[hanzy4200]

The one aspect of my preps that I feel very unprepared in is my medical supplies. I have some of the basics including antibiotics, but I know this is not nearly enough. Would love to hear your thoughts on a list of vital medical supplies and were to get them. I also have 3 young children, as I assume this would require some additional items. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mels thinkingitover]

One item that is really handy to have, but can be a little pricey, is a selection of the self-adhesive bandage wraps, like the old Ace bandages except they are easier to work with and offer better support for the injured body part. They come in white and a couple of tan colors in the pharmacy departments. For about half the price you can get the same exact items at your local feed store over in the horse section. They use them to wrap the horse's legs when needed. Another bonus since you have younger children is the ones at the feed store come in all kinds of bright colors. I got a dozen of these, with more on each roll, at the feed store for what 3 of the "pharmacy" ones were going to cost (in a shorter roll.) I've injured enough ankles, knees, wrists, and elbows through the years to be able to attest they are actually a little better quality than the "people" ones.

I personally think I would rather avoid putting stitches in myself so I try to keep things on hand like steri-strips. They work better than butterfly bandages to me and aren't expensive to have on hand. Also, the pharmacy I use gets in some larger size bottles of some things that are handy to have. 16 oz. iodine, like betadine is handy to wash out cuts. A squeeze bottle is also handy to use to flush out little pieces of trash from wounds.

Hmmm, I'll pull up my list tomorrow and see if there are any other useful tidbits on it.

 

[hanzy4200]

Never thought of the feed store. Will have to check that out tommorrow. The steri-strips are something I have on my list but haven't found them. Probably just not looked hard enough.

 

[apTacticalGear.com]

It'd take a lot of time and alot more $$ to put together kits as well as Adventure Medical does. And they're packed tight into a carry case to grab and go fast. I've got a few of their bigger kits in my preps. I also have kids so i added a few extra packs of " quickclot" to the kits.

Check them out here Adventure Medical Kits

The Pro Guide I is the most popular, and the one I have 3 of in my preps.

I have a discount code for my friends on this forum: survivalistboards.com10% saves you an additional 10% off the sale price for your entire order

Happy Prepping,
Jeremy
Apocalypse Tactical and Outdoor Gear

 

[Skimp]

A vital part of your first aid kit should have supplies for a bullet wound, and the tools to remove a bullet.
http://www.wikihow.com/Dig-a-Bullet-Out-of-Yourself

 

[1142]

you can purchase various pre-made kits, which a lot are great. a few things they more than likely will not have that may be very handy in certain situations is super glue, moleskin, and a scalpel.

 

[searching4itnc]

I don't like the pre-made kits. Never have enough of what I need and too much of what I don't want. I can pick up at the Dollar Store or Wal-Mart.

I went to the sporting goods and spent $20 on one of those accordion style fishing boxes. Loaded it up with my first aid supplies.

My rule of thumb has always been to prep for what emergencies I've already experienced. Cuts, burns, dental, etc. This way if I ever need it, I've got it. My box keeps growing.

 

[Mels thinkingitover]

Never thought of the feed store. Will have to check that out tommorrow. The steri-strips are something I have on my list but haven't found them. Probably just not looked hard enough.

I ended up ordering my steri-stips from Amazon. We live in a small town and have to go too far for "big" shopping. I just keep a running wish list and shopping cart on my Amazon account and order as I can find the bucks.

 

[goose3]

If you don't want to buy a pre-made kit, use the list of items in those kits as a basis for you to buy and create your own.

 

[TxMilitia]

A vital part of your first aid kit should have supplies for a bullet wound, and the tools to remove a bullet.
http://www.wikihow.com/Dig-a-Bullet-Out-of-Yourself

That was some of the WORSE advice ive ever read..... well played good sir :thumb:

 

[hanzy4200]

A vital part of your first aid kit should have supplies for a bullet wound, and the tools to remove a bullet.
http://www.wikihow.com/Dig-a-Bullet-Out-of-Yourself

This is one issue I have considered for a long time. Most research on forums left me with the impression that quick clot was the must have item for a gunshot wound. Apon further research I found that in a fast majority of cases quick clot does far more damage than good. Really the only appropriate time to use is if there is massive bleeding and medical help is never possible. I read many reports from ER doctors who treated guys who split thier hand open butchering, shot in the leg ect who applied quick clot. They said the wounds were a total nightmare, with hundreds of the little particals embedded through the wound. Without proper treatment the wounds would have no doubt gone septic very quickly. Basically, I would only use if death was likely. I have read though that the current production quick clot is better than the older stuff. Im no expert, just my take.

 

[Meat Guy]

We bought a $20 kit at Sam's. I added burn jell and butterfly bandages.
I don't think you could buy the individual items any cheaper.
Check out some of the PartiotNurse videos on YouTube.

 

[Cool]

Yup build your own is best

I would add a Emergency Dental Kit

www.amazon.com/Travelers-Supply-Emergency-Dental-Kit/dp/B001MA316C/ref=pd_sim_sg_4

I know it's not the best kit but it's cheap enough & comes packaged or something similar.

 

[k9engineer]

Believe it or not tampons are good for gunshot wounds ( if your worried about that kinda thing ) and maxipads are good for controling bleeding on a larger scale, might sound stupid but they work, quik clot is a mess not only is it good to have a medical kit but knowing how to use whats in it and cpr and first aid classes are a good idea as well, especially when small children are involved.

 

[ComancheSniper]

Before all get your panties in a bunch, make sure you read this entire post.

Sure get some supplies for Gunshot wounds... Blah Blah Blah. That is overdone here. If you are planning to go someplace that you are going to get in gun battles all the time, Change you location.

Getting shot almost always requires a trauma center. All the quick clot in the world isn't going to save you. That just prolongs your life until you get to a trauma center. Without the definative care getting shot pretty much anywhere in the torso or in a major artery is going to kill you. Period. Big wounds get infected very easily. You can't just sew up the exit wound because it has to drain... sometimes for days. Internal bleeding will not stop. Gut shots will leak your feces all over your abdominal cavity. Not only is this a death sentence but the peritenium with get really ****ed off and it will be painful and then you die of sepsis and multi organ failure. Quikclot doesn't work on chest wounds and will kill you faster that leaving it alone. Yeah have the supplies but run away from gunfire if you can. I can't seem to get this across to people.

Some vital items that can help you are certainly antibiotics. You will also want some anti nausea and something for diarrhea. Those are things you can fight and win.

If you can get your hands on some IV supplies, that will help too. Dehydration during sickness will kill adults. It will kill kids really quick and if they can't keep fluids down... You know. Make sure you get some training for that too. I am going to tell you right now that if you think you are going to step up under pressure without any training what-so-ever and nail an IV, your are crazy.

While this may not be a medical item, antiseptic wipes or some kind of strong antiseptic cleaner is a really good idea. Infection is going to be really hard to fight without lots of antibiotics. Better to avoid those problems then to try and fight them in your body. Cleaning your equipment and keeping your AO clean and germ free is as important after TSHTF as it is now. If your hands are clean and you touch anything that has not been disinfected, your hand are not clean any longer. So if your are dressing a wound do it someplace you have cleaned well. Just a good practice.

Before you start touching your wounds, your hands need to be clean. Wash them and use some Hand sanitizer as well. That is a good practice to get into when treating anything from a small cut to a big gaping Laceration.

I don't mean to come across as a know it all. Trauma kits without trauma centers is like batteries without the flashlight. If you have to use quikclot, **** just got real and you may start thinking of how to say goodbye to this person. I am not suggesting giving up, I am telling you that the chances of surviving traumatic gunshot wounds in vital areas is very, very small without surgery.

When people argue about body armor, this is my defense. body armor will save you, your FAK will not.

 

[stevem174]

IMO the two MOST critical components of any medical kit are knowledge and experience. I believe in the three T's ....Training, Tactics, lastly Tools.... in that order.

Almost every single medical tool or procedure has a possible or even probable downside.

Think about something as simple as a anti-diarrhea medication. WHY does the person have diarrhea? Sometimes using an AD and stopping the bad stuff from getting out is the last thing you want to do.

 

[ComancheSniper]

IMO the two MOST critical components of any medical kit are knowledge and experience. I believe in the three T's ....Training, Tactics, lastly Tools.... in that order.

Almost every single medical tool or procedure has a possible or even probable downside.

Think about something as simple as a anti-diarrhea medication. WHY does the person have diarrhea? Sometimes using an AD and stopping the bad stuff from getting out is the last thing you want to do.

That is just not true. When you have diarrhea, you are losing massive amounts of fluid. If you are not retaining the fluid you will die. It is that simple. I transport 30+ people a month whos major symptom is dehydration secondary to Diarrhea and Vomitting. Their first treatment is putting fluids back. Stopping diarrhea is a very big deal.

Don't post things like that. That was a completely uneducated post on medical well being.

 

[stevem174]

That is just not true. When you have diarrhea, you are losing massive amounts of fluid. If you are not retaining the fluid you will die. It is that simple. I transport 30+ people a month whos major symptom is dehydration secondary to Diarrhea and Vomitting. Their first treatment is putting fluids back. Stopping diarrhea is a very big deal.

Don't post things like that. That was a completely uneducated post on medical well being.

OK...so educate me.

So, are you recommending a anti diarrhea medicine for diarrhea caused by bacterial infection or parasites?

 

[ComancheSniper]

OK...so educate me.

So, are you recommending a anti diarrhea medicine for diarrhea caused by bacterial infection or parasites?

Yes

Contraindications for anti-Diarrhea medications are:

People who should avoid constipation.

Somebody who has an allergy to the medication.

Thats it.


Parasites need medication to control/kill them. Voiding your bowels every 15 minutes won't work remove them.

Bacterial infections and viruses are the most common cause of diarrhea and the voiding of your bowels does nothing to remove them or kill them. Your own antibodies and antiboitics (with bacterial infection) will be the cure.

Dying from dehydration will also kill all the bacteria too. Not the prefered method however.

 

[Eirinn]

Honestly, I'm not a doctor, nurse or medical professional. I've got my CPR, CRT, and emergency training (thank you options in Cadets I've kept it up over the years and I'm soooo grateful for it)

So my medical supplies I have are those I know how to use and will be able to make use of! (Yes that's my motto... don't know how to do it... save the space for something I can use.) So I've invested in just about every size bandage you can get your hands on, often through liquidation sales so what would cost $5 is now 0.50!

I have three "kits" One is basic home first aid... which has dinosaur bandages for the kids, polysporin and little stuff like that. This stays in my kitchen and gets the most use.

The second kit is in my truck... it's a bit more involved. I have bandages, scissors, safety pins, polysporin, antiseptic washes, sprays, wipes ... I have pain meds, benadryl, asthma meds, Knife, space blankets, tweezers, and 12 hour pocket heaters. I also have a sealed bag of dehydrated fruit, another of nuts, another of granola, a stash of power bars, and other emergency rations. Water, ... and it starts to go more GHB from there... But basically speaking I could treat a number of injuries while on the go. Most people don't think they'll ever use this but just last week I witnessed a head on collision where some of it came in very handy to quick patch a head wound until the ambulance arrived.

The third kit is in my "prep" area. In it I have a number of books and treatment articles from everything to childbirth (yeah I've done it 4 times but it's good info to have for others) to basic first aid and everything in between. I have the usual bandages in all shapes and sizes, antibacterial everything, pain meds, other meds, etc. A full stocked herbal pantry of natural antibiotics and medications and the how to on using them. Splints, braces, etc. This is enough stuff to set up an on the fly medic station wherever we travel or at home given whatever situation we found ourselves in.

Honestly I'm always looking to expand my knowledge, and marry my little sister off to someone who's actually medically trained... then I can just put him/her into my prep area as... "Doctor" mwhahahaha... are we allowed to prep with people? I keep trying but no dice