Sorry yes bullet permanent marker, good ink and hard to wipe offWhat is a "sharpie" in this case?
Sorry yes bullet permanent marker, good ink and hard to wipe offWhat is a "sharpie" in this case?
Thanks for the clarification Ed.sorry, yes, I should clarify a bit - there can be knock on effects of releasing pre-hospital that can be hard to mitigate with the more finite or limited resources of pre-hospital care - drops in blood pressure, loss of volume through further bleeding etcetera
My meaning about the time being important was more so that the follow on carers (at the hospital, or the heli-meds etc) know how long it’s been on for so can plan accordingly - and then it’s also important as the patient can end up passing through multiple hands and times and things can get stretched or distorted inadvertently. 1415hrs can stretch to ‘about 1430’ or ‘I think about 3pm’ if you see what I mean?
I have never put a tourniquet on pre-hospital, but have put them on in hospital (when I used to work in plastics reconstruction and it wasn’t unknown for free flap reconstructions to just let go, and even then it was very rare).
there has been lots of articles to and fro discussing use in civilian trauma (pros and cons) for years, and I don’t actually genuinely expect to need to use one pre-hospital, as the current guidelines still advocate direct pressure in a civilian setting as first line.
Tourniquets or haemostatic agents are for if bleeding cannot be controlled by direct pressure
Thanks for the clarification Ed.
Agreed on all the points you mention.
The World is getting close to needing to add Potassium Iodide to the kit...................I'm always one for constantly reviewing and repacking my kit.....
One of the things that we all carry is a medical kit. The contents of your med kit is generally based on your knowledge of treating injuries, confidence is the use of your med kit, stowage, cost, ease of use..... the list goes on.
A lot of med kits are commercially brought items with generic contents, all packed very nicely, with labelling and nice sterile wrappers, the pouch it comes in is normally bright red (which, incidentally is a very good idea).
We did a little lesson in the house this evening with old medical kits, the scenario being daddy had cut his leg really badly and fell over in the kitchen......
I coached the eldest through it and she did well. The resulting mess was this....
Afterwards, the main learning point for me was the dangerously long amount of time it took to open the med bag, then open a sealed dressing, then getting through another internal sterile wrapping, which led to panic and frustration in my daughter, which impacted on her ability to think clearly and act appropriately.......
So I got to thinking and researching. I looked at the in-house and vehicle med kits with a more critical eye. I took them all apart, taking everything out of the commercial wrappers and repacking each med kit in its own clear vacuum sealed pouch. So now they look like this....
The bag is clear. You can see everything in it. Its vacuum sealed so its compact, waterproof and sealed off from the environment. If you need it, you tear it open and voilà, its all there for immediate use. No mess, no fuss, no having to waste valuable life saving time ripping your trauma bandage out of three layers before you can put it on your loved one/best friend and save their life......
*disclaimer for the Internet*
My med kits are designed to deal with catastrophic bleeds, with the possibility of multiple casualties, by a person with a good degree of training, not for the removal of a thorn in your finger or sort out a headache....
I know that some will say that all that wrapping is to keep each item sterile and prevent infection, but ask yourself this: if you're trapped in your car with a femoral bleed and I rock up with this kind of med kit, rip it open and start applying pressure to your bleed, do you even care about my med kit being 'sterile' or do you care about not dying......(infection control will come later my friend, don't worry).
I am not a medical professional. This is my idea and I thought I would share it. What you do with what you read is your responsibility.
Peace.
Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
Evening, Devils advocate here. Sterile items have a shelf life, it’s displayed on the packaging. Other items also have shelf lives as they degrade over time and may be less effective. Do you know the shelf life of what’s in your kit? Bearing in mind it has been removed from the sterile packaging and repackaged. Some people might not care at the time, but then might decide they do care if they end up with an infection and try to take you to court - the world we live in I’m afraid.I'm always one for constantly reviewing and repacking my kit.....
One of the things that we all carry is a medical kit. The contents of your med kit is generally based on your knowledge of treating injuries, confidence is the use of your med kit, stowage, cost, ease of use..... the list goes on.
A lot of med kits are commercially brought items with generic contents, all packed very nicely, with labelling and nice sterile wrappers, the pouch it comes in is normally bright red (which, incidentally is a very good idea).
We did a little lesson in the house this evening with old medical kits, the scenario being daddy had cut his leg really badly and fell over in the kitchen......
I coached the eldest through it and she did well. The resulting mess was this....
Afterwards, the main learning point for me was the dangerously long amount of time it took to open the med bag, then open a sealed dressing, then getting through another internal sterile wrapping, which led to panic and frustration in my daughter, which impacted on her ability to think clearly and act appropriately.......
So I got to thinking and researching. I looked at the in-house and vehicle med kits with a more critical eye. I took them all apart, taking everything out of the commercial wrappers and repacking each med kit in its own clear vacuum sealed pouch. So now they look like this....
The bag is clear. You can see everything in it. Its vacuum sealed so its compact, waterproof and sealed off from the environment. If you need it, you tear it open and voilà, its all there for immediate use. No mess, no fuss, no having to waste valuable life saving time ripping your trauma bandage out of three layers before you can put it on your loved one/best friend and save their life......
*disclaimer for the Internet*
My med kits are designed to deal with catastrophic bleeds, with the possibility of multiple casualties, by a person with a good degree of training, not for the removal of a thorn in your finger or sort out a headache....
I know that some will say that all that wrapping is to keep each item sterile and prevent infection, but ask yourself this: if you're trapped in your car with a femoral bleed and I rock up with this kind of med kit, rip it open and start applying pressure to your bleed, do you even care about my med kit being 'sterile' or do you care about not dying......(infection control will come later my friend, don't worry).
I am not a medical professional. This is my idea and I thought I would share it. What you do with what you read is your responsibility.
Peace.
Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
The World is getting close to needing to add Potassium Iodide to the kit...................
Do you know the shelf life of what’s in your kit?
Also, when you open that pack, you are writing off everything else inside it. Your hands are likely to be bloody, so you’re putting bloody hands in to a bag to retrieve a tourniquet? What kind of incident are you anticipating?
The claim culture is starting to drop off slightly but is still about so I get your point, that said, in my experience if you are doing what you feel is right (even if someone disagrees later) the courts are generally pretty reasonable.Evening, Devils advocate here. Sterile items have a shelf life, it’s displayed on the packaging. Other items also have shelf lives as they degrade over time and may be less effective. Do you know the shelf life of what’s in your kit? Bearing in mind it has been removed from the sterile packaging and repackaged. Some people might not care at the time, but then might decide they do care if they end up with an infection and try to take you to court - the world we live in I’m afraid.
Also, when you open that pack, you are writing off everything else inside it. Your hands are likely to be bloody, so you’re putting bloody hands in to a bag to retrieve a tourniquet? What kind of incident are you anticipating?
No. You are protected in law if you perform first aid as a ‘Good Samaritan’People taken to court for performing First Aid on someone! When has this ever happened in the U.K.?
Just asking, as I have never heard of this before.
Hey I'm glad it's sparked your interest! Take a look at your med kit buddy. Unpack it all and see what's what..... first thing to put back in is knowledge! (Take a first aid course, there's even online ones which are free!)Just read this very interesting thread and realised how unprepared I am, I am a hunter who spends most of the time on my own in unpopulated areas of Scotland with no phone signal and although I always carry a small first aid pack, I will admit that I have never opened it to look what is in it, I am going to change that this evening!
I repack everything, edc, Survival, and first aid kits once a year so everything is fresh. Tablets etc are what I use in the second year and then bin them after. Never had a problem with any kit and best before dates except plasters and wipes. No idea what the best before date on a No.9 is actually saying it is good for. If I am using a no. 9 on someone, sterile is not their biggest issue at the moment.Evening, Devils advocate here. Sterile items have a shelf life, it’s displayed on the packaging. Other items also have shelf lives as they degrade over time and may be less effective. Do you know the shelf life of what’s in your kit? Bearing in mind it has been removed from the sterile packaging and repackaged. Some people might not care at the time, but then might decide they do care if they end up with an infection and try to take you to court - the world we live in I’m afraid.
There is a train of thought in the UK about carrying them for use in extreme cases like a bomb.Also, when you open that pack, you are writing off everything else inside it. Your hands are likely to be bloody, so you’re putting bloody hands in to a bag to retrieve a tourniquet? What kind of incident are you anticipating?
Only if you have not taken a first aid at work course (Outdoor first aid course counts I think) otherwise you need insurance. People have been sued in the UK as they warn you about it.No. You are protected in law if you perform first aid as a ‘Good Samaritan’
Yeah this is the problem with legal stuff because they say it has never happened however the important word is successful. It has happened just to date no one has ever lost so you can end up in court and need a lawyer which all costs money. In the article st John's who have been sued for a start provide insurance to anyone passing a first aid at work course for non work first aid. St John's a charity waste money on insurance that according to that site is not needed. The answer to the question can you be sued is yes however so far no one has lost.“Only if you have not taken a first aid at work course (Outdoor first aid course counts I think) otherwise you need insurance. People have been sued in the UK as they warn you about it.”
https://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/canibesued