You mention several things that you would not carry due to bulk and then mention several items that are actually bulky in a first aid kit that is carried everyday. I would suggest that there is nothing that will make a real differnce from a medical perspective that will fit comfortably in your pockets.<br>I have always carried the stuff that I need to open an airway in my car: laryngoscope, blades, endotracheal tubes, and paralytic drugs. Also carry epinephrine in my car when I don't have a trauma bag.<br>From a practical standpoint, dressings will not prevent a patient from bleeding to death and ipecac and charcoal will not "save" a poisoned patient. In my emergency kit, I don't carry ipecac and can't remember the last time in the ER that we used charcoal.<br>Your comment about education and experience is most valuable. The most important preparation that you can have for emergency medical care is training.

I would have thought the ER would have advised you to bring Junior in for a tylenol level rather than administer ipecac. Once ipecac is administered, then the specific treatment for acetominophen overdose/toxicity can not be given orally.<br>

This happened about 12 years ago. I don't know if that makes a difference (probobly not). <br><br>The vial also contained other meds that my wife carries, such as Marex [spell?], Benedril and a few others. So I suspect that there was enough potential variety that he or she decided to just purge it all from his stomach. <br><br>Actually, I even have my doubts that he even took one tablet. He had opened the container and dumped them on the floor while he went on playing with other items in her purse. There was no way of counting to determine if he took any, but there seemed to enough left to indicate that he had not. We also did not find any trace in his mouth. Although both assuptions are inconclusive, we felt reasonably sur that if he did take any, it was a small amount.<br><br>Or maybe we just didn't get one of the better folks on staff.<br><br>But I will NEVER forget the physically demanding process that the ipecac brought on. I would never want to put myself through that unless I absolutely had to do so.

Beachdoc wrote: "there is NO question in any medical circle that aspirin should be given to a person with chest pain suspected of having a cardiac origin."<br><br>Sorry Beachdoc, I may be being a little dense here, so just for me... ;-)<br><br>Are you saying that the three drugs you listed (aspirin, acetominophen, and ibuprofen) are interchangable even for the treatment of the suspected cardiac problem?<br><br>I only ask because I went on a first aid course last year, and we were told specifically to administer *only* aspirin in this case.<br><br>Regards, Pat Galea

No you were correct. Aspirin is useful to limit the "stickiness" of platelets in the blood that otherwise might get together to form a clot.<br>From a pain relief standpoint, I don't think one is "stronger" than another, and that includes all of the patent pain remedies that are pushed on the unsuspecting public. If I were to be stranded on an island with a choice of aspirin or tylenol I would elect the aspirin only because of it's anti-inflammatory effects. Now with ibuprofen an OTC drug I would select it or Aleve (longer acting than ibuprofen)

Many thanks for the clarification!<br><br>I always carry ibuprofen as my painkiller of choice for myself. For some reason, I find it massively more effective than any other OTC medicine. And it seems to clear up a whole host of associated symptoms at the same time. (And it appears to give me a small 'high', but that could be just imaginary because the pain has gone! ;-) )<br><br>Regards, Pat Galea

Anyone familiar with the Steri-Pen, a monochromatic low pressure UV (245nm) purifier? I read the provided test reports and at first glance, it seems to be legitimate... website is here

None taken. :-)<br><br>I'm a family physician in private practice in Singapore.<br>My Qualifications are M.B.,B.S. (eq. to M.D. )<br><br>Of course if you have pre-existing liver damage or liver cirrhosis then the dosage of acetaminophen should be reduced. But generally we out here in asia prefer acetaminophen as the first drug of choice.<br><br>Chris

Yes, I have just puchased one. Since I work in a laboratory, I have tested the pen aganst two organisms. E.coli and a Proteus species, both commonly found in fecal contaminated water. The test was strickly qualitative, I made a very heavy suspension of the two organisms (way beyond what would be encountered in nature). After the first expouse with the pen, I was still able to culture viable organisms, however, the numbers of organism was significanly reduced. I exposed the solution to a second dose of the UV, this time no viable organisms were recovered. If the claims of the manufacter are valid the pen has a broad spectum of kill. The pen is however expensive.