Med Kit

[EZLivin]

In an extreme SHTF situation, or worse (TEOTWAWKI), it is quite possible someone close/near to you is skilled in IVs. So having the supplies on hand even if you are not skilled in their usage is a really good idea.

Also, the most likely reason for needing fluids will be due to diarrhea/vomiting as result of illness, or from bad food/water. So definitely stock imodium (and a good antiemetic if you can get your hands on some).

 

[56kninja]

A person might most need an IV when he is dehydrated or has significant blood loss and is needing fluids and electrolytes. That's when it's hardest to find a vein. Hospitals have phlebotomists who specialize in that. When the ER RN (who's had lots of training and practice) can't find or "hit" a vein, they call the phlebotomist. That most often happens with trauma patients and elderly patients but it can be anyone. Some people just have veins that are more "hidden."

We recently had a relative in the ER. Neither of the two RN's in the ER could hit a vein for the IV. They called the phlebotomist and she hit one on the first try.

Wouldn't hurt to know the difference between a vein and an artery either.

If a person wanted to know how to do that, this would be a good time to use google if willing to try under any circumstances.

$.02

PS I don't really know how - my wife's an RN, MS and can do it just fine. I too would be willing to wing it but I wouldn't know which one to use. Sodium? Dextrose? Both? What signs to watch for??

I guess you can always go with D5W, LOL.

Phlebotomists spend all day hitting veins.. That's note-ably their job. My mom was one for a long time, and is still technically one.. although she's mainly supervising now.

But I doub't she'd know what to do with an IV, except to insert the catheter.

Home IVs are mostly useless save for fluids and such.. Most of us won't be carrying medications. And if there is someone that does have access to meds like that for survival.. I'd want to be in their group.

 

[56kninja]

In an extreme SHTF situation, or worse (TEOTWAWKI), it is quite possible someone close/near to you is skilled in IVs. So having the supplies on hand even if you are not skilled in their usage is a really good idea.

Also, the most likely reason for needing fluids will be due to diarrhea/vomiting as result of illness, or from bad food/water. So definitely stock imodium (and a good antiemetic if you can get your hands on some).

Good advice. Might have to get some. A lot of people over look simple medications to stock up on I think.

 

[Gunner3456]

Phlebotomists spend all day hitting veins.. That's note-ably their job. My mom was one for a long time, and is still technically one.. although she's mainly supervising now.

But I doub't she'd know what to do with an IV, except to insert the catheter.

Home IVs are mostly useless save for fluids and such.. Most of us won't be carrying medications. And if there is someone that does have access to meds like that for survival.. I'd want to be in their group.

We've talked a lot on here about whether to stay home or hit the road. I know that unless something completely crazy happens, we're staying put. We have several local relatives who plan to come here if there's any way they can because of our location and our setup.

For that reason we've stockpiled a lot more things than we could ever carry - another reason to try to stay. We plan to be the fresh water supply and the mini-clinic for our (rural) neighbors and our family. We'll have more than one experienced medic.

Again, you can buy quite a bit at your local farm supply (Grange Co-op type) in the way of penicillin, syringes, etc., and you can buy anything else you want online from India which manufactures more than 1/2 of our brand name drugs for the US.

The issue is having someone who knows what you need and how to use it.

 

[THC101]

seems like this got veered off into just being about IV's..


Reading this thread however made me realize how severely understocked my kit is.

Could anyone lend a few pointers of bare essentials you should pack into a medical kit?

At this point Ive got: Sutures, tourniquet, Percocet and vicodin, Rubbing alcohol, bandaids, antibiotic cream, gauze, hand cleansing wipes from the hospital, and butterfly closures.

Things im already planning to add are alcohol wipes, iodine wipes, another suture kit, gloves, and somehow getting ahold of a few different antibiotics for different uses.

 

[Gunner3456]

seems like this got veered off into just being about IV's..


Reading this thread however made me realize how severely understocked my kit is.

Could anyone lend a few pointers of bare essentials you should pack into a medical kit?

At this point Ive got: Sutures, tourniquet, Percocet and vicodin, Rubbing alcohol, bandaids, antibiotic cream, gauze, hand cleansing wipes from the hospital, and butterfly closures.

Things im already planning to add are alcohol wipes, iodine wipes, another suture kit, gloves, and somehow getting ahold of a few different antibiotics for different uses.

Imodium for sure because there may be third world conditions for food and water, less powerful analgesics like aspirin, and Ibuprofen has not only a pain killer but it reduces swelling. Almost ALL pain if not all pain is caused by swelling.

 

[EZLivin]

Lots of imodium. Lots of Ibuprofen. Lots of Tylenol. Benadryl. Thermometer(s), gloves, masks, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff. Celox Hemostat Blood Coagulant (or similar). Reusable cold packs. Cohesive wrap or ace bandages. Splints (rolled type).

It is easy to focus on trauma, but illness and disease are our greatest enemies. Think "prevention of dehydration" and "fever reduction." Fever reduction is important for everyone, but is especially important for children.

 

[Gunner3456]

How about a pint of household bleach? a couple drops will sterilize a quart and a teaspoon will sterilize 5 gallons of water for drinking or washing or cooling patients. Sterile water would be especially good if open wounds or tools were washed.

Heck, it might even prevent the dire rear and the dehydration in the first place.

 

[EZLivin]

Definitely bleach. Purifies and disinfects. Rotate it.

 

[SquatchWorks]

For Shtf type events, what co-op meds would you recomend?

Before anyone tries to flame me on this one, I would rather take a horse med then die if there is no other help...

 

[Gunner3456]

For Shtf type events, what co-op meds would you recomend?

Before anyone tries to flame me on this one, I would rather take a horse med then die if there is no other help...

At the very least penicillin, syringes and a suture kit. You can keep the penicillin for a few months past it's date. It needs refrigeration so it won't last long if the grid goes down, but injuries might happen right away during an earthquake, etc.

I'd also want to buy some in pill form from India. Google for info on survival forums. Use a throw away email addy because they will forever spam you. Google for pill dosages. You can hit someone with a shot of 500 to 1,000 mg of penicillin initially, followed by 10 days of pills.

More people died of infection than injury itself before penicillin.

The co-op will have lots of med supplies. Just go browse awhile.

I don't know if they have surgical masks, but I don't recall anyone on here mentioning them so this is just in case. They protect the patient and the provider.

 

[powersbj]

Why does everyone buy sutures? I would think staple kits are more practical.

 

[56kninja]

Why does everyone buy sutures? I would think staple kits are more practical.

staples are probably harder and more painful to remove would be my guess.

Sutures are relatively easy, and just about anyone, can remove them.

 

[Gunner3456]

It probably all going to be done with no numbing.

The suture kit is tiny compared to the staples and tools needed.

 

[SquatchWorks]

Why does everyone buy sutures? I would think staple kits are more practical.

Staples SUCK!!! they suck to get, to watch, and to pull!!!

I have a suture kit, I will get a 2nd... I get both nylon and Gut...

If its a facial laceration type wound, I will need to apply sub-dermal stiching with 0-5 or 0-6 Gut, and some nylon on the surface to help prevent tearing, scaring and to close the wound up. Deep tissue wounds also will need this to prevent tearing. Unless you use a Mattress pattern to reduce the tension.

The other way besides sutures and staples for wound closure is those sticky strips, they also make ones with glue. But, My wife said she HATES those!!! the glue is $35 a packet, and it only works 50% of the time, sometimes it just wont stick! Ill stay with sutures!!!

I will check out the co-op next time Im picking up feed for my house pets.

 

[OcelotZ3]

Regarding IVs, I've had numerous problems when going in for surgery where they had to stick me multiple times because they couldn't hit a vein, or a valve messes things up, etc. So they aren't *that* easy.

I haven't seen anyone mention epinephrine (I probably missed it skimming). That would be very high on my list of things to have.

I'm just an Oregon First Responder (part of our Mountain Rescue requirements), but I've often handled medical issues on international caving expeditions. The things that get used most often on those are Ace bandages (nearly every trip I've been on we've used at least one, sometimes two). Next are anti-diarrheals. Not to mention having a fresh water system, usually a combination of pre-filtering through fabric, then bleach for >1/2 hour, then activated carbon filtering to remove pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, etc.

As long as you can clean the wound well you can glue it together with super glue too... Just for emergency use only! A vet used it on one of our cats years ago and it was amazing how fast & easy it was to fix a very nasty gash. Perhaps leave a little opening with a steri strip for drainage just in case...

 

[Father of four]

Has anyone ordered from 247-pharmacy.com? Who are some trusted sites to order none prescription medication and supplies from? Thanks

 

[Gunner3456]

Has anyone ordered from 247-pharmacy.com? Who are some trusted sites to order none prescription medication and supplies from? Thanks

It's very much illegal to get prescription drugs from offshore, but it's also true that they'll sell you anything without a prescription from India. More than 1/2 of all of our drugs are made in India now and their drugs are the real deal.

Since it's illegal, I wouldn't know a thing about it, but I hear that if you google for forums about India drugs you'll get specific ideas about the best places instead of flying blind. I hear that prices and service vary widely if you just google drugs India. The forums know, and it changes rapidly so current news is best, so I hear.

I've heard that the drugs are very cheap compared to our prices.

I hear that you can use your credit card and that they ship snail mail and it takes two or three weeks. Again, just rumors is all.

PS Don't forget the throw away email address such as Yahoo.com or something.

 

[Father of four]

Thanks Gunner. I do not want to do anything illegal. I would like to buy some antibiotics without having to get a prescription from the doctor though. I'm not looking for drugs but if and when TSHTF I would like to have some pills that I could use to save a loved one or someone else in need.

Any legal ideas?

 

[Gunner3456]

Thanks Gunner. I do not want to do anything illegal. I would like to buy some antibiotics without having to get a prescription from the doctor though. I'm not looking for drugs but if and when TSHTF I would like to have some pills that I could use to save a loved one or someone else in need.

Any legal ideas?

Other than what you can buy at a place like a Grange Co-op/animal feed store to doctor your animals, I know only of India.

I heard of a guy who gets genuine Viagra from India for $1 per pill, lol.

I hear that some people with no drug insurance but who need very expensive drugs prescribed by their doctor resort to ordering from India without a prescription for India due to price.

I hear that it's big business.