First Aid Kit

[bambi]

Hey guys,

I'm updating and refilling my first aid kit and wondering what it should have in it.  This is what the ICU recommends.

Recommended minimum contents for a First Aid Kit:

Rubber gloves 
Vent aid or resuscitation barrier device 
Paramedical shears 
Tweezers 
Safety pins 
Roll of first aid tape 
Triangular bandages x3 
Wound dressings (assorted sizes) x3 
Roller bandages (assorted sizes) x3 
Foil blanket or emergency blanket 
Penlight or snap light 
Notebook and pencil 
Sam splint 
Waterproof container (to keep supplies dry) 



Does anyone carry anything else that they reckon is worthwhile?

Thanks 

[kmck]

Only carry what you know how to use. Cable ties and small piece of plastic tubing about 6 inches long.

[bambi]

Change of question..... What else do you carry and why?

piece of plastic tubing about 6 inches long

     

[kmck]

Improvised snorkel.

[Jenny]

some kind of good antisceptic especially if you wont be able to get off the water for a few hours and its lovely and warm and bacteriaey!! benadine (not sure bout spelling is a good one) its a lovely puss coloured ointment mmmm

duck tape (people usually have around paddles but a bit in the first aid kit is no harm in case you lose the paddle) - it works better than first aid tape with  the oul sam splint (those things are the job - you can use them to fix a broken paddle as well as legs and arms and they are super light and cheap - you can get them from a med supply place in wicklow or was it wexford i cant remember but google it and youll find it - and they have a mini one for fingers)

some kind of energy gel or even a lollypop (much tastier)- can really help when someone is in a bit of shock and feeling weak (just in case youve scoffed all the chocolate at that point)

optional extra: surgical bench, instruments and scrubs

oh yeah and one more thing - its not really first aid but its a good little trick - snip a bit off an old bike tube and put it in the first aid kit with a lighter or matches - it'll burn for ages and light easily for starting a fire

oh and another good one is dental floss - great for stitchin a ripped spray deck or removing plaque from those hard to reach areas

[Monkey Loving Bob]

Don't laugh - a tampon... They're actually really good in the case of someone breaking a nose. It's harder to stop the flow of blood if they have to continue downriver ,you can cut off  a bit of the unmentionable and and it'll help loads. Also if you're caught in heavy flow...

[Dave B]

these are things we had when away, might not be really necessary in ireland...

Paracetamol and/or brufen

imodium

glucose sweets

iodine or chlorine tablets for water sterilisation

[david]

Rectal clamps, plenty of rectal clamps....

[Sick Boy]

dave they are talking about your first aid kit that you bring out on a river, not your saturday night, fun times kit.

[Sean]

Hey

Definitely would have more than one set of Glove's, they can be used for so much - carrying water, a recuss aid: put a slit in it and it acts as a barrier, put a small hole in the bottom of one of the fingers for irrigation of open cuts, etc.

Betadine . . . basically 10% Provodone Iodine (and iodine is cheaper just get it in a dropper bottle if possible) use as an antiseptic or in river water to sterilise (3drops per litre) - for drinking or irrigation of open wounds. NB. SOME people are very sensitive to iodine especially people with fish allergies.

STERI strips and lots of them . . . . . Get the big ones you can always cut them down to size.

Also extra gauze for cleaning of wounds . . .

Thermometer . . . theres small plastic reusable one available, thin, cheap, etc.

Finally extras would be as jenny said fire - for warmth, and glucose tablets like Lucozade tablets - for energy hits, diabetics, etc. Also if using paracetamol, ibuprofen etc make sure of dosage.

See you soon
Sean

[I'm From You]

A mars bar. You need it to shove up someones bum for some reason. I can't remember why. Maybe if they're low on sugar or something. Ask Lorcan, he knows. We had to give him one once!

[Lorcan]

Medical
Anal
Retentive
System

[Sara]

Ah Ha!!!

[Mr C]

My list from a few years back...it may help. Think most of the things are self-explanatory.

First Aid Kit - General
•   Sam Splint
•   2 m strap
•   Waterproof misc. plaster pack
•   Shears for clothing

First Aid Kit - Bag 1
•   2 pairs latex gloves
•   4 triangular bandages
•   Sam Finger Splint
•   Antiseptic cream
•   6 antiseptic wipes
•   Lint pad
•   2 sandwich bags
•   2 oral re-hydration sachets
•   Waterproof pen & notepad
•   Tweezers
•   First aid aide-de-memoir   

First Aid Kit - Bag 2
•   Latex gloves
•   5 m plaster roll (0.5”)
•   20cc irrigation syringe
•   Large lint dressing & conforming bandage
•   4.5 m × 10 cm crepe bandage
•   10 streri-strips 3 mm × 75 mm
•   20 cm plaster strip
•   2 medium square plasters
•   Large square plaster
•   Eye pad sterile dressing
•   10 cm × 10 cm sterile dressing
•   2 20 cm × 10 cm sterile dressings
•   Scissors

[caz]

if you're caught in heavy flow...

Brilliant! Can that be the new club motto???