What's in your First Aid Box

[bizzard]

Biz, that's why I have an apprentice, to carry the heavy bits (but not the rum)

You'd need several U shaped ground pins too to stake out and hold the patient pinioned down spread eagled on the towpath,to stop em jumpin up and running away with fright when they spot you sharpening the Bow-saw and brandishing the 16pounder in readiness for the amputation operation. One pin around the neck and the others pinioning down whatever other limbs they've got left.

 

Bugger Gargling with it. Makes a great aftershave especially if you cut yourself!

At this point i don't think the patient would be thinking of having a shave as they'd just had a close one.

The TCP could be just sprinkled about as it smells nice.

[Bob18]

I find my current apprentice quite up to the task - the last person he gently restrained was some Fijian rugby player by the name of Lumo.

[Chalky]

Why is this about Ibuprofen, please?

 

 

Ibuprofen is not good for asthmatics since it can trigger an attack if its one of your triggers.

 

If you are an asthmatic then keeping a spare inhaler in the medical kit can be useful.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Chalky

[bizzard]

I remember gargling with TCP before going to a party as a teenager.

 

I slunk away early with the words "can I smell TCP?" ringing in my ear!

 

(Didn't One Foot in the Grave do an episode involving TCP?)

I think TCP is wonderful stuff,i use it for everything,well nearly.

 

I find my current apprentice quite up to the task - the last person he gently restrained was some Fijian rugby player by the name of Lumo.

Fancy that.Suppressing a Figian who goes by the name of Lumo.Yes i reckon you can chuck the pegging out pins away then and the patient would not become a Gulliver.

[Québec]

I find that the contents of this heals a lot of wounds..

 

[annaschu]

...as someone with a bit of a background in this kind of thing i'd like to bring together a couple of points from previous posts - if it comes to it, you can improvise with items found around the boat in almost any first aid situation so first aid box contents not a huge concern. What you can't improvise is the knowledge to deal with an emergency situation correctly - and taking a guess can make the situation a lot worse! Taking a course or an iphone app (so long as you're sure your phone battery won't be flat at the crucial time)or first aid book in an easy to find place all sound like excellent ideas!

[Giggetty]

...as someone with a bit of a background in this kind of thing i'd like to bring together a couple of points from previous posts - if it comes to it, you can improvise with items found around the boat in almost any first aid situation so first aid box contents not a huge concern. What you can't improvise is the knowledge to deal with an emergency situation correctly - and taking a guess can make the situation a lot worse! Taking a course or an iphone app (so long as you're sure your phone battery won't be flat at the crucial time)or first aid book in an easy to find place all sound like excellent ideas!

Scissors have been mentioned. I would add a nice pair of watchmakers' forceps for removing spelks (those on Swiss Army knives are totally inadequate). Also a pair of small sidecutters for removing impaled fish-hooks-you push the hook through, cut off the tip with the barb and then withdraw the shank back through the entry wound.

 

Needless to say, all these need to be clean, not ex-engine hole. If you're confident, and most ex RAMC are, put in a packet of 4/0 sutures for bad cuts. In an emergency use export gin or fresh urine to sterilise your hands.

[Mr Norman]

Don't bother wasting money on such things as TCP, Detol or that infernal germolene stuff! Microbiologists have grown many wondrous bacteria on all of these and the "antiseptic" properties are very dubious. By far the most effective antiseptic is simple salty water!

 

Trevor

[Jason Day - Sheffield]

Some good advice about getting knowledge.....this is one area I really can comment on (rather than stoves and ecofans...)

 

I liveaboard on the shroppie, and I run outdoor instructor's first aid courses - the ones a kayak / climbing / caving instructor has to have so that he can keep an ill/injured caualty going with until definitive medical help gets there, which may be delayed if they are far from help.

 

As mentioned above, knowing where you are in order to call in help is of vital importance, as is knowing what to do first, and what not to do - there is a fair bit of 'old' learning out there that doesn't hold water any more. When we are out boating we are further from that medical help than someone in a house or office, a they can quote a building number and postcode...can you do that where you are moored now - maybe so if you are on a familiar mooring in a basin but what if you are, say, on a nice 48hr mooring between Middlewich and aqueduct marina...the North West Ambulance service might take a bit longer to get there.

 

I've been thinking of running courses specifically for boaters...there are a few things that would be boater specific, as well as the location emergency plan info. Although this is my work, I'm really looking to get the info out there, rather than screw anyone for the course costs, so it would be relatively cheap (about £45 for a 2 day course) compared to someone who needs it for their work (and will therefore have it paid by a company - about £150 a head). If there was enough interest I'd be happy to organise some sessions, say at central points that boaters could get to...what do you all think?

 

Oh, BTW - cling film is great, but don't put it round a limb - you can get it tight enough to cut off the circulation...pull off enough and discard film to get at the clean stuff a couple of layers down, then lay a sheet or two over the burn and fasten it in place with a bandage, or gaffer tape - again not all the way round the limb.

 

cheers Jas

[Ange]

Some good advice about getting knowledge.....this is one area I really can comment on (rather than stoves and ecofans...)

 

I liveaboard on the shroppie, and I run outdoor instructor's first aid courses - the ones a kayak / climbing / caving instructor has to have so that he can keep an ill/injured caualty going with until definitive medical help gets there, which may be delayed if they are far from help.

 

As mentioned above, knowing where you are in order to call in help is of vital importance, as is knowing what to do first, and what not to do - there is a fair bit of 'old' learning out there that doesn't hold water any more. When we are out boating we are further from that medical help than someone in a house or office, a they can quote a building number and postcode...can you do that where you are moored now - maybe so if you are on a familiar mooring in a basin but what if you are, say, on a nice 48hr mooring between Middlewich and aqueduct marina...the North West Ambulance service might take a bit longer to get there.

 

I've been thinking of running courses specifically for boaters...there are a few things that would be boater specific, as well as the location emergency plan info. Although this is my work, I'm really looking to get the info out there, rather than screw anyone for the course costs, so it would be relatively cheap (about £45 for a 2 day course) compared to someone who needs it for their work (and will therefore have it paid by a company - about £150 a head). If there was enough interest I'd be happy to organise some sessions, say at central points that boaters could get to...what do you all think?

 

Oh, BTW - cling film is great, but don't put it round a limb - you can get it tight enough to cut off the circulation...pull off enough and discard film to get at the clean stuff a couple of layers down, then lay a sheet or two over the burn and fasten it in place with a bandage, or gaffer tape - again not all the way round the limb.

 

cheers Jas

 

Hi Jas

There's some good info and advice there - thanks. We'd definitely be interested in a course, and that's a more than reasonable price. We're very aware that our first aid knowledge is woefully inadequate and your point about location pinpointing is something we've worried about.

 

It might be worth starting a separate thread to suss out the level of interest - it's a bit buried here in a thread that's twisted and turned (as CWDF threads tend to do ) and might be missed by some. Just a thought.

[Jason Day - Sheffield]

Hi Ange, thanks for that - I'd held off doing anything like advertising as I don't want to put peope's backs up on here, but if there's interest then it would be a go'er. I'll stick a thread up asking if anyone is interested and could offer a venue,

 

cheers, Jas

[Jason Day - Sheffield]

ok - poll questions up on the general boating forum if anyone wants to contribute, cheers

Edited January 12, 2012 by Jason Day - Sheffield

[history girl]

Immodium. It is no joke having "the trots" with limited facilities..... They work instantly. Also re-hydrating crystals to put back salts and minerals into the body.

[FrigateCaptain]

Before I quit my kit included:

 

Assorted dressings Ect

O2 Kit

Lifepack 500

Entonox

Drugs pack

Burns kit

Iv kit

Airway management and suction............

And a large wad of A3 PCRs

[carlt]

Condoms

[Bimbly1]

Condoms

And whilst on the topic of wrapping things up, how about a couple of space (foil) blankets?

[Geoff Taylor]

Hi, Going slightly outside the first aid kit,keep some high factor sunscreen lotion as you can get double the sunburn due to reflection off water if fair skinned (I do!!) and stock a can of insect repellent.

On my last St Johns refresher course,the instructer made a point of using 112 for the emergency services,he gave a couple of very valid reasons for doing this,112 goes to the closest call centre as 999 could go anywhere and if calling from a mobile not knowing your exact location they can apparently find you.Maybe someone on the forum can clarify this.

[FrigateCaptain]

Hi, Going slightly outside the first aid kit,keep some high factor sunscreen lotion as you can get double the sunburn due to reflection off water if fair skinned (I do!!) and stock a can of insect repellent.

On my last St Johns refresher course,the instructer made a point of using 112 for the emergency services,he gave a couple of very valid reasons for doing this,112 goes to the closest call centre as 999 could go anywhere and if calling from a mobile not knowing your exact location they can apparently find you.Maybe someone on the forum can clarify this.

AFAIK It's to bring us into line with the EU, 999 can also locate you but its not actually that exact.

[ditchcrawler]

Hi, Going slightly outside the first aid kit,keep some high factor sunscreen lotion as you can get double the sunburn due to reflection off water if fair skinned (I do!!) and stock a can of insect repellent.

On my last St Johns refresher course,the instructer made a point of using 112 for the emergency services,he gave a couple of very valid reasons for doing this,112 goes to the closest call centre as 999 could go anywhere and if calling from a mobile not knowing your exact location they can apparently find you.Maybe someone on the forum can clarify this.

I think this is bit of an urban myth. I called the fire brigade on 999 from my mobile and went to the correct centre.

[Graham Davis]

Hi, Going slightly outside the first aid kit,keep some high factor sunscreen lotion as you can get double the sunburn due to reflection off water if fair skinned (I do!!) and stock a can of insect repellent.

On my last St Johns refresher course,the instructer made a point of using 112 for the emergency services,he gave a couple of very valid reasons for doing this,112 goes to the closest call centre as 999 could go anywhere and if calling from a mobile not knowing your exact location they can apparently find you.Maybe someone on the forum can clarify this.

 

112 and 999 work in exactly the same way. They both go to the nearest Control Centre, (or if busy the next available). Applies using mobile or landline systems.

 

The "global positioning" from the mobile is another myth as this function is not used in the UK by any of the mobile systems. The only thing that can be done, using either number, is to know the "cell" in which the phone is being used. It "might" apply in some parts of Europe.

[jelunga]

112 and 999 work in exactly the same way. They both go to the nearest Control Centre, (or if busy the next available). Applies using mobile or landline systems.

 

The "global positioning" from the mobile is another myth as this function is not used in the UK by any of the mobile systems. The only thing that can be done, using either number, is to know the "cell" in which the phone is being used. It "might" apply in some parts of Europe.

Well I am not so sure about the locating bit. I have a Nokia mobile phone with an inbuilt mapping / gos spplication. In the set up screens you can choose what the inputs are for location. Using the assist setting, it finds my location even with no GPS satellite signal which it can only be doing from cell triangulation.

[system 4-50]

Loupe and a good pair of tweezers and some clean fine sewing machine needles.

[Bobbin]

As a clinical Aromatherapist I would never be without TEA TREE OIL on my boat,It's first aid in a bottle. It can be applied neat to cuts and abrasions. It can mixed with your usual hand wash and shampoo (up to 10 drops should be enough per 100 ml bottle of skin wash or shampoo) . It also works as a surface cleaner applied on a damp cloth for shower rooms etc. But do not use it on ANIMALS. This together with assorted bandages, a sling, safety pins waterproof plasters and dressings,insect repellents and a "NONE GREASY" after sun. If you apply a product containing oil or grease of any kind onto sunburnt skin it will make it worse, you will literally fry!! Lavender oil is also very useful for small burns. If anyone would like to know more about the use of Essential Oils while boating just ask.

[Chertsey]

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this, but I wouldn't be without Anthisan ointment, excellent for nettle stings and insect bites and stings.

[ditchcrawler]

I get the feeling there is great confusion here about whether we are talking about "First Aid" (what you need in an emergency) and a medicine cabinet to make you feel better.