Thanks for giving us your expert experience on the subject, Romania! Enlightening as always…

Ironraven,

All in all a good FAK. As others have said, a good CPR mask (with the training to go along with it), benadryl, tweezers (I like County Comm's set) and some triple antibiotic ointment would all be good additions.

Burn gels are nice but overrated. Waterjel has non-aloe, non-lidocaine gels and dressings if you really would like some... but they are not necisary. If anything I would add a couple kerlex dressings, they are are sterile and have a hundred uses... you can never have too much kerlex.

A small flashlight (preferably a cheap headlamp) is an absolute must! Doug's eQ headlamp would be a great addition.

Some zip-lock baggies are also good additions. They also have a billion uses including making ice packs, for irrigating a wound and as an occlusive dressing. I usuually keep 2-4 quart size and 2 gallon size in all my kits (yes even my EMS kits).

If there is room, I like to carry eyewash. Just a couple little bottles, but I live in the land of the dust storm now so...

Also, knowing where you live, I would add a couple heatsheets and 4 or more hotpacks. Keeping a patient warm is all of the battle sometimes.

Now go vacume pack everything :P

Claritin is not behind the counter. Only Claritin-D contains the "evil" pseudoephedrine and therefore is behind the counter.

Then thats the stuff I want.

As I said in another post, It could buy a few minutes. So, if takes 15 minutes for an ambulance to get to me, and I have five minutes before I shut down, and five minutes before I'm having brain damage from lack of air, if it gives me 5 minutes, it's cutting close, but if I have to relearn calculus again, big deal. If I'm a vegitable, REALLY big deal.

If you are relying on Claritin to treat severe allergic reactions/anapylaxsis or "buy time" for EMS to arrive you will not have the outcome you want.

No mini-flashlight?

Any non-negative outcome is better than a negative. I know the odds aren't great, but the odds on CPR aren't so good either.

I apologize, my last response was not meant to be negative. I was attempting to clarify my earlier post… Claritin and Benadryl are not interchangeable in the treatment of severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Although they are both antihistamines, they do not work identically. It would have been inappropriate to let you (and everyone else reading this thread) to leave believing that all antihistamines are created equal and can be used interchangeably.

Compare the indictaions of Benadryl to Claritin

I would relate using Claritin vs. Benadryl for anaphylaxis to using a band aid vs. an Israeli dressing for a GSW...

By all means carry Claritin for allergies… but don’t expect it to work on severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.

So keep both on hand. *shrugs* They're small.