Do you carry medical when wheeling?

[Duece McCracken]

Lot's of good points in this thread.

I'm not qualified to run around and treat serious injuries. I just have first aid training, and my experiences with nonserious injuries. I try to be as effective as possible for the situations that are most common in my activities. I get the hell out the way of better trained people, in all aspects of life, lol. If there's nobody better, I step up, and handle the situation as logically/calmly as possible within my limited skillset/training.

There's only so much I can realistically prepare for as a non professional. Entirely too much is beyond my level, which is basic. As stated above, being able to call/get proper help is big. So as much as I'd like to be an expert. It's not feasible for me (at this point of my life) to both get all the training and years of hands on experience to be truly competent.

So, I keep up with what I know. Simple stuff. The situations I run into most often, and what training tries to prepare me for. I stock supplies that I use often, and then some stuff I hope to never use, but in the middle of nowhere there isn't many choices. So I do what I can to learn how and when to use stuff.

This is my mindset as just a dude with basic first aid training, and experiences in basic-ish boo boo management, lol.

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[GA D90]

…I’m not trying to discourage people from getting trained, buying equipment or trying to help but anyone who thinks they want to help needs to accept that they may not be able to and approach this with as much humility as humanly possible. This is where all the BS has zero currency. Where the rubber meets the road. Nothing you can do can fully prepare you for the real thing or it’s aftermath.

I have to respectfully disagree with your ending premise.
I think ANY amount of training is better than none. Now, I’m not talking about binging YouTube videos or staying at a Holiday Inn Express . I mean legit training from a professional or agency. This does a couple things, it gives the didactic training of procedure, and more importantly give some desensitization of what to expect.
Granted this is not going to make everyone a seasoned medic, but it may make the difference in someone’s life.
I wholeheartedly recommend the people get trained (maintain training)
at any level.

 

[JWM PLAYS]

I have to respectfully disagree with your ending premise.
I think ANY amount of training is better than none. Now, I’m not talking about binging YouTube videos or staying at a Holiday Inn Express . I mean legit training from a professional or agency. This does a couple things, it gives the didactic training of procedure, and more importantly give some desensitization of what to expect.
Granted this is not going to make everyone a seasoned medic, but it may make the difference in someone’s life.
I wholeheartedly recommend the people get trained (maintain training)
at any level.

To your point, I train bi annually and regularly review my training and gear. I think before you can ever execute rendering aid, you have to mentally know what the steps are and have practiced them. Especially when it comes to CPR or an extremity bleed, saving a life is fairly simple. Putting a TQ on properly and stopping a bleed to save a life isn’t that difficult if practiced.

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

I have to respectfully disagree with your ending premise.
I think ANY amount of training is better than none. Now, I’m not talking about binging YouTube videos or staying at a Holiday Inn Express . I mean legit training from a professional or agency. This does a couple things, it gives the didactic training of procedure, and more importantly give some desensitization of what to expect.
Granted this is not going to make everyone a seasoned medic, but it may make the difference in someone’s life.
I wholeheartedly recommend the people get trained (maintain training)
at any level.

You misunderstand me. I’m not saying training is bad. I wholeheartedly agree with your point about getting training, any training. Get the right equipment too. And civilians are a great help especially in mass casualty events and some rescues. What I’m commenting on is the degree to which people may have unrealistic expectations about what we’re actually talking about when you have the kind of situation that requires a trauma kit. When you put a tourniquet on somebody you’re writing off that limb. You’re choosing their life over their leg. We had specific requirements before we could ever use a tourniquet in the field. Now everyone in the world is walking around with them. It’s not just a tool in a kit. It’s a life altering decision.

Where I live in HR we have frogmen. I have them in my extended family. I’ve known some DEVGRU guys. When I’m at pretty much any range random guys talk like they just stepped off the swcc boat. It’s become endemic. Hell, when playing FPSs online it’s like that. People who the closest they came to SOCOM was the video game. An AR with all the cool bells and whistles doesn’t make someone combat ready and it certainly doesn’t make them a combat veteran. The reality is neither those guys online or at the range nor myself can imagine the actual reality of that job. Personally, I choose not to talk tacticool out of respect for my own limitations as much as anything. We should think the same way with first responders, heck with teachers. But let me be clear I’m not really concerned with what people say as much as what it says about what they believe about their own abilities or realities they’ve never faced.

What I’m trying to get across is that people should keep it in mind that the real thing is nothing like practice or training or simulation and be mentally prepared for that. People should be sober about this and not overly confident because they have the tools of the trade.

 

[Chappy11BRN]

Keep in mind, “Stop the bleed” training, while very worthwhile only represents a small segment of the probable injuries or illness on the trail.
More likely issues are, crush, fractures, burns, heat & cold, and illness’s (allergies, N&V, cardiac)
That’s why some general first aid training is really important.
I put on a an informal class every couple years for the group I wheel with. That covers CPR, and basic first aid. With The goal of stabilization till medical help gets there
Over the years, doesn’t get used much but when you need it , it can make a BIG difference.

You get it. After several deployments as an Infantryman and several years as a ER RN, I can say a TQ is overkill is most instances. I cannot speak for how many times my ER has taken down a TQ to find it was not needed. The supplies one carries should fit two categories, those you will most likely need and those you are trained to use.

 

[JWM PLAYS]

You get it. After several deployments as an Infantryman and several years as a ER RN, I can say a TQ is overkill is most instances. I cannot speak for how many times my ER has taken down a TQ to find it was not needed. The supplies one carries should fit two categories, those you will most likely need and those you are trained to use.

I carry both trauma and regular first aid. I’d rather have TQ and not need it than the reverse. Common sense applies as it always does. In most instances here in the US, a person is not very long from getting professional care. TQ can be removed before damage is done. I encourage people to get trained and buy good equipment and be prepared to use it. I think some of the “tribal knowledge” talk as if some people have figured something out that others can’t is not helpful and possibly worse if it discourages someone from trying to learn and prepare for an emergency.

 

[gunsnrods]

Hello again Jeepsters. I’m one of the posters who takes a bunch of blood thinners. Checked Amazon, just ordered a comprehensive first aid kit. My Medicare plan covers “Lifeflight” medical evacuation, I think my bases are covered. Great topic, hope you all keep this in mind!

 

[ArmyMP]

I have my full medic bag from the army I bring along as well as C-Collars.

 

[smlobx]

Always carry a kit. This started in my days as a rescue diver in the Gulf.
I can highly recommend taking a wilderness 2 day first aid course from NOLS

https://www.nols.edu/en/coursefinder/courses/wilderness-first-aid-WFA/

Keep in mind that most of us are not trauma docs but our goal should be to asses the patient, stabilize him or her and get them to proper medical care ASAP if necessary.

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

Here’s my trauma kit bag: I removed the chem sticks and tourniquet from the outside as the dog keeps trying to eat them. The shears are just stuck in there from the last time the dog knocked this off the head rest. I’ve got another small bag (shown below) that contains bandaids, etc. I also carry burn stuff, cold packs, ointments, sunscreen in yet another separate bag. I don’t like a lot of basic first aid getting in the way of trauma stuff. If you grab this bag, it’s a bad day. This is about 2 IFAKs worth plus some extra things I added. You can never have enough combi pads, 4x4 and gauze for packing wounds. I’ve had to put my body weight into arterial bleeds before until we could get to the hospital and a vascular surgeon. Make sure your trauma kit has a space blanket too. I don’t usually carry my Littmann CIV anymore.

I just replaced most of the stuff in this kit. It goes bad after a few years. I got most of it from medicalgearoutfitters.com. My FSA provider didn’t balk at using them, so that’s something to keep in mind. When your money is about to expire is a good time to stock up. Be careful buying any medical equipment other than bags off of Amazon.

 

[JWM PLAYS]

Here’s my trauma kit bag: I removed the chem sticks and tourniquet from the outside as the dog keeps trying to eat them. The shears are just stuck in there from the last time the dog knocked this off the head rest. I’ve got another small bag (shown below) that contains bandaids, etc. I also carry burn stuff, cold packs, ointments, sunscreen in yet another separate bag. I don’t like a lot of basic first aid getting in the way of trauma stuff. If you grab this bag, it’s a bad day. This is about 2 IFAKs worth plus some extra things I added. You can never have enough combi pads, 4x4 and gauze for packing wounds. I’ve had to put my body weight into arterial bleeds before until we could get to the hospital and a vascular surgeon. Make sure your trauma kit has a space blanket too. I don’t usually carry my Littmann CIV anymore.

I just replaced most of the stuff in this kit. It goes bad after a few years. I got most of it from medicalgearoutfitters.com. My FSA provider didn’t balk at using them, so that’s something to keep in mind. When your money is about to expire is a good time to stock up. Be careful buying any medical equipment other than bags off of Amazon.

Good word. Ironically, I started this post several days ago and today, I had to use my ankle kit when a co worker had a seizure and fell and hit their head. Fortunately it was just the gloves that I used due to bleeding but at least I had them.
On the space blanket note, I keep several in each of my kits. I used one once to give to someone who was in below freezing weather without proper clothing and was freezing to the point of being dangerous.

 

[SamO.5]

Not to mention everybody is so sue happy these days. helping someone survive an incident is putting you at risk for. a lawsuit. its crazy.

I just took my CPR annual refresher course. Instructor told us that most all 50 states have a “good Samaritan law“ that would cover anyone whose intention is to help someone

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I just took my CPR annual refresher course. Instructor told us that most all 50 states have a “good Samaritan law“ that would cover anyone whose intention is to help someone

Iowa's law -
1. A person, who in good faith renders emergency care or assistance without
compensation, shall not be liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions occurring at the place of an emergency or accident or while the person is in transit to or from the emergency or accident or while the person is at or being moved to or from an emergency shelter unless such acts or omissions constitute recklessness or willful and wanton misconduct. An emergency includes but is not limited to a disaster as defined in section 29C.2 or the period
of time immediately following a disaster for which the governor has issued a proclamation
of a disaster emergency pursuant to section 29C.6.
a. For purposes of this subsection, if a volunteer fire fighter, a volunteer operator or
attendant of an ambulance or rescue squad service, a volunteer paramedic, a volunteer
emergency medical technician, or a volunteer registered member of the national ski patrol
system receives nominal compensation not based upon the value of the services performed, that person shall be considered to be receiving no compensation.

If the emergency is drug-related, you need to call 911 first and in doing so you get a pass from arrest, etc.
Iowa's Good Samaritan Law encourages those who witness a drug overdose to stay and call 911, rather than running out of fear of prosecution.

I'm afraid my training is so out of date......... last went through refresher courses in the 1990s.

 

[SamO.5]

Iowa's law -

I have to look up Florida's. I just know it is encouraged to help in some situations.

I made up my own First Aid Kit, and carry it on the hump in the middle between the seats. Its big, with things I might possibly need. I leave it there all the time, and go through it annually to keep things up to date.
Its nothing like some I have read about on here, I am just trained in First Aid. But, I would apply a big Trauma Pad if I need to.
Looking to get a Cell Extender kit, the area I drive through every day has no service.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

Have to admit, I am carrying only what is required by law.

And my first aid training, which was required for getting the driver licence, is already more than 40 years ago. So even with the basic kit I couldn't do to much (maybe more damage than good).

Should do a refresher but I am to lazy ...

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