JWR,
I’ve just done First Responder training because the school I go to, a good one, won’t let me jump right into EMT training without taking First Responder first. A gold-digging measure? You decide! I think it may be, but it’s a good policy too.
I urge your readers to take a First Responder, a.k.a. CPR + Advanced First Aid. My course was $300. A cheapie way to do this would be to go on Amazon and get the book, but I highly urge a course. I plan to do EMT-1 then EMT-P and don’t expect to get paid for EMT-ing. We’ll be in full on collapse in a year or two, and it’s not about the money.
The thing is, there are nuances to medical care. You don’t just put a Vaseline-covered bandage on a sucking chest wound, you put an airtight bandage on, Vaseline on gauze or a piece of T-shirt’s one way, but the nuance is, a piece of plastic is fine, but it has to be set up to work like a flapper valve, taped down on three sides. For a tension pneumothorax, you use a “big” needle, what’s “big”? 12 gauge is a good idea, but there’s also a way you draw the skin down because there’s a vein that runs down along each rib and you need to miss that.
The thing is, I hope the article you published makes people want to go out and get training not just go, “OK, I read about this on the Internet once…” Beans, bullets, band-aids, and books, my friend.- Alex
Mr. Rawles,
The “The Tactical Combat Casualty” article was great. The reason Cowpuncher can’t get rofecoxib (brand name Vioxx) is that it was withdrawn from the market in 2004 by its maker due to claims of heightened rates of heart attacks compared to similar drugs like Celebrex). Rofecoxib was a new generation NSAID (like ibuprofen). Their claim to fame was that it caused less GI upset. It was a great pain drug but not much more so than regular 600mg or 800mg Ibuprofen or naproxen 500mg. There is a “class” effect of analgesia of drugs in this class so all are very similar in the right dose. In addition, rofecoxib was a lot more expensive (as is Celebrex). I am both a practicing physician assistant and family nurse practitioner 30 years in general medicine. Greatly appreciate your work. I am slowly winning my wife and four grown sons into the survivalist boat, but it is a slow process. Thanks. – R.P.
Jim:
Excellent post by Cowpuncher. I think too few people realize that we are talking about a two-way firing range here. I have had long discussions about this with my survivalist friends and the consensus is until we get some kind of medical professional into our group, it’s in the hands of God. We can carry tourniquets (“TKs”) and pressure bandages, along with faith, and drive on. Kinda emphasizes the importance of having someone in your group that can handle gunshot wounds. And keeping low profile, out of situations where you are being shot at.
A key point that I’d like to emphasize again is that you must be thinking about self-aid as much as possible. If you are hit, you have to try to treat yourself, and stay in the fight. With the small numbers we are talking about, we need every gun in the fight. My buddy, another SF dude, says they carry several TK’s on their kit and train to throw one on quickly and keep fighting. This goes to combat mindset, in that you must try not to shut down because you’re hit. I know, it is easy say, hard do.
I also like the TR “Ventilated Operator Kit” (VOK). Probably one of the best priced, most complete gunshot wound kits on the market. It’s one of the only places I know of that includes a de-comp catheter/needle.
Also worth mentioning is the “Olaes” pressure bandage by Tac Medical Solutions. Made by 2 former 18-Deltas, it includes a pressure bandage, with extra crilex that you can pull out to dress the other side of the wound, and has a piece of plastic that pulls out if you need an occlusive dressing. All in one package.
And finally, also from TMS, I carry the “SF” tourniquet, which is the black nylon one with metal windlass.
I have combined the de-comp needle and NPA from the VOK, with 2 Olaes Bandages, and TK from TMS for my gunshot wound kits. Since I carry pretty much around the clock, at work as well as at home, I keep a kit with me at all times. S/F – Diz
JWR,
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that liver damage may occur with as little as 2.6 grams of acetaminophen (four to five “extra-strength” pills) taken over the course of the day in persons consuming varying amounts of alcohol (NIAAA, Seeff). The damage caused by alcohol-acetaminophen interaction is more likely to occur when acetaminophen is taken after, rather than before, the alcohol has been metabolized.
This liver damage is so serious it leads to the need for liver transplants. Since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has required a specific warning on labels about acetaminophen. That warning reads: “Alcohol Warning: If you consume three or more alcoholic drinks every day, ask your doctor whether you should take acetaminophen or other pain relievers/fever reducers. Acetaminophen may cause liver damage.” Thanks, – Jacketch