Got this off of the Aeromedix website for a pre-made kit.
Pretty extensive, little real trauma, lots of owwies treatment. Needs ABC trauma gear to be complete, and I would add some silver sulfadine for burns.
I like his comments about preferring products with multiple applications.
Not endorsing him or his kit, but it is a basic place to start and it made me think about what I was packing.
Looks like I need to do some shopping/scrounging to add to my kit. Gotta get a Mosquito hemostat with fine nose, Mastisol tape-skin adhesive, Cohesive compression bandage, Tea Tree Oil, and SAM splint.
Hope this makes you relook your list as well.
TR
http://www.aeromedix.com/index.php?_...03c419b323a31f
http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix/a...03c419b323a31f
"Developed by Aeromedix.com founder and emergency room physician Dr. Brent Blue, this is the finest and most versatile first aid kit you can buy.
Do you carry a first aid kit in your airplane or car? One of the things that has always driven me crazy about the commercial first aid kits that you find in drugstores and pilot supply catalogs is that they're filled with crap that is totally useless ... and sometimes even harmful. Over the years, I have assembled my own traveling medical kit for dealing with away-from-home emergencies, based on my long experience as an emergency room doc, frequent traveler, pilot, outdoorsman, and dad. Now you can buy a kit of your own substantially identical to the one I carry when I travel.
Most first aid kits contain too much special-purpose stuff and not enough multi-purpose stuff. When weight and space are at a premium, it's essential to choose medications and other items which can be used to deal with multiple problems. For instance, antibiotic eye drops can be used in the ear, but eardrops cannot be used in the eye.
Read my detailed write-up that explains exactly what I carry in my medical kit, why I selected each item, how it should be used, and why the way it's packaged is so important.
Ordinary first aid kits are packaged in a plastic or metal hinged-lid box that requires the user to dump most or all of the contents out to find a needed item. This makes the kits difficult to use, which in turn causes people to avoid using them in anything but the most dire emergency. If you carry a first aid kit in your car or airplane or boat or backpack, think about when the last time was that you actually opened the kit and made use of the contents. For most people, the answer is "a long time ago" or "never."
Dr. Blue's medical kit is designed to be useful and user-friendly, not a "break glass in case of emergency" affair. It cuts out all the junk and contains a host of useful items, most of which can be used for a multitude of purposes. At $350, it's not cheap, but it includes stuff you are most likely to actually need. I have included the best and most useful items available, packaged in a fashion that makes the kit truly useful. (If you tried to duplicate this kit on your own, you'd spend well over $500.)
What I Carry, and Why
Let me go over the key stuff I carry in my kit, and explain why I selected each item:
Band-Aid-type adhesive bandages
First, let me admit that I am not a big fan of Band-Aid-type strips. They occlude the wound and make it gooey. You know that white, wrinkly skin you find under a Band-Aid? The medical term for that is "maceration," and it not only impedes healing but also promotes infections.
But it's hard to fight all that Johnson & Johnson advertising money. Seriously, adhesive bandage strips are great for bleeding wounds in order to stop the bleeding, but I recommend that the strips be removed after a few hours ... or immediately if they get wet. I prefer the fabric stretchy adhesive strip, particularly for fingertips and knuckles, but the straight ones are great too. Most kits just don't include enough. Mine has a lot.
Band-Aid decorated spots and strips
Okay, these are pretty useless, too, but I have a four-year-old son. Regardless of the situation, a decorated strip or spot can cure a crying attack faster that an ice cream cone, and you can't store ice cream in a first-aid kit (except for the freeze-dried stuff the astronauts have never taken into space).
Rubber gloves
Conventional rubber gloves have their place, but I would not necessarily use them on my family. Paramedics around the country use the blue ones because they do not tear as easily. These blue gloves are so good that I know paramedics who buy their own when their employers are too cheap to provide them. They also can be used to carry water in a survival situation, and as a tourniquet.
SAM splint
Splints do several things. They provide a firm material that can be used on broken arms or legs. The purpose of splinting an injured extremity is threefold: to reduce bleeding, to decrease pain, and to reduce further injury. The splint material I use can be bent easily, can be reused, and does not age quickly. The SAM has detailed usage instructions rolled up with it, but in general the splint should be unrolled, doubled and curved around the extremity. Curving the splint material provides a great deal of rigidity and strength. The splint can be applied to the injured extremity with tape or gauze, or tied on with triangular bandages secured with knots. Upper extremities should also be put in a sling with a triangular bandage after splinting ... the more elevation, the better.
Provoiodine liquid
God, I love provoiodine solution. Basically, Provoiodine sterilizes everything on contact. It is great for cleaning abrasions (it does not sting like regular iodine) and sterilizing wounds. Any situation where a wound has occurred deserved to be wiped off with provoiodine.
I first saw it used (later proven counterproductive) by the Chief of Surgery at my medical school (I am not telling which one). The surgeon mixed the brown solution with peroxide and poured it into the belly of patients who had infections in their abdomen. He called it "brown and bubbly." You should have seen this combo start to bubble out of a belly wound. Looked like Old Faithful or Mount Saint Helens erupting!
Waterless soap
Antibacterial waterless soap is the best for prepping the hands for working with wounds or any other situation for sterilizing the skin.
Hand cleaner/prep pads
These are saturated with benzyl ammonia and packaged in individual tear-open packets. They're non-sticky and do not require rinsing to clean up hands. I find them good for everything from cleaning the relief tube to getting ready for dinner, but they're really great for washing off solid or liquid contaminants on the hands or skin.
Small towels
Several pilot friends recommended towels. They do come in very handy for all sorts of situations, and take minimal space. I use disposable ones.
Earplugs
Earplugs are important. Hearing loss from loud sound is cumulative, and those of us from the rock-crazed 60s already have problems. Headphones are okay for flying, but there are lots of times on the tarmac that earplugs come in handy. They are also good for passengers (especially infants and small kids) who do not have headsets or do not want to wear them. They also work great if you get stuck in a hotel room with a snoring copilot.
Antacid chewable tablets
These tablets can be lifesavers when dietary indiscretions get the best of you. Although the liquid is more effective, the tablets store better and do not spill. Two at a time is the minimum dose, and can be used as frequently as necessary.
Throat lozenges (eucalyptus or menthol)
These help with minor sore throats and coughs. Although they provide symptomatic help only, this medication can really improve a sick person's disposition.
Hydrocortisone cream
Now available over-the-counter without prescription, hydrocortisone cream is the best remedy available for dry skin, irritation, and most scaly rashes. It's particularly good for contact dermatitis such as poison ivy or poison oak. A small amount applied frequently works best -- you do not need to goop it on.
Suntan lotion
The water-based children's type is our favorite, since it doesn't tend to blind you when you start to sweat and it drips into your eyes.