1st Aid Kit

[danblack]

What do you have in your first aid kit?

[Greenhand]

It came with about 5 million band aids to use up before they go gummy. Evidently, the copilot is determined to get our money's worth, but it would be nice to go a whole day without seeing his blood.

[youmeandthed]

antibiotics, bandages, fungal creams, polysporin, muscle relaxants, sam splints, gauses, triagnle bandage, hydro morphine, t3's, steri trips (should get a stich kit), anti itch kits, anti milarials, sinus meds, cold and flu meds, advil/ibprophen,benadryl, oral airways

used:
antibiotics, band aids, fungal creams, polysporin, anti itch, cold meds

probably more, but my wife put it together.

[Me-and-Boo]

Tweezers; inflatable splints, sterile and non-sterile gloves; emergency blankets (Al foil types); tourniquets; magnifying glass; high intensity flashlight; along with the usual bandages.

[s/vPainkiller]

Look up Beth Leonard's Book. She has a very complete list of everything in their medical kit. It's everything you would ever need for world cruising. You may even be able to download it from their web site. BethAndEvans.com.

Scott

[nautical62]

I think a first aid kit should reflect both your distance from help and your training. There's no need to bring gear you don't know how to use.

For both coastal sailing and other outdoor trips, my first aid kit usually consists of:

Various bandages, small to large, including a combine dressing
1-2 elastic bandages (ace)
2 triangle bandages
non stick bandages
mole skin
medical tape

tweezers
thermometer
bandage scissors

Ibuprophen
Acetominiphen
Spare meclazine
Something for diarreah
Something for constipation
Pepto Bismal tabs (might have liquid elsewhere)
Benadryl
Sore throat tabs
General cold and flu med.
Fungal cream

I usually carry some heavier pain meds in my personal gear.

If I was farther from help, I'd probably try to add a general antibiotic and for cruising some more specific splinting material, though I have all sorts of gear from which to improvise splinting from.

Also ask crew about any specific medication needs like insulin, asthma, epinephrine, etc.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by s/vPainkiller

Look up Beth Leonard's Book. She has a very complete list of everything in their medical kit. It's everything you would ever need for world cruising. You may even be able to download it from their web site. BethAndEvans.com.

Scott

There are in fact several quite good medical kit lists on our site:

Beth's that we carry on Hawk

Bermuda 1-2 recommendations

MCA commercial vessel recommendations

CCA recommendations

Navy sailing recommendations

[rover88]

I disagree that you should not carry items you do not know how to use. Consider that in many third world countries and remote areas a drug or medication you might need may not be immediately available. Further, IV infusion sets and needles may be outdated or even reused.

Although I have the advantage of advanced Paramedic training and twenty five years experience, I would recommend less trained individuals consult their family doctor and stock a comprehensive kit if they plan on cruising remote areas.

Also, don’t forget dental emergencies. My dentist (also a cruising sailor) put together a nice little kit gratis for me.

Regardless of experience level, every first aid kit should contain Epinephrine (or epipens) and Benadryl, QuickClot blood clotting powder and SAM splints.

[belizesailor]

Depends upon sailing plans.

I teach and daysail aboard a couple of smaller boats. So, close to shore and quick return, but not in my case near medical care. You don't need anything but the basics....bandaids, tape, loads of gauze pads to stop bleeding in a case of a bad injury. More substantial kit ashore, stabilize and transport if badly injured.

Much more substantial kit for cruising. Again, the basics are important because that is the stuff you are more likely to use. Cleaning wounds is important, so a large syringe and surgical scrub is important to have for irrigating and cleaning works. Local topical anesthetic, like lydicain is handy for numbing a wound to make cleaning and closure less painful.

Something I found here in Central America, but never saw back in the USA, is hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle. Pouring from a larger bottle wastes a huge amount relative to what you actually need to use. The spray bottle is quite handy and uses much less -- important if you are in remote areas where you can't just pop down to the pharmacy and pick up some more.

[bruce smith]

Painkillers.
the rest i can improvise.

[hellosailor]

belize-
The peroxide spray is probably a nod to the long-established practice of using it to clean off wounds. BUT.
Peroxide is now on the no-no list for that purpose, plain sterile saline or a wound cleaner is a better way to go. The problem with peroxide is that it kills everything (which may be good if you can't get into a deep wound to clean it) and that means you kill the remaining healthy tissue, leaving the wound coated with dead tissue which is now a prime breeding ground for infection. Catch-22, it cleans the wound but sets it up for more infection.
I still hear mixed messages on peroxide but more every year that say "NO!".

Similar for the hospital standby of betadine, or any iodine-stain product. The problem there is that the red color hides the tell-tale red of a spreading infection, making it impossible to tell if a wound is infecting after you've stained it.

[avb3]

Is there not some use of maggots to clean wounds that is resurfacing as a methodology?

Not that I want to have a maggot farm in my first aid kit... lol.

[cruzer757]

Originally Posted by rover88

I disagree that you should not carry items you do not know how to use. Consider that in many third world countries and remote areas a drug or medication you might need may not be immediately available. Further, IV infusion sets and needles may be outdated or even reused.

Although I have the advantage of advanced Paramedic training and twenty five years experience, I would recommend less trained individuals consult their family doctor and stock a comprehensive kit if they plan on cruising remote areas.

Also, don’t forget dental emergencies. My dentist (also a cruising sailor) put together a nice little kit gratis for me.

Regardless of experience level, every first aid kit should contain Epinephrine (or epipens) and Benadryl, QuickClot blood clotting powder and SAM splints.

I have to agree. I'm also a trained EMT and if I happened to not have my med kit with me and you asked for help I would know how to use those other lifesaving items. So, take what will save your life even if someone else may be the one doing it. But why chance that someone else will be there when you need them? Get some training if you can.

[hellosailor]

Yes, maggots are the latest thing in wound cleaning because they only eat the dead tissue. Probably should be sold in kits along with the hydrogen peroxide.<G>

Those are laboratory-raised clean maggots, not just ones pulled out of the trash, btw.

[JanetGroene]

What do you think of potassium iodide tablets in case you're ever downwind of a disaster such as the one we saw in Japan? Scientists, please chime in on this topic. Also really good brand of travel checks for medical emergencies. Some medics want cash on the barrelhead even though you have insurance and will be able to collect eventually.