Is this a good first aid/trauma kit?

[lovemachine]

Elite First Aid Tactical Trauma Kit #1

Is this a good first aid/trauma kit? I'd like to have something on hand for at home, vehicles and when I go mountain biking.

 

[lovemachine]

Found this too:

First Aid QuikClot Trauma Kit & Auto Emergency Kit - Blood Clotting Bandage & SWAT-T Tourniquet - Stop Bleeding With QuikClot Agent and SWAT-T - Used by Military, Police & EMT for Emergency Wound Care - Contains Blood Clotting Products, Tourniquet, N

 

[Stubz]

Granted I don't know my hind end from a hole in the earth when it comes to medical but neither of those kits seem worth the cost. The first seems well enough for a few absolute minor things but that's it. The second only the most extreme.

Personally I built one to handle the daily boo-boo's and some for a major event (perhaps optimistically thinking car accident), everything (minus pouch) came either from the 1500 vendors or from Walmart's 88c items.

Assorted band-aid bandages, several sized gauze, Chap Stick, sodium bismuth (stomach relief), Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Then whatever they replaced pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) with; are in the mesh pouch. I.B. Prophene and Acetaminophen, 2 x H&H pads, an Izzy underneath and a CAT 2 tourniquet in central pocket. Far right is EMT type Shears, roll of tape, 2x Power Bar gel Packs (thinking it's at least SOMETHING to boost glucose in a hurry) and a ziplock baggy of other gauzes and non-adherent pads. Also tucked in the far right is an instant cold pack.

Everything stuffed in a Condor tear-away med pouch that I kept buckled to the head-rest of the passenger seat with a length of excess webbing and an old Fastex buckle from a cheap mag pouch.

Pouch ($25) CAT ($20) Izzy ($5), everything else was $1 each or less.

 

[DownByTheTracks]

Disclaimer: I do not have any legit medical background.

That being said, in the GSW training classes that I have attended Quik Clot and similar products always come up. It has been the opinion of the guys that have actually had to plug holes in people that it would be best left out of a regular med kit. A tourniquet, gauze and compression bandages are the way to go.

 

[Hoosierkav]

The official jury is still out on the true effectiveness of clotting products; since these need to be packed into the wound in order to be effective, and most people aren't trained well enough to do that, I'd keep it simple with a good blood soaker compression bandage (Israeli or similar), a TQ, and maybe something occlusive for a chest wound.

I like to focus on the important. Fabric bandaids (the plastic ones are useless). 4x4s or 5x9. Roller gauze (keep the size down, go with 2", but if you have space, 4" is nice). If you want some OTC stuff, that's fine, but if you can keep it out of the main part of the kit, it helps to keep hands out of the main part of the kit

I got some bank money pouches--I can't organize things that well, but what I didn't spend on the pouch I spent on products...

 

[bwframe]

I'd like to see a detailed breakdown of these trauma kits:

Helping its neighbors, Indy FOP assembling trauma kits for partner police departments | Fox 59

 

[Sylvain]

Whenever I buy a commercial first aid kit I find that it's not good enough.I always add a bunch of stuff (way more gauze, 2 or 3 ABD pads, 2 or 3 extra pairs gloves, tourniquet, duct tape, light etc).

Those kits are a good base to start your own kit but not good enough to treat major trauma in my opinion.I dont think they qualify as a trauma kit especially the first link you provided who has no tourniquet (even though you could use the triangular bandage and shears to make one) and a single ABD pad.

 

[Sylvain]

I'd like to see a detailed breakdown of these trauma kits:

Helping its neighbors, Indy FOP assembling trauma kits for partner police departments | Fox 59

They show the contents in the video and talk about the 4 main items.

Looks like a CAT tourniquet, compression bandage (OLAES 4" or 6"), nasal airway, a pair of EMT shears (and probably a pair of nitrile gloves not shown).

 

[bwframe]

They show the contents in the video and talk about the 4 main items.

Looks like a CAT tourniquet, compression bandage (OLAES 4" or 6"), nasal airway, a pair of EMT shears (and probably a pair of nitrile gloves not shown).

I'd like specifics. I wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to duplicate that sort of kit? Especially if one were running around the Indy area. Officer friendly finds you ventilated, it might be beneficial to have a trauma kit on hand that he is familiar with?

 

[Sylvain]

I'd like specifics. I wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to duplicate that sort of kit? Especially if one were running around the Indy area. Officer friendly finds you ventilated, it might be beneficial to have a trauma kit on hand that he is familiar with?

Specifics?
Well the tourniquet is a CAT and Im pretty sure the bandage is a Olaes bandage.
This type of stuff:

The brand of the shears dont matter that much.

 

[craigkim]

Specifics?
Well the tourniquet is a CAT and Im pretty sure the bandage is a Olaes bandage.
This type of stuff:



The brand of the shears dont matter that much.

I just put together my first aid kit and it was tough to balance between gunshot trauma and the significantly more likely emergencies you are going to encounter. I bought everything for it on Amazon, with the exception of the prescription only items. It was difficult to figure out what actually made sense to have. I feel like heart attacks, syncope or fainting, anaphylaxis, and diabetic seizures are going to be much more likely than a gun-shot wound, but since I carry daily, I added that stuff too. I have 2 children, so you need the usual bandaids and things for cuts/scrapes kid injuries too.

For cuts/scrapes, etc. I added assorted adhesive bandages (bandaids), 2x2 sponge, 4x4 sponge, and 6x6 sponge, medical tape, and the BZK wipes, plus triple antibiotic. I have acetaminophen and ibuprofen tabs for analgesia and anti-inflammatory tablets. Chap stick in there too.

For common emergencies I have an epi-pen, aspirin, nitroglycerin tabs, diphenhydramine suspension and a syringe. I think you would be fine carrying aspirin and benadryl in lieu of these items which you would otherwise require a license to obtain. The aspirin is to be chewed in the event of a heart attack and NOT for pain relief. I am thinking I will add a tube of glucose for diabetic seizures. I have a pocket CPR mask in there too.
My trauma kit contains shears, a roll of hemostatic gauze, an isreali bandage, a CAT, surgical hemostats, vinyl gloves, a mylar blanket, haloseal wound seals, and I think that is it. I do not have any of the Celox granules, which are a chitin based product, but the hemostatic gauze is treated with the same product, however it can be retrieved easily when desired. Seems to be backed by good science, so I am not worried there.
I do not have the catheter needle for tension pneumothorax, because I am not trained enough to use it or diagnose tension pneumothorax.
I did not include a nasal airway, because I question their need in areas where emergency medical help is likely not ever too far away. I may add one in future though.
Don’t take anything I have written as training or medical advice!