Do you have a good source for something suitable?
I keep iodine solution at home, but prefer to use myrrh oil on any small wounds which need cleaning. I've met others who do the same so I'm not the only nutter!
Home first aid kit
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Do you have a good source for something suitable?
I keep iodine solution at home, but prefer to use myrrh oil on any small wounds which need cleaning. I've met others who do the same so I'm not the only nutter!
I have no idea where is the best place to buy from but I have included a link below to the Ebay seller that I used. They have a good feedback rating and have made lots of sales so I went with them.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264688717596
To be honest I’m not even totally certain that it is the correct kind of iodine tablet to use for radiation poisoning. It only has the single word ‘Iodine’ on the front of the packet but it does clearly state that it actually contains ‘Potassium Iodide’ as the first ingredient in the ingredients list on the back so I assume that it is the right stuff?
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Not needed for me because I'm over the age limit for effectiveness.
Thank you, it's been on my shpping list for a while. I will do the research in terms of how much to take and timings, and write some instructions to store alongside it....
After a quick search I have just found this seller online. It’s a bit more expensive but it is sold by a dedicated prepper shop so they are likely to be able to answer any questions you have regarding things like dosage and storage.
https://sgtpreppershop.co.uk/products/potassium-iodide-30mg-60-tablets
If you get a serious wound, the last thing I would worry about is dirt! Get it stopped, get to hospital, they will do the cleaning.It would be situational dependent and I would assess everything and make the best judgment I can at the time. The obvious answer though is that if there is an unopened sterile dressing available then I would use that first. If there is no better clean alternative item available to use as a bandage I would still be fairly happy to use a pre-opened bandage so long as it looked clean.
Now the grey area… If the bandage was clearly dirty and my wound was only superficial then I would probably not use it rather than risk getting the wound infected and making things worse. If the wound was serious enough (such as bleeding profusely from a large gaping hole or spurting from an artery) that it would likely cause rapid unconsciousness or death due to massive blood loss then I would be willing to use anything, even if there was nothing clean available, as a bandage to stop the blood flow as quickly as possible as that is the immediate risk to life. I would then deal with any infection and cleaning the wound afterwards once the blood loss was safely under control.
This does however bring up the important issue of cleaning and sterilising a wound first to make sure it does not get infected before applying a clean bandage. An extra item which I keep in my first aid kits along with the usual assortment of sterile gloves and antiseptic wipes is a large 50ml syringe. If you get a serious wound which requires the use of a bandage it was likely to have been caused by something dirty such as a dog bite, a kitchen knife with food residue on it or some rusty barbed wire etc. This is likely to leave a lot of dirty small contaminants in the wound which will need to be removed first before you apply the bandage. The reason I have a large 50ml syringe in my first aid kit is so that it can be used to flood the wound with high pressure clean water to quickly wash any small bits of contaminants out of the wound. (I learned this trick from an educational youtube video made by a US marine who is also a qualified field surgeon who does first aid and survival/bushcraft courses).
St Johns Ambulance website sells a few different sizes of kits with the individual items sold separately too. I think their largest sterile dressing pad is 18x18cm which should do a fair sized chainsaw maul. I buy full kits from them annually (just before HSE Audits at work) and bring home last years for my house, cars, backpacks etc. Never looked at dates on anything except the Relistrips and Eye Wash, i'm sure everything else is the expiry of the packaging rather than the product.
Yes I agree with you.
In fact I said something similar in the post that you quoted:“I would be willing to use anything, even if there was nothing clean available, as a bandage to stop the blood flow as quickly as possible as that is the immediate risk to life. I would then deal with any infection and cleaning the wound afterwards once the blood loss was safely under control.”
However a factor worth bearing in mind these days is that ambulances regularly take half a day or more to arrive and waiting times in A&E can be similarly as long or longer. This makes me more concerned about keeping a wound clean early on than I would have been just a few years ago when people were certain that they could always be seen to quickly if they turned up at A&E. These days I no longer feel we can have that same confidence in the NHS. Would they actually be quick enough to clean the wound and re-bandage it before an infection had time to set in? I’m not so sure now. The chance of a person sitting around in a waiting room all day before being seen to seems to be fairly high these days.
I’m not saying that I’m definitely right here but I do think that it is something worthy of consideration and I would be interested to hear what other people think about this subject.
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That's why I said our home kit can be used by anyone, so not limited by my knowledge. (To be honest I'm most likely the one being treated).
I would also not limit it to people if you have pets. The main life threatening experience I've had was when our dog was sent home from the vets after an operation and her stitches pulled out. Large open wound with blood everywhere and we were advised to use a clean towel to hold her together before rushing to an emergency vet.
Which takes us back to considering large, sterile dressings and getting hold of something like this:
Gamgee BP Pre-cut Pad 45 x 45cm Sterile Individually Packed
Gamgee is a greatly improved and modern version of the original Gauze and Cotton Tissue invented in 1880 by Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee, a pioneer in aseptic surgery, in association with Robinson Healthcare who were assigned the patent and manufactured the first product. Today, Gamgee is still the...
www.medisave.co.uk
Gamgee BP Pre-cut Pad 45 x 45cm Sterile Individually Packed
Gamgee is a greatly improved and modern version of the original Gauze and Cotton Tissue invented in 1880 by Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee, a pioneer in aseptic surgery, in association with Robinson Healthcare who were assigned the patent and manufactured the first product. Today, Gamgee is still the...
www.medisave.co.uk
My home kit includes an AED
Can I ask what was the justification (?) for this?
I get that the part of Wales you live in is quite rural , so that would qualify it as no local community unit would be available but were / are there any other personal reasons for the investment - because investment wise it would be a few pretty pennies.
Equally I get the argument would be , investment versus the opposite outcome is easily justified , I just think its a sort of item one has to really have solid reasons to justify the investment ???
Not wishing to delve , if you purchased it because of medical history of anyone in your family - I get it.
I know you asked Broch, but to address this bit, I have no specific health requirement for one but I plan on getting one too. Realistically we don’t have first aid kits for chronic illnesses, it’s more often to deal with the acute.
Heart attacks are high mortality and at the same time, likelihood of survival is hugely impacted by time taken between the event and receiving care. It’s also one of those events which can ‘just happen’ to people who are otherwise seemingly fine, until they are very suddenly not.
To me that makes it a no-brainer. It’s why I always have aspirin in a first aid kit.
Agree - So in the days of instant credit and pay-it-later why don't we all do it?
Its likely we all will potentially need it or meet a situation where its needed so why don't we just bite the bullet and order one?
Which is kind of where/why I posed the question - we all know they are a good idea and its great to see them pop up in rural communities and known locations - mine is probably a hard 5 minute sprint/run there and a hard 5 minute run back. ( Assuming its me not needing it within that time frame )
Its one of those items also now that have become technologically smart enough that the user knowledge base isn't a limiter to it being used effectively.
I guess my question was that its given me food for thought - within 100m of my home are 8 houses of multiple occupants - in theory they all have the same access to the community unit some 400m away - its just making me think that as you rightly point out the mortality factor easily justifies one - in theory.
An element of it is probably also that as the technology progresses and demand (and therefore economy of scale) increases as a result of it being a relatively new item for domestic ownership, the price starts becoming less of a barrier for ownership.
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Many reasons really, it all comes down to risk assessment. Cardiac arrest is the highest cause of death in the UK - risk 10/10, without the timely application of such equipment, the worst outcome is almost certain - so severity 10/10, with the early use of such equipment the likelihood of success is reasonably high - so mitigation 8/10 - as Chris says, no brainer.
Then there's the fact that our nearest public one is a mile and a half way down a single track country road. Also, our nearest neighbours (200 m and 500m away) are all in their eighties. And, we're not getting any younger!
The cost? less than a mid range mountain bike, about the price of a new iPhone, less than the cost of a quality family tent. My point being, we all spend this kind of money on all sorts of things but few spend it on staying alive
Then there's the fact that our nearest public one is a mile and a half way down a single track country road. Also, our nearest neighbours (200 m and 500m away) are all in their eighties. And, we're not getting any younger!
The cost? less than a mid range mountain bike, about the price of a new iPhone, less than the cost of a quality family tent. My point being, we all spend this kind of money on all sorts of things but few spend it on staying alive
Many reasons really, it all comes down to risk assessment. Cardiac arrest is the highest cause of death in the UK - risk 10/10, without the timely application of such equipment, the worst outcome is almost certain - so severity 10/10, with the early use of such equipment the likelihood of success is reasonably high - so mitigation 8/10 - as Chris says, no brainer.
Then there's the fact that our nearest public one is a mile and a half way down a single track country road. Also, our nearest neighbours (200 m and 500m away) are all in their eighties. And, we're not getting any younger!
The cost? less than a mid range mountain bike, about the price of a new iPhone, less than the cost of a quality family tent. My point being, we all spend this kind of money on all sorts of things but few spend it on staying alive
Ok, units - How often are you supposed to check it? How long can pass whilst its being fit for purpose? does it or should it be checked as in terms of rotable type calibration?
The justification for it is sound , makes sense and as you say price wise... well , what price could be put on that of a life of family.
I had to look up what an AED was, and was wondering if you need training. It appears that, no you don't, like intelligent battery chargers it can work out what type of heart issue it is, and apply the appropriate shock if required.
Somebody recently showed me a small portable one they carry with them on their motorbike (they are a medic). It's one-time usage device, about the size of 2 paperbacks put together, and breaks apart in the middle to use it. I understood what it was, but not what it was called.
Somebody recently showed me a small portable one they carry with them on their motorbike (they are a medic). It's one-time usage device, about the size of 2 paperbacks put together, and breaks apart in the middle to use it. I understood what it was, but not what it was called.
Probably a CallAED.
CellAED your personal defibrillator
It’s as easy as Snap Peel Stick®. CellAED® is your smart, personal AED (automated external defibrillator) for home, community, and business use to help save a life from sudden cardiac arrest - bridging the gap and buying time until an ambulance arrives.
cellaed.io
Yes I think that was it. I see not for sale in UK, he brought his with him coming back into the country.Probably a CallAED.
CellAED your personal defibrillator
It’s as easy as Snap Peel Stick®. CellAED® is your smart, personal AED (automated external defibrillator) for home, community, and business use to help save a life from sudden cardiac arrest - bridging the gap and buying time until an ambulance arrives.
Presume this is one of those "can't trust jonny foreigner, we'll have to look into it" Uk/Whitehall blob reactions. If you are spending money buying one, then I think you would read the training book and/or watch the training video that they provide.
No, they were for sale in the UK but had an unacceptable failure rate, either not working or not providing enough shock to be effective.
The pads, being flat and solid also do not adhere to the chest (being round)correctly so kept falling off, holding them on is not advised either.
It’s a pity because I thought they were a good idea. Hopefully an effective, portable and affordable alternative comes on the market soon
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