First Aid Kits

Whenever I teach a CPR-AED First Aid class, the subject of first aid kits always comes up. As you can imagine, when it comes to first aid kits, I am a bit obsessive. I have a first aid kit in both my boats, both my cars, my gun bag when I go to the range, and when I travel. In my carry-on, which is a small backpack with, you guessed it, a first aid kit, including a tourniquet in the bottom pocket. The reason I mention this is because every first aid kit could be involved in different types of first aid incidents, so the kits themselves should be packed differently. The other subject that comes up is where you can buy one, and then there is the discussion on the complete, ready-to-go kits you see online. My guess is you golfers out there didn’t buy a set of clubs and that was that. From that basic set, I am sure a sand wedge, 7 wood, and a new putter soon joined the clubs. Same thing for those who fish. I would like to meet that guy or gal who bought that tackle box on Amazon and never added a jig, spinner, or plug to it. It’s the same thing with first aid kits. Ask yourself what this kit will be used for and where it will be stored. A basic first aid kit should include essential items that support immediate care until medical help or emergency services are available. A first-aid kit in a boat, for example, should be larger and more diversified than the one in your car, as EMS and help could be a ways away. The next question is, how will I carry my first aid equipment? I am not a big fan of the lightweight plastic boxes or soft side zipper bags that many complete kits come in. My first aid kits are all in plastic ammo boxes with a positive locking system so drops and bumps will not have an impact. Those ammo boxes are easy to find at many hardware stores, big chain stores, and online. And the stuff you need to add to that basic box is also easy to find locally and online. Standard basic kits typically include items such as adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes, from Band-Aids to large two-by-two or larger sizes, gauze pads, medical tape, adhesive bandages, and gauze to cover minor cuts and abrasions. Antiseptic wipes or ointment to clean wounds and reduce infection risk. Tweezers for removing splinters or debris from wounds. Cold packs to help reduce swelling from strains and sprains, disposable gloves, and other wound cleaning supplies. It’s a good start, but you need to customize each box to where it will end up.

Let’s look at that first aid kit in your boat and in your car. One of the most common problems you will encounter is cuts, abrasions, and bleeding in general. Stop the bleed is the issue here. Obviously, Band-Aids, antibiotic cream, and some way to clean the wound, like those alcohol wipes. But think a bit bigger on that. How about Bactine MAX in that first aid kit to clean that wound, along with an antibiotic cream? Also consider having a small bottle of Hibiclens for hand washing and cleaning the area around the wound, if soap and water are not readily available. For bandages, they should range from normal four-by-four size gauze pads up to an abdominal-size pad for heavy bleeding, gauze wrap, and MedFix dressing retention tape. And if you are going to do any offshore boating or travel in an area where medical assistance is some distance away, a tourniquet is a must. Tourniquets can be found online along with many other items. Tourniquets are a go-to item for all law enforcement officers and many others. Our oldest son was a captain in the Army and flew a medevac Blackhawk on two tours in Iraq; they put tourniquets on many of the injured persons they treated. I had both my knees replaced in Dec 2016 - yep, tourniquets on both legs. Our local first responders have had many successful saves by quickly applying a tourniquet. The trick is quickly applied. You can buy simple tourniquets online; they come closed and wrapped in plastic. If you have an amputation, for example, by the time you unwrap that tourniquet and open it up, it could be too late. Once you get one, take it out of the plastic, open the loop up all the way and then fold it closed. And here’s a thought: practice putting it on and learning how it works, which is what you should do with all your first aid tools. Need an example? Do you know how to put that one-way valve into the hole of your CPR mask? All you need to do is take a moment and consider what you might encounter and what you would need. On a boat, how about someone not breathing? A one-way valve CPR mask is a must. How about someone who is wet and cold? Add an emergency thermal blanket. Sprain, bumps, and bruises? How about a cold pack and a moldable splint? For my car kit, thinking of car accidents, stop the bleed again is my primary concern. But in this kit, as in my boat kit, I want a one-way CPR mask in case I encounter a cardiac arrest in a parking lot. Speaking of cardiac arrest, look into the PulsePoint app. This app is connected to the local 911 dispatch center, in our case, the Collier County emergency center. This app will tell you what is going on in your area, and you can set it once you have taken a first aid class (please do!), to alert you if someone in your area has suffered a cardiac arrest and needs help. A properly equipped AED will have some extra tools hopefully attached in a bag, but unfortunately, not all AED’s do. When I teach CPR and then the AED portion of the class, I explain that you need to get the “arrow through the heart.” What does that mean? It means you need to get a good attachment, good adhesion to the victim’s skin with the AED pads in the right location for the machine to work properly. In your first aid kit, consider putting in a small, zippered bag, a go-to bag of sorts containing scissors, a disposable razor, a one-way valve CPR mask, and some disposable gloves. This way, if the victim has excessive hair on his chest, you can use the scissors to both cut away the victim’s shirt along with trimming and shaving the hair off the areas where the pads need to go. I have mentioned disposable gloves twice so far in this article.

We MUST always consider our safety in these emergency scenes. A person bleeding could have hepatitis or other blood-borne illnesses. I not only have disposable gloves in all my first aid kits but in the glove box of both my cars. How about the masks we were forced to wear just a few years ago? Still have a few hanging around in a drawer somewhere? Throw a couple in your first aid kit, too. Someone you’re helping is coughing. Could that person have a cold, flu, COVID, or even TB? Mask up! See, it’s easy, just go over some ideas, some past experiences, and plan accordingly. Once you have your different first aid kits set up, don’t stop studying the subject. Going to the doctor’s appointment, ask him or her what their suggestions might be. Trip to an urgent care center, same thing, look around and see if there is something you could add. And go on YouTube and check out some how-to videos, knowing of course those videos could be accurate, BUT there is no real control of the subject information, so a grain of salt please on anything you see. And one last thing, take a first aid class! The Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron and the Marco Island Fire Department offer classes in our area almost every month. Contact the Marco Island Fire Department or go to the Marco Island Sail and Power Squadrons website, www.marcoboatingclub.org, call 239-393-0150, or stop by the training center at 1114 North Collier Boulevard.