What's in your kit??

Since we all come form various departments/agencies, I'm curious to know (and I'm sure some of you are as well) what you folks carry in your medical kit that you carry with you?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Karen Wesley on December 17, 2008 at 6:41pm

We have a vest, carry 2 tourniquets, cravats, combat dressings, nasal airway, canteen, smoke, rescue line, asherman, but have decided to go with defib pads due to the cost. Our only med in the vest is tetracaine. Our bag has an airway management kit, a bleeding pack (IV etc.) and a pack with OTC meds the team can use if needed. Our operators, have a combat dressing, a tourniquet, cravat. They are trained in buddy care, and practice it at monthly training. kdw

Permalink Reply by Tim "Doc" on January 31, 2009 at 11:26pm

well, as my kit varies alot based on region, mission etc, at the least I carry a drop leg pouch with several tourniquets, either the issued C.A.T.s or another variation based on what we have in theater or in the medlog stock. I also have a couple of Israeli dressings, although I have started to not carry those infavor of NARPs ETD. I have also replaced the 2 packets of quickclot/quickclotACS™ or Celox powder with WoundStat™ and the Hemcon™ bandages with Combat Gauze™. I have a small pocket for meds with usually between 4-10 doses of Morphine either in 10mg auto injectors or 10mg carpuject cartridges. Mobic, phenegryn, narcan and a couple of does of high potency benadryl. 2 14g needle decompression kits, Hyfin® chest seal. A couple of compressed gauze, and a roll of 2in tape.

In my aid bag, which is usually in the truck, or not to far away, I have 4 500cc NS bags, 2 500cc bags of HEXTEND, 4 macro drip sets, extra luer locks, doubles of the bandages I carry on my gear, stethescope, lightweight tactical field langyroscope set, at least 2 sam splints, extra tourniquets, several crevats, a couple of MDVs of bacterostatic saline, 3cc, 5cc and 10cc syringes, a field surgical instrument kit, a cric kit, ET Tubes, King LTs, cyclone BVM, tactical suction device, extra gloves, tape, IV starter kits (we custom package our own) sutures, a full drug kit with Avelox tabs, Cefotetan, Invanz, additional vials of Morphine, Phenergan, & Narcan and Fentanyl Actiq losenges.. Also carry small amounts of commonly needed "sick call" meds, 800mg motrin, 250 asprin, immodium, cepacol tabs. Im trying to pull my inventory from memory, so I know its not complete here.

Also on the truck or crossloaded I have poleless litters, a tactical traction splint, skedco, as well as other backup medical supplies in the skedco team bag.

everyone wears an IFAK (individual first aid kit) which usually consits of 1 x Airway (Nasopharyngeal 28F with Lubricant) 1 x Chest Seal (Hyfin™) 1 x Tourniquet (Combat Application [ C-A-T®]) 1 x Dressing (Emergency Trauma [ETD™ 6”]) 2 x Gauze (S-Rolled, 4.5" x 4.1 yd) 1 x Tape 2"
and someone carries a squad aid bag as well.

Permalink Reply by Nathan Jennings on February 1, 2009 at 10:27am

On my person I carry a thigh rig containing an LMA, OP, NP, and a one way valve that came off a pocket mask for ventilation. It also holds a CAT, an israeli, quickclot and minimal bandaging supplies. On my vest I've got an IV pocket, and another CAT and israeli. The backpack contains an airway module with RSI, an IV kit with code drugs, a trauma module, a disposable litter, and some webbing. The backpack can also be rearranged to carry O2 if needed on the mission. In the bearcat I keep my "Oh shit" bag which is set up similar to any standard ALS kit and this is where the O2 is typically carried. An AED, fracture bag, and OTC meds are also kept on the bearcat.

Permalink Reply by Rick Meek on February 14, 2009 at 8:58pm

Here’s the blow out kit list that we’ve put together. Remember, all of these things are for another medic or yourself to use on YOU. That being said; the blow out kit should be readily identifiable to the Agent/Medic arriving on scene, and it should be readily accessible.

Naso airway sized to fit

Quick clot small, trauma gauze if we get it

Tourniquet 2ea.

H&H compressed gauze 2ea

Ace wrap

14guage needle for chest decompression

18 gauge 2 ea, and hep locks

Tago derms 4 ea large

Roll tape 3”

#10 scalpel

ET tube #6 (this can be cut down to just above the balloon inlet)

Small hemostats and trauma shears

Large safety pins 5 ea

Permalink Reply by Eric on March 7, 2009 at 10:14am

You should not be taking WoundStat out in the field, SOMA and the TCCC Comm have taken it off the shelf for their guys, problems with reactions, Celox is the primary now, QC can still be used but the QC Combat Gauze is the primary blood stopper to use now. Hextend is the primary fluid used now since it has LR and this helps a little more due to the calcium in it, Hespan is the next best fluid.

Permalink Reply by Buf D Kloppenborg on March 22, 2009 at 7:36pm

If you check out the following website there is a list of the "stuff" they give to us Marine Corpsman. Some is good some is just there. This is just a standard that they give out to all of us. Most of us pack according to mission and carry smaller medical bags thatn the on at this site. The size of this bag makes for a decent truck bag but I wouldn't carry it on a mission.

http://servicesrcsub1.timberlakepublishing.com/files/CAP%20Flyer%20...

Permalink Reply by Tim "Doc" on March 22, 2009 at 9:11pm

However, keep in mind you can only give 1L of hextend or hespan. So its always good to keep NS around as well.
Also there was a great discussion on Hemostatic agents which can be found here = http://connect.jems.com/forum/topics/has-anyone-used-quick-clot-in?...

Sean said:

You should not be taking WoundStat out in the field, SOMA and the TCCC Comm have taken it off the shelf for their guys, problems with reactions, Celox is the primary now, QC can still be used but the QC Combat Gauze is the primary blood stopper to use now. Hextend is the primary fluid used now since it has LR and this helps a little more due to the calcium in it, Hespan is the next best fluid.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Dunbar on March 23, 2009 at 12:42pm

In my personal kit. 3- different sizes king airway 2- 3" kling 2- 6" cling 5- 4x4 2- combat dressing 2- occulsive dressing, 2-abd pads, bvm, 2- 12ga angio cath, bandaids, otc meds tylenol,asa,benadryl,immodium,ibuprophen,pepcid,tums,cold and sinus med. We have a fully als/bls equipped Suburban that goes with us that has back packs that are set up with a little more stuff.

Permalink Reply by Eric on March 23, 2009 at 5:41pm

Doc82 said:

However, keep in mind you can only give 1L of hextend or hespan. So its always good to keep NS around as well.
Also there was a great discussion on Hemostatic agents which can be found here = http://connect.jems.com/forum/topics/has-anyone-used-quick-clot-in?...

Sean said:
You should not be taking WoundStat out in the field, SOMA and the TCCC Comm have taken it off the shelf for their guys, problems with reactions, Celox is the primary now, QC can still be used but the QC Combat Gauze is the primary blood stopper to use now. Hextend is the primary fluid used now since it has LR and this helps a little more due to the calcium in it, Hespan is the next best fluid.

I just got back from my ATP refresher, if you bring Woundstat out your going to hurt someone, it is causing a shut down of circulation to limbs if it is used on wounds, they are not sure what is causing it and hence we are not taking it out anymore. TCCC is moving towards Celox, Combat Guaze and you can still use QC and Hemcons

Permalink Reply by Eric on March 23, 2009 at 5:45pm

Doc82 said:

However, keep in mind you can only give 1L of hextend or hespan. So its always good to keep NS around as well.
Also there was a great discussion on Hemostatic agents which can be found here = http://connect.jems.com/forum/topics/has-anyone-used-quick-clot-in?...

Sean said:
You should not be taking WoundStat out in the field, SOMA and the TCCC Comm have taken it off the shelf for their guys, problems with reactions, Celox is the primary now, QC can still be used but the QC Combat Gauze is the primary blood stopper to use now. Hextend is the primary fluid used now since it has LR and this helps a little more due to the calcium in it, Hespan is the next best fluid.

As far as taking NS, keep that in the vehicle, if the guy is going into shock after you have given him 1000cc of Hextend then NS is not going to do anything, also, keep in mind, if he can take fluids by mouth, give him water with ORHS mixed in, IVs are used only to get someone out of shock and then you should KVO them for the most part on a large trauma patient.

Join SOMA and you will get much better info and if they will let you, subscribe to the JSOM, it will give you the best info on what is what in TCCC and Combat and Austere Medicine.

Permalink Reply by Tim "Doc" on March 23, 2009 at 10:00pm

Sean you are correct about the Woundstat. It's been pulled from all of our stock for a while now. From the studies I have been tracking, it looks like the "approval" was a bit hasty and research is due.

I wouldnt suggest carrying this unless your Med Dir is willing to take on the liability risk.
NS has more uses that just rehydration/volume replacement. Granted a camelback and tube works fine for flushing, but I'd rather use the water for drinking and NS for flushing... just my personal preference.

Permalink Reply by Eric on March 23, 2009 at 10:36pm

Doc82 said:

Sean you are correct about the Woundstat. It's been pulled from all of our stock for a while now. From the studies I have been tracking, it looks like the "approval" was a bit hasty and research is due.

I wouldnt suggest carrying this unless your Med Dir is willing to take on the liability risk.
NS has more uses that just rehydration/volume replacement. Granted a camelback and tube works fine for flushing, but I'd rather use the water for drinking and NS for flushing... just my personal preference.

Thing is, if your just doing a KVO and need to flush the lock you can use Hextend, a few CCs are not going to hurt them, also, if your going to carry it, this is just me, I would not have it on my person for the most part and keep it in the vehicle. In any spot that your more than a Klick away from the Vehicles your going to want to carry as much as you can that is going to be used under combat conditions, ie; not a safe time to be doing anything major and to me, flushing an IV is something pre-CASEVAC. As for the ORHS and Water, if you give that to someone orally and they do not have a belly wound your providing the same thing into the system and not going to have to worry about blowing a clot. Again, just my views, but in my bag I travel heavy since I am usually the only doc and we are not always close to vehicle or what not. Just my two cents. I really do suggest that for guys who want to really get into TCCC and Austere Medicine that they join SOMA and get the JSOM subscription if they can, nothing out even comes close as far as combat medicine and austere medicine.