Improvisational first aid

[perthy]

As an ex-medic, one thing I've noticed I'm REALLY missing these days is a decent first aid kit. Obviously, I can't get away with even carrying your standard first aid bumbag (working Crowd Control in a packed nightclub), but I'm thinking of carrying a very small pouch in my BDU pocket, with the ABSOLUTE BARE essentials.

*Yes, there are first aid kits at venues, but for those of us who work in the real world, we know how well stocked those first aid kits are, and how easy they are to find.

My plan at the moment is to include:
- Bandaids
- Tubes of saline for cleaning wounds
- Gloves
- CPR mask or face shield (shield may be easier to fold flat)
- Sterile non-woven swabs
- Scissors
- 1 roll of elastic bandage
- Elastic bandage clips
- Sterile non-adherent pads for bigger bleeds & burns
- Medical tape
- Torch / Penlight
- A sachet or two of honey or jam (god knows how many times that's got me out of a sticky situation - pun intended - with a diabetic patient...)

If you carry an "improv first aid kit", or something similarly small that would fit in a standard BDU pocket, what's inside?

[Guest]

What I carry when I can

I pack two of these lovely little pockets in my BDU's

http://gtdist.com/ProductDetail.aspx?PartNumber=SPO-10002040X

In one, I pack an assortment of bandages and gauze as well as a pair of shears. I keep all the sterile dressing stuff and tape in here. The other one has pain reliever, anti-biotic ointment, lava compound, ammonia, and tablets for dehydration.

This set-up works well. Otherwise I carry a fully stocked medic bag in the truck.

[EMTGuard]

Not exactily what you are looking for but in the same vein. Compact pocket sized medical kits- http://www.tacticalmedicalpacks.com/

[Michael Ledgerwood]

As an ex-medic, one thing I've noticed I'm REALLY missing these days is a decent first aid kit. Obviously, I can't get away with even carrying your standard first aid bumbag (working Crowd Control in a packed nightclub), but I'm thinking of carrying a very small pouch in my BDU pocket, with the ABSOLUTE BARE essentials.

*Yes, there are first aid kits at venues, but for those of us who work in the real world, we know how well stocked those first aid kits are, and how easy they are to find.

My plan at the moment is to include:
- Bandaids
- Tubes of saline for cleaning wounds
- Gloves
- CPR mask or face shield (shield may be easier to fold flat)
- Sterile non-woven swabs
- Scissors
- 1 roll of elastic bandage
- Elastic bandage clips
- Sterile non-adherent pads for bigger bleeds & burns
- Medical tape
- Torch / Penlight
- A sachet or two of honey or jam (god knows how many times that's got me out of a sticky situation - pun intended - with a diabetic patient...)

If you carry an "improv first aid kit", or something similarly small that would fit in a standard BDU pocket, what's inside?

Question, as an EX-Medic are you currently certified to provide first aid in your area? Just because you used to have credentials or a license doesn't mean you can use those skills when they expire. Not a bash just a question for you and general info for others.

I personally carry a small plastic first aid kit that I bought at at Office Depot. Fits in my pocket and has everything you mention besides the honey and saline.

[CAPTAIN KOOLAID]

Improvisational first aid

What happen to a roll of dunt tape, a old shirt and a pint of jd?
Joking but thats stuff will work in pinch
I have lg med bag in trunk of my car and thats never to far away.

[NRM_Oz]

Every S/O in Australia (again help me out fellas) must be a Senior First Aid attendant which until 10 years ago was optional. These last for 3 years and are meant to be the first line of assistance in the workplace. You also get a $10 US a week allowance if you are NON-Security.

Perthy have a look at St Johns or First Alert or First 5 Minutes and see what they have available. Mine sits inside my bag for work so I can remove it from the flight if I need to. Personally, I have always kept things to the same as a Car Kit as you MUST have an Industrial 1st Aid Kit onsite. In a night club, you will use ANYTHING you can find and this includes table clothes or anything to stem bleeding, whilst waiting for the ambulance or transportation.

PPK's are what EVERY S/O should be supplied with by their employer and most importantly, is the contents current, damaged or out of date - which should be a minimum weekly check to be aware of what you have with you. I personally make my up into ziplock bags so the chances of them being forgotten are minimal.

[perthy]

"Every S/O in Australia (again help me out fellas) must be a Senior First Aid attendant which until 10 years ago was optional. These last for 3 years and are meant to be the first line of assistance in the workplace."

The only slight correction I'll make to that is that you need to have a current SFA qualification as part of your security operations qualification that is needed to ATTAIN a security officer's license. I am not 100% sure you need to renew your first aid qualification to renew your S/O or C/C license (it might be a once off).

[Mr. Chaple]

Shouldn't an on body kit contain emergency items only? It seems alot more convenient to keep comfort items (i.e. bandaids) in a box somewhere. When I do carry an on body kit (no place to stick it in a pair of slacks) it is usually just three Israeli bandages, a cpr mask, and a few alcohol swabs. But I have never been a medic before.
Edit: It might be a good idea to include a couple razor blades.

[Maelstrom]

"Every S/O in Australia (again help me out fellas) must be a Senior First Aid attendant which until 10 years ago was optional. These last for 3 years and are meant to be the first line of assistance in the workplace."

The only slight correction I'll make to that is that you need to have a current SFA qualification as part of your security operations qualification that is needed to ATTAIN a security officer's license. I am not 100% sure you need to renew your first aid qualification to renew your S/O or C/C license (it might be a once off).

All Victorian S/O's that completed the mandatory Certificate III upgrade also had to complete the revised Victorian First Aid Level II (workplace) course, and will have to maintain that competency annually AFAIK

Why do you bother with those elasticated bandage clips? they can do wicked damage to frail/compromised skin, we use micropore (or albupore) tape to secure all bandaging... additionally it has the benefit of doubling as a make-shift 'steri-strip' wound closure device (I've successfully used it for that before), also something that's not present in your improv' kit that I would consider essential is a small (purse sized) container of the alcohol based hand wash/gel you can readily purchase in supermarkets now, if you're conducting field dressings you'll need to aspire to the 'aseptic technique'