-- Continued --
I’ve wanted to improve the capability of my field suturing kit for quite some time, but I didn’t really feel that I was knowledgeable enough to do so. I had an opportunity a few weeks ago during some wilderness training to get some additional practice, and I also did a fair amount of independent reading on the subject. Once again, closing a laceration outside of a hospital environment is not something that I really anticipate having to do, but if it ever becomes necessary, then I want to be sure that I have the correct supplies for the job.
Obviously the likelihood of ever needing to suture internal organs is extremely remote (even in a PAW or EOTWAWKI scenario) so non-absorbable sutures are the preferred choice for subcutaneous tissue closure. 4-0 (.15mm) sutures seem to offer the optimal compromise between tensile strength and size for anything that I’m ever likely to suture. Being synthetic, polypropylene offers exceptional resistance to degradation and tissue reactivity, while being a monofilament suture it offers some additional resistance to infection (over braided sutures).
I purchased three dozen 18” Ethicon Prolene sutures with the 3/8” MultiPass PS-2 reverse cutting needle. Obviously I don’t need this many sutures on-hand, although being fresh they have an expiration of July 2013, so if anyone is looking for just a few packages and doesn’t want to purchase a dozen at a time, shoot me a PM and we’ll work something out.
Looking over Jim’s STOMP II when he first posted it a few weeks ago I realized that I had completely overlooked the need for sterilized gloves (especially should I ever need to close a wound with sutures) so I added three pairs of these to the FAK.
I had originally planned on picking up a
Nonin Onyx pulse oximeter at some point, so when I had a chance to pick one up at a decent price, I jumped on it. The Pelican case is the
Justice Mark II version specifically designed for this SpO2 meter, and is available through
Chinook Medical.
While I was looking over Chinook’s site the other week I ran across theses little QuikClots gauze pads (2g each) intended for nosebleeds. I had not seen these before, so I decided to pick some up to have available the next time I run across a persistent nosebleed.
I recently saw a bunch of specialty bandages and dressings at the local discount store for 75% off, so I grabbed pretty much everything they had left that had a reasonable expiration date. I really got excited when I saw the Hibastat towelettes thinking that they were perhaps the US equivalent of Hibicet – alas, they are not, so I guess I’ll have to strike up a deal with Jim to get him to ship some to me sometime.
At $180 an ounce I’ve never tried
Neuragen PN, although I’ve heard several people claim it works phenomenally for nerve pain. I’m generally a bit skeptical when it comes to homeopathic treatments, but for 75% off (and another 2.5 years before it expires) I figured what the hell. Anyone here ever use it?
So anyway, that’s where my STOMP II is at currently. I still want to add an AED, an O2 cylinder, and a few miscellaneous items, but I feel that I’m in pretty good shape for anything that may occur. As always, comments or suggestions are always appreciated.
Jim