler. Anyone with severe allergies should have an EPI-PEN (or two, depending on your allergies).
If you're going anywhere without your acute-needs medications, you're risking a lot. if you're leaving the city without them, or making it hard for an ambulance to get to you, you're taking a VERY great risk.

[GeoffM]

Reading through these replies, I think my best bet is simply to have an ambulance follow me around.

[sam21fire]

As a working Firefighter/EMT I've heard the old "tourniquets as last resort" mantra for years. As a military member I've learned that this isn't true and could actual could endanger your life (yes I know what they're teaching... I just re-certified). When we're "over there" EVERYONE who goes outside the wire carries 2 of the CATs (Combat Application Tourniquet) in two specified pockets. The tourniquets are now used FIRST for several reasons:
1- The mantra of "you'll sacrifice/lose anything below the tourniquet" isn't even close to true. Most extremity surgeries now utilize tourniquets to reduce blood loss etc and they're in place for up to 30-45 minutes and sometimes longer.
2- In a true trauma situation (most bike crashes don't qualify) serious bleeding control is often priority #1 unless the airway is compromised or threatened.
3- The old idea of direct pressure, elevation, pressure points is ineffective in serious bleeding situations; don't waste time, save the life.
4- The CAT is specifically designed to be easily applied with one hand by the person who is injured in a worst case situation. It can be applied by an uninjured person in less than 10 seconds. Makeshift tourniquets are also effective and can be applied quickly.

The use of Quickclot is starting to be discouraged due to the difficulty of removing the material when the patient reaches a trauma center. The rare situations where it's indicated is severe external abdominal/thoracic bleeding however unless you're able to apply the material deep within the body the bleeding will continue internally anyway which will kill the patient.

In some areas you're a long way from emergency medical help; I work in an area where it frequently takes us 30-60 minutes to reach a patient. In these areas it's good to carry a comprehensive kit so you can stay alive long enough for ALS transport (ambulance, medhelo) to arrive. Most of the time, however, you can carry a basic kit that will address the need to stay alive for the next 10 minutes. Other than that you really only need enough to address the issues of infection control and comfort until you can get further treatment.

What do I carry? Stay alive stuff (readily accessible): CAT, one trauma dressing, small soft pocket face mask/barrier. Other stuff: common bandaids, antibiotic ointment, ace bandage, 4x4's, tape, betadine for cleaning road rash. Anything else I may need I can get at the next town.

[Bethany]

I was wondering the same about a first aid kit. Thanks for the ideas. If you have any kind illness have the necessary items in your kit. As I have epilepsy, I have a paper that says I have epilepsy, my medications w/dosage, an emergency number, and a "do not call EMS unless I am obviously hurt/bleeding and try to keep me from wandering off on my own".

I've had epilepsy long enough that by the time you take me to the ER I'll be fine and I don't need a 50 dollar copay for them to tell me that. Thankfully I've been seizure free for over a year and don't have gran mal seizures, but I'm smart enough to know one could happen at any time.

Depending on your cell phone, there are apps that are for first aid help and an ICE (in case of emergency) app.

[Myosmith]

When you are talking about keeping size and weight down, you have to decide whether you are putting together a first aid kit for treating boo-boos or a trauma kit for serious injuries. Unfortunately, most commercial kits are either quite large or are of the boo-boo fix varieties. If you are riding in a group, you can divide the kit so that one rider is carrying the band-aids and tylenol, and another is carrying the large gauze pads and roller bandages. If you are riding alone and away from immediate help here are some suggestions for a minimalist kit:

- Four 4x4 gauze pads
- One medium size trauma dressing
- One 4" gauze roll
- One roll of Coban or similar self adhesive bandage (these are the slightly elastic, tacky, gauze-like bandages that stick to themselves when wrapped but don't have any adhesive)
- One CPR microshield or similar CPR barrier device
- Two pairs of non-latex gloves (nitrile gloves are popular and inexpensive)
- Small trauma shears or large bandage scissors
- Two or three antiseptic wipes

The self adhesive bandage is very handy in that it stays put much better than tape, especially on sweaty skin and can be unwrapped and repositioned several times if needed. If you have ever given blood or had blood work done you have probably seen this type of bandage as it is replacing adhesive bandages.

The roll of gauze can be used with a tire lever to make a tourniquet (as mentioned, absolute last resort when direct pressure, elevation, and pressure points don't work and bleeding is life threatening).

The gloves and microshield are obviously for rendering aid to other people. The antiseptic wipes can be used on your own road rash, etc. but are primarily there to clean off another person's blood any time it comes in contact with your bare skin. Your chances of contracting a blood borne disease while aiding another person are slim, but a couple of simple precautions virtually eliminate the risk.

The scissors are useful for cutting gauze and for cutting clothing from around an injured area. They could also be used in place of the tire lever when making a tourniquet (did I mention LAST RESORT).

I strongly encourage everyone to take a First Aid course that includes adult and child CPR and AED training. One or two evenings will make you better prepared to handle emergencies.

[NightShift]

Not to sound like a broken record, but heart attack, stroke, and diabetes are leading causes of death. Aspirin and glucose are small, light, and cheap. Even the "Boo-boo" variety first aid kits SHOULD include these (and rarely do).

[Digital_Cowboy]

quikclot was designed for gunshot trauma: lots of blood from vital areas. it is possible to encounter such an injury on the trail, but for what I've seen from bike crashes is road rash, sprains, strains fractures etc., none of it would have indicated quikclot. Also, because it goes inside the wound, it might be concidered an invasive procedure and need a medical directors order to use it. I think the best bet is non-stick dressings (TELFA pads), gauze and lots of water to flush the grit out of the wound.

play safe everyone.

From what I've read about quickclot, it is to be used over a wound. As it is being sold to not JUST the medical/first responder community, but to the consumer market as well, i.e. families, pet owners, athlete's, etc.

Yes, as with 2x2, 4x4's, etc. it can be used to pack a wound, but that is probably it's secondary not primary use.

[Digital_Cowboy]

I just stumbled across this thread and have to wonder...where do yall carry all this...y'all must have some giant saddle bags lol.

I carry mine (depending on the bike) either in my top bag, or in one of the side pockets of my pannier bags. It's a smallish plastic box from Johnson & Johnson.

[Digital_Cowboy]

This information is YEARS out of date. Tourniquets are the first-line for severe bleeding in the military. The statement of "sacrificing a limb" is nothing but a myth. I'll say it again. Tourniquets are a safe method of hemorrhage control.

How do you think docs perform surgeries on limbs? Oh yeah, with a tourniquet. You can go search and find extensive data (peer-reviewed) articles that show minimal risk of limb loss / function even after 8 hours of tourniquet time.

The sad fact is that the RedCross specifically and most civilian fire/ambulance agencies are hopelessly behind the curve when it comes to addressing issues like this. The military is (literally and figuratively) on the front lines of determining what really works.

Every soldier carries a tourniquet in their kit. They are expected to be able to self-apply in the event of injury. In current operations (OIF / OEF) there have been literally hundreds of tourniquet application. I am not aware of one amputation that has been attributed to the application of a tourniquet.

-Z

I agree, but not all of them. I was talking with the husband of a friend who is an EMS/EMT and he commented that the various bungy cords that I carry on my bike can double as a tourniquet in a pinch.

[Digital_Cowboy]

I was wondering the same about a first aid kit. Thanks for the ideas. If you have any kind illness have the necessary items in your kit. As I have epilepsy, I have a paper that says I have epilepsy, my medications w/dosage, an emergency number, and a "do not call EMS unless I am obviously hurt/bleeding and try to keep me from wandering off on my own".

I've had epilepsy long enough that by the time you take me to the ER I'll be fine and I don't need a 50 dollar copay for them to tell me that. Thankfully I've been seizure free for over a year and don't have gran mal seizures, but I'm smart enough to know one could happen at any time.

Depending on your cell phone, there are apps that are for first aid help and an ICE (in case of emergency) app.

Given that a lot (if not most) people will "lock" their phones so that it can't "pocket dial" as well as to protect sensitive data on their phone, how effective is an ICE entry/app?

[Digital_Cowboy]

I also carry a printout that on one side has a list of the meds that I am on, their dosage, and what they've been prescribed for. ON the other side is a brief persona/family medical history as well as emergency contact numbers and that I want to be transported to the local VA facility.

Of course I realize/understand that if the local VA facility is too far away to get me to in a truly life threatening situation that I'll be transported to the closet medical facility.

[Mike S.]

My main contribution to this thread is that if you get road rash, the way to treat it is to stand in the shower with a squirt bottle full of hydrogen peroxide and go to town.

Forget what the ER pros tell you about soap and a scrub brush.

They must have never had road rash or never tried their own method, because if they had, they
would have realized that it hurts way too much and peroxide is way too much cjeaper and eeffective.

Once you boil al the dirt out with peroxide, you can go with the tagamet and such.

If its deep, get stitches.

[postman2010]

I scanned, pretty quickly, through this thread, so I hope I did not miss anyone giving the solution to the person that wanted the moist towelette things in singular packaging. The best thing to do, of course is go to Hooters and order some ribs, however, if you do an internet search for "hoo-ahhs", you may find what you are looking for. I cannot remember where I got them, but I sent a bunch of them to our troops in the Middle East. There was a sponsor a soldier type program and they listed the stuff our fighting men and women wanted in their "care packages". These Hoo-ahhs were high on the list. They are unscented field towels.

[goagain]

Not exactly first aid, but related: Wear a Road ID tag or bracelet (or equivalent) with important medical info and emergency contact numbers.
Carry regular aspirin in case of a suspected heart attack (already mentioned).
For those severely allergic to insect stings, an Epipen.
And a cell phone!

[Riverside_Guy]

One item you'd never think of served me very well when I spilled last year... rubber bands! Took the spill not that far from home, tore up the skin around my elbow (10 stitches worth), found some water and rinsed it all as best as I could, I also had some paper napkins to kind of dress it, but it was the rubber bands that I used to secure it until I got home. Without the rubber bands, I would have had to ride holding my arm out so the blood wouldn't get all over my bike.

[johngz28]

Can anyone recommend a first aid kit that can withstand the summer heat inside a car? Fortunately most of the injuries on my club rides are few and far between and just require a post ride gause patch or large band-aid to keep from getting blood on the car seat.

The last time I needed my kit everything was unuseable due to too many days in the car at 100+ degrees.

[Digital_Cowboy]

Has anyone here purchased the CamelBak® MedBak™ Insert yet? If so how do you like it?

[cyclops]

I carry a comprehensive car kit. It dosen't weigh much, maybe two pounds at the outside, less than my spares, tools and water. I've only had to use it once for a little crash with some decent bleeding resulting, but I was glad it was there. If you dont have any training however then the kits pretty much useless to you, severe trauma cant be treated with bandaids and asprin.

And a good thing to carry if nothing else is some NATO bandage packs, take up no space and can treat serious wounds/breaks.

[pg13]

hmm im thinking of getting a adventure medical kit ultralight .7 or .9 http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/...tertight&cat=3 overkill or?