First Aid Kit Contents and "BlowOut" Trauma Kits

During one my recent Concealed Weapons Permit courses, we were discussing the need for a good first-aid kit for the home or a vehicle. One of my students asked for a recommended list of contents.

The items listed below would form a good general first-aid kit. It would not be the kit that I would recommend for any severe injuries or penetration trauma (knife or gunshot wound), but would be excellent for the minor injuries that might occur in and around the home.

• Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and aspirin tablets: For headaches, pain, fever, and simple sprains or strains. (Aspirin should not be used for relief of flu symptoms or given to children.)
• Ipecac syrup and activated charcoal: For treatment after ingestion of certain poisons. (Use only on advice of a poison control center or the emergency department.
• Elastic Wraps: For wrapping wrist, ankle, knee, and elbow injuries.
• Triangular Bandages: For wrapping injuries and making an arm sling.
• Scissors with rounded tips.
• Adhesive tape and 2" gauze: For dressing wounds.
• Disposable, instant ice bags: For icing injuries and treating high fevers.
• Bandages of assorted sizes: For covering minor cuts and scrapes.
• Antibiotic ointment: For minor burns, cuts, and scrapes.
• Gauze in rolls and in 2" and 4" pads: For dressing wounds
• Bandage Closures: 1/4" and 1 ": For taping cut edges together.
• Tweezers: To remove small splinters and ticks.
• Safety pins: To fasten bandages.
• Rubber or Nitrile gloves: to protect yourself and reduce the risk of infection when treating open wounds.
• First Aid Manual
• List of emergency telephone numbers.

If you are talking about being able to deal with severe injury or penetrating trauma, you might want to add the following items:

• Tournequets (2): These can be very effective in stopping severe blood loss from extremities and are completely safe if left in place for less than an hour. That generally is more than enough time to seek professional medical attention.
• Trauma Dressings (2): These are used to not only absorb blood but to also be of a type that would allow them to be packed into a wound. The key is to be able to apply pressure to slow the bleeding in the wound. The Bloodstopper dressing or a good multi-trauma dressing is recommended for this purpose
• Rolled Gauze Dressings (2): These should be sterile, disorganized, conforming rolled gauze. It should have a minimum width of 4". Kerlix gauze is a good example of this type of dressing.
  

Several pre-packaged kits or "BlowOut Kits" specifically for penetrating trauma are available on the market that work well for this purpose. Two examples are the TacPack Trauma Pack and the BattleLab Intervention Response Kit.