Hi everyone. Well I think the title pretty much sums it up. What are you buying? How much of it are you buying? Tactical kits or civilian first aid kits?
Thank you all for replying, and stay safe.
Do not buy kits. They are over priced and you can built your own for much less. Get a good list together and build your own. There are several good lists of med supplies in books like Where there is no Doctor.
In my AO I have CVS and Walgreens, Wal-Mart at a distant third. I buy most of my bandages from CVS as they have the larger selection of (their brand) gauze pads and rolls in the widest selection of sizes. I watch the adds for weekly sales and clip coupons for stuff like isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, waterproof tape. I keep a rotation of over the counter drugs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, cold & sinus, antibiotic ointment, clotting agents (QuikClot).
I also keep a bag full of various hemostats/forceps, scapels, EMT shears, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, and some of the Israeli trauma bandages that I acquired in various places over the years.
What I need to learn about is the availability and legality of acquiring and possessing things like IVs and antibiotics?
I have my books from my EMT days but need to add various titles mentioned in this sub-forum as well as put together some IFAK/trauma kits.
Technically you can not own any of that stuff unless you are a provider or have a prescription for it.
Moose I have the same questions, I would like to have IV/saline lock/chest needles on hand for the worst case scenario.
Before anyone jumps my shit, I know it is illegal to use these on some one else, I will probably never have to use them, but I do know how to use them (as does my girlfriend) and who knows, maybe me and mine end up in a situation where first response cannot get to us. It isn’t so I can save the day at a car accident.
Docsherm, what kind of hemorrhage control products do you like/use? I have some Celox, but am intereseted in the Quickclot Combat Gauze. Thank you.
I use the Combat Gauze. I am not sure what you can get on the CIV market. If all you can get is Celox then it will work. The best thing is to get what ever you can and be 100% on using it. Get some just to practice with. You can bag them up and keep training with them. If you are using the Celox as your hemostatic dressing you can train with dry oatmeal. It works. 
Just train with what ever you have. You do not need to spend tons of money on tourniquets, you can make your own. That is what we did in school years before the CAT and SOF-T were out. We made them out of cravats, wood dowels, and a 2" metal ring. They do work very well.
Thanks Doc, the idea of using oatmeal as a training tool for Celox is priceless! Roger that on the tourniquets, back in bootcamp before we got our Ninja/martial arts belts we were instructed on how our web belts could be used as a tourniquet. Thanks again.
Pretty good videos…
http://www.youtube.com/analyticalsurvival#p/u/37/JnY9Op8tJLg
http://www.youtube.com/analyticalsurvival#p/u/36/t9kSrXCG_28
Its Illegal and a liability if you were to use them on someone and something went wrong then you are held responsible for further injuring or even killing your patient.
I took a Emergency Trauma Care Course a few days ago and because of it ordered a few up-dated/enhanced items for my kits.
The course covered blunt, penetrating and kinetic types of injuries and what medical items have been working over in Iraq and Afghanistan to help treat same.
Some of the things I learned is to use the right gear for the job and if you are not able to evac to a trauma medical center its only a matter of time until your causality deteriorates and codes on a COM hit.
At the current level of care most civilians have we can handle fringe hits which do not take out a artery or enter the chest. Infection control is paramount after initial treatment and proper training is needed to accomplish same.
So if one is in a SHTF situation at best we might be able to prolong life shortly on a COM hit unless you can transport ASAP to a surgical trauma center. Without that ability the survival rate on a COM hit is extremely low.
Now I’M not saying its futile to treat a COM hit but one has to realize how much we can accomplish at are skill level without the ability to transport to a proper medical facility. Plus you may still be under fire and having to defend your location or if needed a tactical retreat so one has to assess the tactical situation and their own chances of survival over the futile care of others.
The above statement may sound heartless especially if the wounded is a family member but we all have to remember what are abilities are and the level of care we can provide under battlefield conditions. Sometimes the needs of the one does not out weigh the needs of the many and some hard choices have to be made to ensure the survival of the whole.
As for Antibiotics make a Mexico or Canada trip, they have all you could ever want in generic forum. Docs/big pharm will tell you its not as good, but as they have a vested interest in keeping us dependent on them for prescriptions.
That’s what I was thinking from what I remember from my EMT days. What are your thoughts on oral IVs?
I have had very good results with them here in the Stan. Better then nothing…and the new ones do’t taste too bad. If that is something that you are looking into to contact K.L. Davis here on the Forum. I think he has them at his store.
http://www.bestsurvivalshop.com/oral-i-v-rapid-rehydration-4-pack/
The stuff from mexico is crap and I have nothing to gain from saying that. I have been dealing with foreign meds for years now and all I have to say is; you get what you pay for. Buyer be ware, FYI.
Not exactly correct. I have dosed out meds all over the world, quite a bit of it off the local market and as long as it is from a valid source I have not had an issue with it functioning the way it was intended. On top of that, actually treating patients in foreign hospitals I can’t think of a medication failure. I am sure their is counterfeit stuff out there but I have yet to run into it from reliable pharmacies/hospitals.
As for prescription items, do you know how to use the item? Do you know when diarrhea is caused by bacteria vs virus vs parasite vs stress? When a wound needs antibiotics and when it doesn’t? How much and for how long you need to take it? If not than what are you going to do with the drugs you get?
Do your research and come up with a plan. Talk with your family doc and see if they will write you for a few items. Be prepared to explain your need, research, and plan. Also be prepared for your doc to say no.
Most sick call issues can be solved with over the counter items. Do a little research and raid your local big box or drug store.
A good list to start with:
-tylenol
-ibuprofen
-aspirin
-guaifinesin
-dextromethorphan
-loperamide
-benadryl
-loratadine
-simethicone
-calcium carbonate
-bisacodyl
-pseudoephedrine
-antifungal cream of choice
-steroid cream of choice
-antibiotic cream of choice
-large bottle of iodine
-bottle of bleach
-10# of sugar
-ORS of choice
Variety of ace wraps, gauze, tape, bandaids, q-tips, etc.
That list will take care of a ton of issues. Stock up on basic trauma supplies for the big issues but without someone well versed in surgical intervention anything major will result in death.
Even someone very knowledgeable in surgical intervention will be limited in what they can accomplish due to resources and the level of care will likely look like a mixture of modern disaster medicine and care provided during the civil war.
That’s not been my experience, nor the experience of many people I know. When the pharmaceuticals are coming direct from Roche, Bayer, Sanofi, or any other EU firm, they are no different than what is shipped to the U.S. from the same companies.
On several occasions I’ve needed certain items in Mexico (such as Prednisone for rather severe allergic reactions to coral on dive trips) and the medication in MX worked just as fast as when I’ve bought it in the U.S. with a $150 prescription visit to the Dr.
As a posted before busy Dollar Tree stores who’s inventory rotates quickly is a great place to buy basic bandages, alcohol, OTC basics for BOB first aid kits. I have yet to find anything expired with all items having years before the expiration dates.
i keep a variety of basic and trauma stuff as well as some surgical/suture and antibiotic items. i am currently short on IV stuff but that is to be corrected very soon. in my close group of friends i would depend on in a serious situation is a couple RNs, a doctor and an EMT. i too have had quite a bit of combat medical training beyond basic combat lifesaver stuff. i also know that its better to have it and hope there is someone there who knows how to use it than be in a room full of doctors and no bandaids.
That list I put up was from memory and something I remembered last night, SALT.
Easy treatment or component of treatment for many oral issues. Mix with warm water and gargle or rinse depending on the issue.
Sore throats (viral), surface lesions inside the mouth, thrush, etc can generally be resolved with time and warm salt water rinses or gargling.