First Aid kit contents

[kingfisher]

The boat: 31 ft cruiser, 5 crew maximum
Location: the Netherlands, Westerschelde
The activities: predominately weekend sails, with three times per year a somewhat longer cruise: St-Kats, Honfleur, Channel Islands

What should I have in my first aid kit ?
Antibiotics, dental repair stuff nor major surgery material required, as I'm not going off to the other side of the ocean within the next coupple of years.

-Hydrogen peroxide
-Burn treatment ointment
-Immodium (anti diarhea)
-Motilium (works a treat with early sea sickness and late-night hangovers)
-pain killers
-bandages
-scissors
-band aid

Anything else???



<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[Dominic]

Number of cotton wool pads

Sticky tape (micropore ideally - but any masking or electricians tape will do at a pinch)

Superglue (ideally the medical version which includes an anaesthetic but the ordinary will work, even though it stings a bit)

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[Gerry]

Rehydration sachets, invaluable after seasickness, heat stroke etc.

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[Neraida]

Iodine or other antiseptic.

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[Evadne]

You can't have enough bandages. either you need none, one or lots. "Wound dressings" have sterile pads complete with linen bandage, available in many sizes.
"Burn dressings" are dry sterile dressings with adhesive surrounds.
Triangular bandages have a million uses, but unless you are an expert two will suffice.
Eye pads (2) and sterile water or Optrex or whatever for eye injuries.
Elastic or adhesive bandages for muscle or joint injuries are useful, even for a short period of time.
Aspirin, ibuprofen (neurofen) and paracetamol serve different purposes, I'd always try and have at least 2 of the 3.
Antihistamine cream for insect bites.
Tweezers.
A needle is useful for removing wood splinters.
Some sort of antiseptic liquid or cream. (Or both)

Thanks for the post, you've made me realise how deficient my own kit has become. That's the trouble when you don't have a major accident for over a decade. (touch-wood).
There are some other non essential items you should consider:
1 bottle of rum (general purpose use, although surgical spirit is probably more PC)
1 bottle of sense of humour restorative for rough weather (let me know if you find a supplier). The previous item to this is considered a suitable substitute and was carried by RNLI craft until very recently.



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[kingfisher]

Superglue?

Don't tell me you can actually glue a serious cut with Pattex superglue ?
1) Superglue contains iso-cyanides, not the most friendly chemical substance.
2) It will leave a scar ?

Aren't Steri-strips better (Steri-strips are 5mm wide band-aids, with wich you can tape shut a cut temporarely when no stitches are in the vincinity)

Come to think of it: surgical wire: can it be used by a total first aid novice like myself, or will it do more harm than good (sealing in contaminants, scarification etc).

I'm always within one hours reach of medical care: even in mid-channel, with a panpan or a mayday, I assume that a doctor will be on board within 60 minutes? Or am I wrong?

So I know CPR, because all the rest can wait an hour?

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[Evadne]

Re: Superglue?

You're probably right, steri-strips are better as a surgeon can always undo them. You can use a bandage to help hold the wound together if necessary. They do use a superglue after some surgical operations, however, I suspect the trick is to glue the skin together without dripping it into the wound.
IMHO, you should carry the basics, but CPR won't help hold a broken limb together in a rough sea as well as a triangular bandage and a splint. Leave the obscure technical stuff to those who do it for a living, however. If that includes you, then you probably wouldn't need to ask for advice in the first place!



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[iangrant]

Burn dressings" are dry sterile dressings with adhesive surrounds.
I was taught this is the old way -- and the new RYA first Aid way to treat a burn is to wrap it in cling film..

Ian


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[SlowlyButSurely]

Masking tape. It can be used with a wad of kitchen roll to bandage a bad cut in seconds.

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[duncan]

sorry Dave but the Rum bottle cannot be considered non essential!

bring back the Happy1 thread on this subject overall - best ever because it highlighted that you need to draw the line somewhere, however difficult that may be because there is always something else that is a must have (although that was not what it set out to do!).

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[Artemis]

"Aspirin, ibuprofen (neurofen) and paracetamol serve different purposes, I'd always try and have at least 2 of the 3"

Good advice but the first two are "no go areas" for people taking some types of heart medication, so how about paracodol? In particular Beta-blockers & cholesterol lowering tablets are taken by an enormous number of people nowadays.

With regard to dental repair kit, if you've ever bust a tooth off you'll know that covering it with dental cement helps a lot with the raging agony til you get to your dentist to sort it out! My dentist sells tiny tubes of dental cement for just such emergencies.

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[Roberto]

even if you are a bearded old salt, a razor can be useful (+ a razor blade)
to shave manly hair before applying all the various suggested glues
-keep it hidden from ladies-

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[Evadne]

Well yes, taking drugs is always a risk which is why if you do a "1st aid at work" course they don't even let you use Savlon, let alone aspirin. But Aspirin can help to reduce swellings which the Paracetamol doesn't. Neither is recommended for Overhangs however: Paracetamol attacks the liver and Aspirin the stomach lining, both of which are likely to be already damaged. The fatal dose for paracetamol is also frighteningly small, whereas most people can eat aspirin until it comes out of their ears without lasting harm.

Incidentally I know of one person who successfully mended a broken tooth with araldite, and who still had the filling in place when I saw them 2 years on. Your dentist would have puppies at the thought though: too many dangers of infections or complications to bear thinking about really: no filling should be applied except over cleaned, uninfected and non-heamorrhaging tissue. Oil of cloves is the best thing to numb a tooth.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Dave_White on 30/07/2003 16:24 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

non petroleum based cling film, for use on burns, will keep area damp but clear of infection, well worth stocking.

gloves, to stop further infection, imagine being covered in oil and crew gets serious cut, you need to dress it without adding problems.

Foil blankets to prevent hyperthermia, clean towels always available.....

and on and on,,,,,,

never assume rescue within 60 mins, assume you will have to cope with anythiing,

No1......first aid training, up to date !

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/Honda_00.html>Honda Formula 4-Stroke racing</A>

 

[Cornishman]

Annex 6 of the Code of Practice for the safety of small commercial vessels lists the contents of First Aid kits required on coded yachts. In addition to the many items already recommended here :
The items should be kept in a damp proof strong canvas bag, satchel or a box with a strap for carrying.
Butterfly closures. These are adhesive skin closures about 5cm long individually sealed and sterile.
Forceps - epilation with oblique ends
Thermometer
........and a First Aid Manual St John's/St Andrew's/British Red Cross are recommended. It must be up to date
The SCV Code is the one that all practical schools and charter yachts must conform to.
All candidates for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster or Coastal Skipper exam mustr produce an in date First Aid Certificate to the examiner. There are many sorts and the RYA will tell you if yours is acceptable.
A small point about marking the container. It should be green with a white cross. I was once told off for marking a box with a red cross which is for marking military ambulances!

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[LadyInBed]

Re: And don’t forget . . .

. . . hot water bottle, space blanket and oxygen cylinder, just in case you come across a narcotic hypothermic diver!

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[Sybarite]

Consider the special requirements that children have if they are part of the crew.

John

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[TheBoatman]

Re: Superglue?

I recently dropped some machinery on my little pinky, big lump of skin hanging off and lots of blood (just the type of injury you get on a boat) had some of that plastic skin stuff which is a bit like superglue. When I put it on it hurt a darnsight worse than when I dropped the machine on it, I ran round the room,eyes watering and blowing on it for all I was worth, but it worked a treat!!!
Stopped the bleeding, sealed the wound and helped heal it much quicker than I would have expected. So I would reccommend carrying some of it, only comes in a bottle 'bout the size of a small Tipex bottle.

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[Gunfleet]

Great, Cornishman, where do we find a copy of this code of practice? I have put together a pretty complete 1st aid kit of my own (and have the West Marine one - much more complete than anything I could find in England) but I'd love to see a suggested inventory, even if it included forceps! (we're in our 50s!)

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[BrendanS]

The forceps are handy for removing items from the bilge.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/codeofpractice/>http://www.bluemoment.com/codeofpractice/</A>

A vessel operating in area category 2, 3 or 4 should carry medical stores as follows:-

Name of Item and Ordering Description Quantity Required

FIRST AID KIT
The following must be in a damp proof strong canvas bag, satchel or box with a strap for carrying:
(1) 4 x triangular bandages with sides of about 90cm and a base of about 127 cm.
(2) 6 x standard dressings no 8 or 13 BPC
(3) 2 x standard dressings no 9 or 14 BPC
(4) 2 x extra large sterile unmedicated dressings 28 cm x 17.7 cm
(5) 6 medium size safety pins, rustless
(6) 20 assorted adhesive dressing strips medicated BPC
(7) 2 sterile pads with attachments
(8) 2 x packages each containing 15g sterile cotton wool (9) 5 pairs of large, disposable polythene gloves.

PARACETAMOL
500mg tablets 50*

SEASICKNESS REMEDY
Tablet (Hyoscine hydrobromide 0.3 mg recommended) 50*

BUTTERFLY CLOSURES Adhesive skin closures, length about 5 cm, individually sealed sterile, in a container 20* & **

FORCEPS
Epilation with oblique ends, 12.5cm, of stainless steel throughout

SCISSORS
About 18cm, one blade sharp pointed and the other round-ended; conforming to BSI standard BS3646, published on 19/07/63

THERMOMETER
Ordinary range clinical thermometer, stubby bulb pattern 1**

FIRST AID MANUAL Published by St. John Ambulance/St. Andrews Ambulance 1 Association/British Red Cross Society (latest edition)

* Twice these quantities to be carried in vessels carrying 15 or more persons
** Not required in area category 4


<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide