Sir: We bought two of these trauma kits, one for each of our vehicle’s glove compartment and we each carry one of the mini kits in our bug out bags. They’re all nicely vacuum packed in rugged plastic film and would be handy in case of an accident or as a “blow out kit” if one was suddenly “ventilated” by a bad guy’s handgun! – K. in Hawaii…
…You need to convince the surgeons and doctors that you are reliable as well as being the type of person that they want to have in their O.R. for hours. It doesn’t hurt to mention a desire to go to medical school in the future, I believe it was my interest and reliability that opened many doors to advanced training that might have otherwise would have remained closed. The other thing that helped me was taking a part time job in the E.R. on my off days, it was easy to have my beeper go off and run to the O.R. when there was a surgical emergency. I got to see trauma calls come in and because of my special training relationship with many of the doctors and departments I was able to follow many cases from the door to the ICU. I made many career decisions based on the…
…told in advance what to expect when they came on the scene. We had outdoor night-practice sessions. No matter their background or experience, everyone learned something new. Quoting from the curriculum documents, here is an overview of what we covered: Day One: Course Overview & Patient Assessment Introductions & Course Overview What is Remote Medicine? Role of the Medical Officer Communications/Telemedicine Medical-legal Considerations Primary Survey Physical Exam Vital Signs Patient History Documentation Day Two: CPR CPR for the Healthcare Provider Considerations for Remote Environments Oxygen Administration Day Three: Trauma Management Orthopedic Injuries Shock Neurological Trauma & Injury Day Four: Trauma Management Wound Management & Infection Chest Injuries Dental Emergencies Lifting & Moving Patients Patient Packaging & Transportation Day Five: Medical Emergencies Cardio-respiratory Emergencies Acute Abdominal Pain Metabolic Illness & Allergic Reactions Medication Administration Lab Day Six: Medical Continued/Environmental Genitourinary Medicine Neurological Illness Altitude Related Illnesses Psychological Emergencies & Rescuer Stress…
Mr. Editor: Just about nine hours ago, my house was burglarized. My husband, three kids, and the dog is still asleep while I’m anxiously waiting for sunrise. Thank God we were not home but security of home is invaded. I’m scared, nervous, and unsure of the future. I tell myself to be strong for them but body is numbed and jelly-like. My kids and I came home from a school event around 7 P.M. yesterday evening. We all went straight to the kitchen for a snack. The house was at its usual state, toys scattered around, and the living room ceiling fan was on. (It was left on when we left it because it has been over 100 degrees F.) Fifteen minutes later, we all went upstairs heading to the kids’ room to get the kids showered and ready for bed. I walked towards the hall to my bedroom and…
…is functional fitness and you do not need a gym for this. Functional fitness means training the body to be able to do the necessary things in life well and remember, life will be substantially different if society fails. If you have weights available, then lift heavy – squats, cleans, military press, rows. Add push-ups and pull-ups. Chop and carry wood, dig ditches, and run sprints. The book The Primal Blueprint that I mentioned has some good functional training advice and workouts. Healthcare Skillsets The practice of medical care could change dramatically in this scenario. Physicians and nurses currently practice with the aid of technology, sterile environments, a slew of available instruments and specialist referrals. EMTs and paramedics are trained in stabilization and transport. Despite my surgical training and experience, my experience in a level 4 trauma center and having been an Advanced Trauma Life Support instructor, I would have little…
…While in the Infantry I did get a chance to learn some great emergency/trauma management. In fact, when I went to medic school there really wasn’t much new to me. Your typical American Infantryman has the skills to stabilize most pre-hospital trauma injuries. Basically, stop the blood, keep the wind going. I want to address the typical person reading this. I bet the typical reader is most likely to start by going to Wal-Mart and buying a first aid kit, a few over the counter drugs, and learning CPR. This is great! If more Americans would do this it would provide quite a stable situation for us as a community. I also want to talk about the more advanced prepper and the things I bet I’d find in his stores. I started by buying a typical kit for around $15. I chose it because it said “outdoor” on it (a…
…rapid trauma assessment. This skill is learned as an EMT, and the skill sheet can be found online (or YouTube it). This should take less than a minute and is done on all trauma patients. It is a head to toe exam for life threats. Feel the scalp and skull for bleeds and dents. Check the eyes, ears, nose, mouth. Feel the c-spine. Look at the neck veins. Check for tracheal tug. Listen to lungs, and feel the rib cage expand. Expose the chest and abdomen. Feel the abdomen. Check for pelvic stability. Check the long bones by putting pressure with one hand high pushing right and the other hand pushing left down low; this will let you know pretty quickly if a long bone is broken. Then, check the back! I have heard stories of people finding exit wounds and using them to locate entrance wounds from gunshots they…
…because they will be able to act in the event of a medical emergency. Seconds count when faced with major trauma, and hesitation may kill the patient. Certain types of trauma can be stabilized in the field but without a hospital are difficult to treat. For example, it is possible that a member of your group could lose an extremity due to violence or accident. While you can certainly get the bleeding under control, being faced with amputation or massive infection is probably more than your resources can handle. Should you take first aid classes, you should focus on disease prevention first, controlling hemorrhage second, and everything else third. When faced with trauma in the field, do these things in order: win the fight, control the bleeding, get help. If someone in your group gets shot, you must deal with the threat before you help the injured person, as you…
…starters (boil water for instant foods, pine needle tea, et cetera) Spork Wire inside Titan cord and repair kit for snares Rubber tubing and leather pouches for slingshot Knife to attach to a stick to make a spear or to carve a spear point Cordage to make a bow and arrow Medical For injuries, you’ve got a major trauma kit, plus smaller kits that include: Trauma kit Minor wounds FAK Defense For defense, you’ve got several blades, a slingshot, pepper spray, and the tools to make clubs, spears, and a bow and arrows, These kit items are: Stanley FUBAR Knife Spear/arrow tips made from scrap metal using file on SOG PowerLock Traveler or Gerber Diesel multitool Slingshot (rubber tubing & leather pouches) Pepper spray Club/stick cut with wire saw, SAK/multitool saw blades Health/Safety In the kit, you’ve got protection from a number of hazards, medicines for most common ailments, plus…
Many of us have considered how we would provide for our family’s physical needs, including medical care, during a prolonged crisis. Indeed, it would seem foolish to be unprepared for trauma related to accidents, violence, fire, et cetera, when professional medical care might not be available for weeks, months, or more. What most of us don’t think about is the effect that a long-term crisis and/or exposure to traumatic events could have on our mental health. Next to food, shelter, and security, this may seem to be a low-priority concern, but depression and anxiety related to traumatic events can have lasting and highly detrimental effects, ranging from loss of productivity to violence and suicide. Anxiety Disorders We may feel that we are tough and hardened to the rigors of even the worst scenarios we can imagine. Many soldiers have felt the same way before entering combat and yet still developed…
…I’ve lost count of the number of unintelligent internet comments that the blunt force trauma will kill you. It always seemed to me that I’d rather take a broken rib or two than a couple rounds in my chest. These critics also don’t understand backface deformation testing. When body armor is tested by the NIJ, that testing doesn’t just include whether the round penetrated, but also the ability of the vest to spread the force around the body to minimize injury. When the round impacts a test vest, it creates a dent in the clay backing material behind the vest. The shallower the dent, the more effectively the vest absorbed and spread the blunt force of the impacting round. For the vest to pass, this dent (the backface deformation) must be within acceptable levels. Most armor systems go even further by making trauma pads available for purchase. As the name…
…any other type require outside of the box thinking. Principles Behind and Basic Purpose of Medical Supplies Specifically, it’s important to understand the principles of use and basic purposes of our medical supplies. Without this understanding, we make poor choices and won’t know when or how to utilize them. Knowledge and practice are necessary. Basic Trauma Kit A basic trauma kit for TEOTWAWKI scenarios should be able to be self sustained for days and weeks at a time. It should be resilient and able to withstand abuse. It should also be properly stocked to provide for the widest possible scenarios imaginable, all while still being mobile enough for your unique situation. Heavy duty cordura packs work best for these situations, whether military pack, hiking packs, or even a fancy Blackhawk tactical medical pack. There are numerous house-based medical systems, vehicle based systems, and man portable systems available. All do the…
Humans along with a few other creatures do not produce Vitamin C. (We also do not make uricase [Urate oxidase] so are prone to Gout, a human disease). As such we must get Vitamin C from our diet. We have already discussed the need of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Since it is water soluble and [unlike Vitamins A, D, E, and K, is] not fat soluble, we must take it continually. One important time that you need Vitamin C is in the case of trauma or infection. Animals that make their own Vitamin C increase production immensely in these conditions. If you find yourself dealing with a trauma, infection or both (gunshots, anyone?) consider tapping into you Vitamin C cache. Take as much as you can before you reach bowel tolerance (loose stools) then back off a little. As an example, for me, 2 grams a day is my…
…Syringes, #10 Scalpel, Variety of Gauze pads,Stretch bandages, Trauma pads, QuickClot, Waterproof tape, SAM splints x2, Trauma Shears, Hemostats, pen-light, Glucometer, Glucose gel, Occlusive dressings, Transpore tape 3”, Cloth tape, Advanced Life Support Medications* *Indicates prescription only and illegal to possess items unless under a doctors care, supervision or operating in the emergency pre-hospital environment. A “Blow out” kits contain far less items and only essentials for minor wound care. I hope this helps someday in a time of need, and serves as an introduction into pre-hospital care. Provisos: Do not take this as gospel. Do nothing illegal. Do not perform any of this care based on this article alone. Always use discretion and call 911 immediately in an emergency (while it is still up and running). Educate yourself further and be diligent. Medicine is important and the knowledge you gain may save your life or the life of a…
Many of us have considered how we would provide for our family’s physical needs, including medical care, during a prolonged crisis. Indeed, it would seem foolish to be unprepared for trauma related to accidents, violence, fire, etc., when professional medical care might not be available for weeks, months, or more. What most of us don’t think about, however, is the toll a long term crisis could take on our mental health. This may seem to be a low-priority concern, next to food, shelter and security, but depression and anxiety related to traumatic events can have lasting and highly detrimental effects, ranging from loss of productivity, to violence and suicide. We may feel that we are tough and hardened to the rigors of even the worst scenarios we can imagine. Many soldiers have felt the same way before entering combat and yet have still developed anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress…
