Medical Kit can be divided into various types.

 Ultralight/Improvised-  This may be nothing but knowing how to manage incidents without "medical" supplies using the equipment already carried during the activity.  A knife, bandana and roll of tape can assist in solving many problems quite effectively.  A person may choose this ultralight option when speed and maneuverability are the most necessary factors for a task.

 Boo-Boo-  This kit is for the nearly everyday problems.  Blisters, abrasions, itchy rashes, small lacerations, headaches and dust specks in the eye is a short list.  Items in the boo-boo kit help prevents small problems from worsening.  Everyone should carry an easily accessible Boo-Boo kit daily. Most commercial “First Aid” kits are little more than a boo-boo kit.

 Emergency-  Emergency kits address true life threats only.    Designed to assist with severe emergencies or conditions that can easily become so.  Major bleeding, holes in the chest, no breathing, severe allergic reactions and hypothermia are examples.  This kit can make the difference between life, death and permanent disability.  The Emergency Kit is made up of the stuff we hope to never use but definitely want along.

 

 First Aid (FAK)-  This is the standard fare.  This kit facilitates care for the medical and trauma related problems that are common but not daily.  They are not life threatening but can be disabling and very unpleasant.   Examples of these problems include moderate lacerations, broken bones. First Aid Kits vary greatly in their design and purpose but normally include some aspects of each of the other listed categories and additionally include some items related to survival and repair. 

 

 

Planning Your Medical Kit

The medical supplies prepared for any given purpose can be organized by considering People, Place and Plan.

 

People-  What is the group size.  Who has known medical needs?  Who has Emergency Medical training and at what level?  What are the individual physical fitness levels of the group? Is there an obligation to provide medical care to other members of the group?

Place-  Where will the activities occur and how far from additional assistance. Glaciers, rock cliffs, deserts, and snow slopes provide both similar and different challenges. Some areas are very remote with relatively rapid helicopter response while other places are very near or on a vehicle passable road but still many hours away from help. 

 

Plan- What is the intended duration of the activity. What is likely to cause illness and injury?  Can communication occur with help in case of incident or does the group need to be self-sufficient?

 

 

 

The Kit only exists when three components merge. 

Comprehension, Container and Contents.

 

Comprehension

Understanding how, when and why to use the stuff you have is more important than having stuff.  A brilliant understanding of how to solve problems with nothing is awesome.  Some problems can't be solved well with improvisation however.  Training is key.  Buy an extra of everything, build a training kit and use it.   Determine the scenarios you believe will provide the need for the kit and create the scenario as realistically as possible.  Practicing on your friends will help you be much more effective when doing it for real.  

Seek out quality professional training from an expert in both the medical care and setting you most expect to implement your skills.   A quality instructor will have significant experience in providing medical care and teaching the skills. A quality instructor will have years of experience learning how to best connect their experiences with the learning needs of the student.

 

 

Container:  Anything from plastic zip lock bags to a fancy hard case with color coded item specific dividers will work. Apocalypse kit containers may be a large box or a warehouse.  An ultralight kit will fit in a pocket with a snack bar.     Every advantage has an associated disadvantage.  Factors to consider include but are not limited to: Security, Water resistance, Accessibility, Durability, and Transportability.

 

Contents: First Aid kit contents can be divided into four categories: Medication, Assessment, Resuscitation, Trauma. (MART)

 

Each will be explored more fully below. 

 

Medications

 

Prescribed-Consider keeping a few extra doses in case of damage, loss or an unplanned extension to the adventure.  Spread vital prescribed medications throughout various members of the group.

 

Fever/Inflammation/Pain--Acetaminophen (Tylenol)-  Aspirin (Bayer). Ibuprofen (Advil) Naproxen sodium(Aleve)

 

Allergic Reaction—Antihistamine/ Diphenhydramine (Benadryl).  Epinephrine

 

Anti-diarrheal/upset stomach—loperamide (Imodium)

Pepto-Bismol

Diotame:  stomach

Diamode: anti-diarrheal

Meclizine:  motion sickness

 

Antiseptics—New Skin.  Povodine iodine (betadyne).  Benzalkonium/Iidocaine (Bactine)

 

Breathing problems—Albuterol, Ipratropium.

 

Exhaustion/Hypoglycemia—Oral Glucose.  Energy Gel (Goo)

 

Constipation—Colace. Bisacodyl. Mineral oil, Miralax.

 

Congestion/Cough/Cold/Sore Throat—Sudafed, Mucinex, Cepacol, Ricola.

 

Heart Burn/Acid Reflux—Alka seltzer, tums,

 

 

 

Assessment Equipment

 

Gloves-  Your size is much better than "one size fits all".  Buy a box. 

Eye Protection- Glasses/goggles.

Mask-  Surgical mask or N95

Fingers-  Touch your patient within the first minute you are with them. You will learn so much.

Shears- Separate the  injured /ill from their clothes.  

Permanent marker- Writes on everything including damp surfaces and human beings.  Great for recording patient vitals, sending messages and marking pulse locations. 

Watch- Time keeping can be important during a medical emergency.

Light- You cannot fully assess what you cannot see.  Get a headlamp.

Blood Pressure Cuff-  Sphygmomanometer. Use without stethoscope for “palpated” BP.

Stethoscope—Auscultate breath sounds and take blood pressure.

Pulse Oximetry-  Oxygen saturation and heart rate at the end of the finger.

Glucometer—Blood glucose is vital.  It can be low for many reasons.

Etco2- Measuring the quality of ventilation. 

 

 

 

Resuscitation Equipment

 

Ventilation mask/barrier device- Numerous benefits over mouth to mouth breathing. 

Airway Adjuncts—Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways. 

Suction—Large syringe, manual suction, electric suction. 

Advanced Airway—BIADS, ETT

AED—Not a common privately owned device but may be worth the cost if the group you are considering to care for is more aged. 

Vascular Access- IV/IO/XJ routes of vascular access allow for direct rehydration and medication.

Cardiac Monitor—The truly dedicated and well-funded medical preparation will include a fully capable cardiac monitor capable of defibrillation, synchronized cardioversion, pacing and more.

Fluid- Normal Saline/Ringers Lactate/Blood

 

 

Trauma Equipment

Minor Trauma. (Boo-Boo kit)

Small gauze- (2x2's).  1st half of inexpensive band aids.

Tape - (endless varieties). 2nd half of inexpensive band aids.

Bandaids (endless varieties). Expensive gauze and tape.  Ninja Turtles are awesome though.

New skin-  Easy to use anti-septic for all those climbing nicks and scrapes. 

 

 

Moderate Trauma. (First Aid Kit)

Medium gauze- (4x4's).  Moderate lacerations.

Tape- Various sizes and types to consider.

Splints- SAM splint (or the less awesome competitors)

Rolled Gauze-- Wrap wounds, splints and heads.

Fluid for irrigation- Nacl,

Betadine/povidone iodine-  clean and flush wounds.

 

 

Major Trauma.(Emergency Kit)

Large gauze- (5x9). When the blood begins to pour you will be glad you have serious dressing.

Rolled gauze- (many forms). Wrapping the dressing well with bandage keeps it all tidy.

Triangle bandages- A multi-purpose tool.  Having several can allow multiple uses for one item.

Tape- (endless varieties).  Securing everything including a ripped jacket.

Temperature control- "space" blankets and chemical heat packs can benefit a trauma victim even during the hottest months of summer. 

Splints- Rolled padded aluminum splints are highly adaptable to most uses. 

Elastic bandage- Wrap a splint, wrap a sprain, secure an impaled object.

Hemostatic agents- Quick Clot Combat Gauze. 

Chest seal—hyfin or the lesser great Asherman.

Tourniquet--- Cat Best. All the other good ones are good. 

 

 

Summary

Packing the FAK contents is a fun and complex project.   The variations are endless and the only "right" way is that which you think appropriate for the circumstance you will be using it.  If there is a universal "rule" for the packing of a kit it is that it is more important to know how it is packed than how to pack it.    The exception to this rule is throwing the contents loosely into your pack.  That just seems silly.