By potassium tablets, there are two possibilities. One is a potassium supliment to help replace the least common component in electrolytes. We get plenty of salt normally.

More likely, it is those things that the DoE thinks might make a difference if you arewithin ten miles from a nuclear reactor. Potassium iodide work by adding a degree of protection to your thyroid if you are in a irradiated area, but you have to be taking them before exposure for them to be any good. The "anti nuke" pills really aren't worth much if you ask the other nations with nuclear power and decent medicine (IIRC, niether the Japanese, Brits nor the French issue them to thier civilian population, and they all use percentagely more nuclear reactors than we do), and definantly aren't worth the cost and bulk in a field first aid kit.

Great kit, but I have the same problem with carrying too much. As others mentioned, look at double duty for the bulky stuff. Don't sweat the multiple changes of dressings though. If it is bad enough that you are changing that much dressing, you should be evacing instead. Carry enough to treat minor stuff that wont pull the plug on the trip, and enough to handle the triage of a major event that requires evac.

Side note, while I don't carry sutures, I do carry steri strips. I have used them to close up minor facial wounds and others that tend to pull apart. Little risk of infection is paramount though.

Bill

Fair enough to both posts. I mentioned it for this person's kit, which - to me - seems pretty well stocked, not for my own kit. I also mention it because it could still be used primarily as a small irrigation tool - and the smaller diameter gives it the other option. I don't think I'd be doing this without some training - and I doubt a basic EMT course would touch this.

It's interesting to note that just because one doctor in one ER didn't perform this in 5-6 years that it doesn't happen. I watched a ladder fall on an animal's throat on a farm once, where it slowly suffocated. It was gruesome - and I wouldn't want to see that happen to a person if I could prevent it. Doctors also have access to intubation equipment and my guess is that it was probably used more than a few times in that 5-6 years. That requires a great deal of experience and knowledge and is - from what I understand - pretty tough to do in the field.

It was for the electrolyte. My brother has a heart condition and when his K levels drop he needs this, so it came to mind. There have been some other postings on this recently.

As for the Hankies and T-Shirts - I was thinking multiple use and in a jiffy, a brand NEW chlorine-washed, plastic-packed shirt could be cut into a fairly sterile dressing. And it could be packed somplace other than the FAK - I probably didn't mention that part, and it may not make sense when carrying something this complete. Good point about the antiseptic on an fresh wound requiring multiple dressings.

We're pretty much saying the same thing. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It does require some training and knowledge and there is a big risk of damaging tissue if you do it wrong. You're ahead of a lot of people if you're are aware of the procedure and have even a vague idea on how it is performed, but I hope you will never ask yourself the question... "darn it, should I cut?" <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Getting back to the tracheo, it is of course performed on occasion for cancer patients, using anesthesia, etc... , what I meant was that it very rarely performed in a "OMG I need to cut this patient's throat right now, hey, you, come over here, can you hold this person down for me while I do it please" -type scenario. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I believe that the UK does issue iodine tablets to civilian populations. Not generally, but at least in the vicinity of HMNB Devonport.

eeph

Hehe... undeniably so. I was pre-med before I went off into computer land, and I still have a desire to study all that stuff, so yes, I have read through the procedure and I seem to even recall it being on a TV show - E.R.? M*A*S*H? Something like that... I'm pretty certain it's not going to be anything like the idiot tube makes it out to be, but if someone I know gets their throat broken, and I'm all that stands between 2 minutes to lights out, I would probably be willing to give it a try, even with the little I know. I figure it might buy some time, even if they never talk again - they might live.

One other thing, I've also been shown (basically) how to do it by my Martial Arts instructor, a Sherriff's Deputy and PT instructor with a lot of EMT training. In a self-defense situation, the throat is a nice target, and saving the life of the mugger you beat up probably goes a long way in court.... <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

lose the Sawyer extractor it is no longer considered the proper treatment of snake bite.

It seems you have too much of almost everything especially the meds.
get rid of all the tiny bandaids. fewer rolls of gause.
12 antibiotic ointment; this is almost unnecessary carry 3.

Improvise more; the eyepad can be made from other items in the kit like a 4x4 sterile pad folded over.

3 differnet ways to wash out your eyes?

There is a lot of stuff you don't really need.

I have really dropped the size of my FAK I have planned for falls, burns, cuts, heart and lung problems. I use quick clot (urgent QR) it has an antiseptic mixed in with it. I use it all the time and love it I have stopped an arterial spurt with it. I filled a small pill bottle full of it to save on bulk, 2 4x4s and some curlex, a tampon (I use it for large wound care), nitrile gloves and a CPR shield (I some times work on unknowns). Mylar bag of drinking water (not for drinking), burn cream, benadryl, albuterol, aspirin (I like aspirin instead of Tylenol incase of heart problems), Ibuprofen, dental floss and needle, and tempdent
nitrile gloves
cpr mask
mylar dirnking water (not for drinking)
burn cream
benadryal
aburital

Bill - There are many minor injuries that are nowhere near life threatening that still require daily dressing changes. For example a large abrasion or a moderate sized burn or laceration. The bleeding would be easily controlled, but they still need to be kept clean with fresh antiseptics and dressings.
A couple of years ago my bike hit a pot hole and flipped on it's side, and I skidded a couple of feet with my bare arm against the pavement, and it left one hell of an abrasion. It wasn't too painfull and certainly not a major injury, but It was pretty messy and leaked lymph fluid for the next few days. It's not hard to imagine something like that happening when falling down a steep rocky trail, for example. If that happened ona backpacking trip and I didn't have plenty of guaze, it would really suck. I would not want have to rip up expensive clothes to make a mediocre bandage. And an injury that's larger or with more bleeding would require even more dressing and bandaging. I can easily imagine a scenario where a non life threatening injury on a multi day trip would require all the dressing and bandages in the kit, and a lack of them would result in either premature cancellation, or more likely, inadequate treatment(that could result in infection).
Even if the wound is relatively clean, when backpacking the dressing will likely be getting dirty and sweaty. If properly cared for these injuries do not have to cancel a trip, and it would be a shame to cancel a trip just because there isn't enough gauze in the FAK.

By the way, is there a difference between steri strips and butterfly Closures? As far as I know they serve the same purpose.

Massacre - there are electrolyte tabs and powder in the FAK which contain potassium.
Chlorine washed shirts kept in a plastic bag would be clean, but nowhere near sterile. Everything around us is covered in microorganisms, and unless something is completely sealed is is immediately exposed to contamination. If you boiled a shirt for 10 minutes or so immediately prior to application, it would be close enough to sterile, but that's not exactly the most practical solution.


It occured to me that I should explain the difference between a bandage and dressing, for people who may not know. A dressing is something sterile applied directly to the wound, like a 4x4, and a bandage is something used to hold the dressing in place, and is not necessarily sterile, like a roll of gauze. A rule of wound care is that you should tape bandage to bandage, not bandage to skin(in other words, avoid applying tape to skin of possible). Tape applied to skin can be painful when removed and does not stick as well, especially if the patient is perspiring. Generally to properly dress a wound, you cover the area with gauze dressing(after cleaning and applying antiseptic if bleeding is controlled, and possibly non stick dressing), then secure that with a roll of gauze, which is either taped or tied closed. This is more comfortable, stays on better, and provides much more protection for the wound than simply taping on a piece of gauze, and allows the use of a pressure bandage if necessary. I apologize if everyone already knows this, but in my experience some people just don't understand this. The point I'm trying to get across is that dressings and bandages are not interchangeable, and it's important to know the difference.