It pays to have a 1st aid kit on person and some basic knowledge.

[Aloha]

So I have always had a booboo kit on me since my children were young ( 20 yrs ago ).  Simple things like bandages, gauze, some type of ointment, and pain killers.  As the years have gone by I've more or less kept it the same for on person carry.  I add things from time to time but more or less for on person carry it's pretty basic.

Tonight my friends son hit the pavement hard cutting his head, knees, and cheek.  It was nice to see a few people offer help however some people while having good intentions can do more harm than good.  If you know what your doing then back these people away and take control.

I saw that the cut on his head was bleeding more than the other areas so this was addressed first with pressure and gauze.  A make shift flush can be made from a water bottle by poking a hole in the cap.  This is a simple way to irrigate a wound.  It's still surprising to see how many people want to immediately douse the wound in alcohol. 

Pressure quickly slowed the bleeding at which time we were able to see the extent of the wound and if debris was within.  A good bandage was applied and the other abrasions were looked after.   

I'm glad I carry my 1st aid kit and I'm sure he did too.  He's fine and asleep but it was a good real run thru on what my kit was capable of with some basic 1st aid knowledge. 

   

[Dr Hunt]

Aloha, that's a good deed! Hope the boy is recovering fine. How do you pack and carry this small kit on person?

Two decades ago, while jumping over a used tin can, my cousin cut his foot. A kind, smoking neighbor tore open some of his Marlboro Reds to apply the filters on his wound.   

For edc only on-person carry band-aids, but pack a comprehensive kit when outdoors or travelling. People tell me it's overkill, until they need something from the kit.

Have you been able to influence people to actively bring a medical kit as edc or during outdoor/travel? So far, my way is to give a small kit when someone in the family pack for overseas trips.

[MadPlumbarian]

I'm glad to hear he's ok! When my first son was born he was in the hospital for a total of 7 months, and in order to have him released we had to take courses on cpr and a few others. So yeah I've always had a little fak near by, whether in the diaper bag, the wife's purse, or now in my edc bag, of course the typical band aid in the wallet, but gotta have the other goodies near by! I like the poke a hole in the bottle, another sak awl duty! I don't have any gauze in my fak, mine I stuffed a few of my wife's maxi pads, simple pad all wrapped up, and well same duty! lol..
    As for the alcohol, OUCH! When I flipped my trike(4wheeler, -1 wheel) I slid on pavement, the first doc I saw I almost knocked out, he took gauze and soaked it in alcohol and pressed it on my open wound OMG, oh I so wanted to knock him out!!
JR

[Aloha]

I have a small camera case that I carry 1st aid items in.  It's flat so I carry it in my back pocket.  I realized that gauze was most important and so I added a few more to my kit.  I always have a bandana on me so I also used that over the sterile gauze for his head.    I have a well supplied kit for my vehicle and especially have one when out hiking.  Controlling blood loss is very important so I like the feminine products MadP  . 

I gave my older daughter a well stocked 1st aid kit for her car and made one for her purse.  My youngest had a good simple kit but I'm going to add a few items.

I'm no doctor or trauma speSmurfpillst but I do have some knowledge and I am prepared supply wise.  I know my limits and when to call for an ambulance. 

He's bumped and will be bruised but he's ok.  Some kids freak out when they see blood, heck some adults do too.  I'm pretty calm so I was able to talk to him and make him relax plus his momma is calm. 

   

[Dr Hunt]

@MadP The doctor must be mad.  I saw my aunt do that on the wound of an unsuspecting poor kid, he was trying hard to make a straight face.

@Aloha007 "Casualty" and crowd management is underrated. 

[MadPlumbarian]

Staying calm is the most important! My wife freaks over everything, like if the kid forgot his homework, heck when I flipped the trike, I drove 20mi, broke into a house through a window in order to feed a cat(ex girlfriends) fixed the window, called my mother, relocked everything, went to my mothers all to watch her nearly faint, then she told me she would drive me to the ER, and I told her she shouldn't, that I should! NO NO, your hurt, yeah but I drover here, and your freaking out!! All while holding a gym sock to my hip, I had a hole you could pretty much just stick your finger in.. So I'd say keeping calm is very important!
JR

[WhichDawg]

I like the water bottle idea! thx

I keep a nice kit in the car (under a seat) and try to go through it regularly (once a year) to rotate expiring things (like chewable tylenol) it even has it's own dedicated SAK and MT

I had a nice emergency b.o.b. (with med kit) in the car too but it got stolen so just the one kit under the seat now. never thought about one on person like yours

[WhichDawg]

omg... when I was a kid me and my cousin ... (I won't say we lived for the day but it wasn't a bad day) when the other would get a big ole scrap/bruise bleeding and the other would apply the drenched/soaked wad of alcohol to their leg/arm!!

"come on you can take it and you know it's good for you and will kill the bad ole germs so you won't die or have to get it cut off...!" (SCREAM)

[aerojet]

Kit in the work truck, and the usual "band aid" kit in wallet, although I do carry those alcohol pads (sealed one time prep type) in that one as well. There are small kits which are designed for hunters which one can carry on the belt - that way it stays with you even if you fall or take a header.

I also carry one in the bike bag, again not a full kit, but enough to service road rash of one falls. Yes I do go out and do 30 to 40 miles on a Trek every weekend I can.

"First aid is the immediate and temporary care given to a person which is suddenly injured or taken ill." - That is the Red Cross definition. Unfortunately "first aid" is often the only aid given in most situations not requiring further medical treatment. Like everything in this line, don't over run your headlights, and go out and do more than your are trained for, or have knowledge to take care of. You could make it worse.

Just another request for a "First Aid Badge" -- how about it moderators?

[Zed]

Well done mate  because of my job i have too do first aid training every year,i think everyone should know basic first aid,ive used cpr a few times and one time it saved a life,its the one training i do that i enjoy as it is a life saver 

[Aloha]

Well done mate  because of my job i have too do first aid training every year,i think everyone should know basic first aid,ive used cpr a few times and one time it saved a life,its the one training i do that i enjoy as it is a life saver 

Its amazing to be trained to do what you do Zed  .  I certainly know my limits and with so many ER nurse friends I've learned what I can do to help while ambulance is on the way or worse if I am out in the bush far from help.  I'd certainly never over step my boundary of basic knowledge. 

I have alcohol prep pads but I use them for cleaning my hands prior to and post treatment and to wipe blood off surrounding areas of the wound.  Water is fine to clean out a wound, soap and water if you can.  I grew up at a time where my mom doused us in alcohol or peroxide when we injured ourselves OUCH!   

     

[sawman]

Thanks for the reminder. We really need to get a kit for the house/car perhaps. You just never know when you'll need it...

[Zed]

Well done mate  because of my job i have too do first aid training every year,i think everyone should know basic first aid,ive used cpr a few times and one time it saved a life,its the one training i do that i enjoy as it is a life saver 

Its amazing to be trained to do what you do Zed  .  I certainly know my limits and with so many ER nurse friends I've learned what I can do to help while ambulance is on the way or worse if I am out in the bush far from help.  I'd certainly never over step my boundary of basic knowledge. 

I have alcohol prep pads but I use them for cleaning my hands prior to and post treatment and to wipe blood off surrounding areas of the wound.  Water is fine to clean out a wound, soap and water if you can.  I grew up at a time where my mom doused us in alcohol or peroxide when we injured ourselves OUCH!   

     

its a great feeling although most of the time a dnr is in place where i work so we dont resuscitate ,but i did once use cpr outside of work untill the paramedics came,they asked me too carry on while they sorted the refibulater out,i feel most people would have a go at cpr if push came too shove 

[campussecurity]

I keep triple antibiotic, and a few band-aids in my wallet. A more advanced kit in my glove box and a trauma kit in my trunk. Being a first responder for a couple years and being in Boy Scouts taught me to be prepared.
Glad I'm not the only one. 

[detron]

very nice Aloha007,

it is nice to be prepared.

in the navy, our little joke was "atropine everything"

Atropine

we had Atropine and 2 pam chloride injectors that were on hand for Nerve agent attacks.  http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/antidote_nerveagents.htm

[Dr Hunt]

very nice Aloha007,

it is nice to be prepared.

in the navy, our little joke was "atropine everything"

Atropine

we had Atropine and 2 pam chloride injectors that were on hand for Nerve agent attacks.  http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/antidote_nerveagents.htm

MOPP4 and Autoinjectors ain't exactly fun. I used to work for a MO who "IV everything".