Building a Trauma Kit

[SimpleMan]

Most trauma first aid kits are very expensive and do not include what is needed to treat a gunshot wound when help is not a quick phone call away.

If you shop carefully you can build a better kit for less.

Some gun wound related basics should include:

Clotting Agent: ex. Quick Clot Advanced Clotting Sponge ($13.00);

Compression bandage: ex. Israeli Bandage ($9.00);

Tourniquet: ex. Combat Application Tourniquet ”CAT” ($15.00);

Chest Seal: ex. Ascherman Chest Seal ($15.00)

Iodine Surgical Scrub Solution: ex. BD EZ Surgical Scrub ($5.00);

Disposable Skin Stapler: ex. 3M skin stapler ($20.00); and

Splint: ex. SAM Rolled Splint ($10.00).

05170.jpg FCP_Instruct_2a.jpg 41QRBkDG5aL.jpg asherman_chest_seal.jpg Surgical_Scrub_Brush.jpg A5R1_1_20140812630122.jpg Products_SAMSplint.jpg

[mattyj513]

For a good inexpensive gsw occlusive dressings buy tegaderms, they are the clear plastic stickers that are placed over an iv site. (I used to work ems in east new york, treated more gsw than I can count, military used to send combat medics to ride with us.)

[SimpleMan]

For a good inexpensive gsw occlusive dressings buy tegaderms

There are many great alternatives out there from duct tape to maxipads (sterility aside).

[Thumper696]

look at Chinook Medical Gear, I purchased a lot of my medic kit items from them for last few years.

[LiDad]

Still looking for a good decent sized bag or box to organize home first aid items.

[mattyj513]

Here is my trauma kit i keep in my car.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015QHZBE6/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have enough stuffed into this little pouch to treat a dozen plus gsw, a half dozen amputations, etc. Doesn't take much.
20160708_203411.jpg

[MikeM]

The bigger the bag the more you carry. People will find things to fill it with. Why carry one Israeli bandage when you can have 6? I like your idea of a small bag.

[Rubbermittens]

Ive been working on one for a while, Its tough trying to get everything you think you may need in a practical sized bag

[mattyj513]

Besides keeping it simple, a small bag greatly increases the mobility and versatility. If i needed to i could grab the pouch and hoof it to something i cant reach with my vehicle, toss it into a larger bag if i am going hunting, etc. Much of providing aid/treatment is common sense, and like in the gun world you dont necessarily need the newest biggest fanciest looking gizmo to accomplish a task.

[Rubbermittens]

Here is my trauma kit i keep in my car.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015QHZBE6/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have enough stuffed into this little pouch to treat a dozen plus gsw, a half dozen amputations, etc. Doesn't take much.
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contents?

[SimpleMan]

The bigger the bag the more you carry.

You are correct.

The "being prepared" mindset can be overwhelming,

If I had to chose ONE multipurpose potentially life saving tool, I think I would choose duct tape.

Surviving trauma is relatively "easy". Surviving infection is the hard part.

Hopefully you can stabilize a patient, and timely get him/her to help, so that infection is not an issue.

[mattyj513]

16 tegaderms, 5 small cling wraps, 5 large cling wraps, 1 roll large tape, 1 roll small tape, stack of 4x4s, stack of 8x10s, 6 tongue depressers, 2 cravats, stack of antiseptic pads, sealed suture kit, trauma shears.

With all that i can treat pretty much any traumatic injury, minus burns and spinal, at (atleast) the same level as any ambulance you could ever find yourself in.

[Sherm66]

to maxipads (sterility aside).

Maxi pads are paper wrapped. Sterility is really of little to no concern as long as no one was rubbing it in the dirt you should be fine. Oh...uh...unless you meant "used." Hey...I'm not judging.

Punctures, stabs, GSWs, and sizable soft tissue wounds are all getting antibiotics within short order upon arrival at the ER. And having worked in a deli I've seen some pretty nasty rags become the "pressure dressing" to stop serious meat slicer induced bleeding with no resultant follow on infection. The idea of "ditch medicine" is that you use what you have with you to stop a bleed by any means necessary. Infection concerns are very secondary when bleeding heavily or bleeding out is the issue at hand.

That said, avoid the use of female products(tampons, maxi pads etc) for wound treatment like the plague. Seriously. That's for pussies. Not bleeding wounds. If you've got the urge to put a kit together your wife's handbag is not a supply point. Light days ain't gonna do shit. You ain't jabbing a tampon into a 9mm or a .22 caliber hole. A 2" tube of crappy cloth(in a 10-18" wound track) designed to absorb a couple tablespoons worth of blood is doing noting except maybe making blood stop coming out the hole. It will still continue unabated below. If a tampon is all you have....g for it. But better to have the right stuf to begn with. Pressure dressings for wounds. Exit/gaping wounds get gauze packing. If you really want to do some good, fingerblast the hole with some roller gauze or QC combat gauze driving down as deep as you can get to the bleed. Yep, it'll hurt. A lot. But this too can be averted(presuming extremity wound) if you have a good dressing(OLAES, Israeli, etc) to make a good pressure dressing. If you're talking torso trauma control what you can quickly and get them to a hospital ASAP.

http://www.uoarmory.com/blog/hemorrhage-control-what-aunt-flow-didnt-know/

This is the bag I have. (Not my pic.) It really fits what you'd need for basic first aid and then some. That it's just 20 bucks is a bonus. The back side has MOLLE webbing and two straps to snap it on to something.

http://www.galls.com/5-11-tactical-molle-6-x-6-med-pouch?PMSRCE=GA15&gclid=CN_miP6_5c0CFUEkhgodyDoINQ

One side is the boo boo side.
10 bandaids
4 4x4s
4 2x2s
5x9 dressing
6 alcohol preps
4 little packets of triple antibiotic ointment
1 roll 1" medical tape
3 pr nitrile gloves

The other is the doo doo side.
CAT TQ
QC Combat gauze
Celox granules
Israeli dressing
EMT shears
2 rolls compressed gauze
Nasopharyngeal airway/lube
Oral airway(3)
14ga 3.25" needle
More gloves
Sharpie marker
Tegaderms
I have a SOF-T TQ snapped to the outside as well.

[Barnslayer]

Anyone carry a defibrillator?

[Thumper696]

an IFAK will cover you for gunshot wounds or trauma if you are looking for a small kit. It works for the military until a medic can get there and provide higher care.