First Aid Kits

doris

doris

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We will be pottering further offshore this year than the last two, including a Biscay crossing, and need a better first aid kit. I am sure I can go and buy the bits and pieces in Boots etc but there must be specialist suppliers who will put together a kit that has all those vital things that we untrained chaps will never think of but will need desperately at some stage. Don’t need a full Vendee style kit but a bit more than your Halfords special.

Anyone know of a source??
 
I started off with a standard Large first aid kit but over the years I've refined it to my specific needs for up to 8 kids (some large, some smallish) wife and a couple of mates. not all at once I may add.

I have found that the most used items are;-

plasters at least four packs, and a roll of 2" plaster.

Parecetamol and co-codamol painkillers (but not ibuprofen as swmdo is allergic allways check or have alternatives available)

Piriton tablets. A couple of packs

Seasickness tablets, enough for all crew and for at least a week.

A selection of bandages including a couple of large triagular bandages.

A pack of stretchy compression bandage tubes, usefull for twisted knees, ankles elbows, wrists. Kids regard them as a fashion accessory.Cut to length as required.

Wasp eze and mosquito sting things.

E45 cream

Aqueous cream BP (different to E45, cheap waterbased cleaning cream)

Savlon, germolene, antiseptic creams of your choice.

Bottle of Medical Achohol BP and a roll of cotton wool for cleaning and disinfecting.

Aftersun cream.

Ear drops, waterborne ear infections are prevelent with kids as they spend much more time in the water.

Dental pack (as yet unused)

GOOD scissors 1 large 1 small

Tweezers a couple of pairs, they allways go awol.

A couple of pairs of forceps, cheap and very useful.

Eye drops

Box of latex gloves.


Apart from where stated all the above have been used at one time or another and I've yet to think I wish I'd packed..... though I'm sure one day I will.
 
We went and saw our local GP (a good friend of ours) explained what we intended doing and which countries we hoped to visit before we set off cruising in 1996.

He checked up on, and gave us, the relevant 'shots' we needed for the particular countries, then advised us on what to get for our first aid kit. He even showed us how to use a syringe, though thankfully that's never been necessary!

The advantage of this approach is that he knew our medical background after many years association, and was able to update both us, and our medkit, each time we were back in the UK.

Worthwhile having a chat with him/her I reckon.
 
See MSN1768 Annex 1. It sounds as though you are interested in a Category C kit (the use of which is covered in a short extension to the RYA One Day First Aid course.) Almost all of it is available over-the-counter in chemists and take the pharmacist's advice on how to get the glyceryl tritrate.
 
No point in getting stuff you don't know how to use - or worse - think you do and then end up harming someone.
Do a wee course and then you'll know what you are capable of. Foreign law can be odd, you could be prosecuted for "helping" after an accident.
 
Excellent list, to which I would add:

Offcuts of thin ply cut in long strips, for use as splints

Finger stalls for covering bandaged fingers.

Condoms (seriously!) - useful for waterproofing when two fingers are bandaged together.

Sub-lingual spray (e.g. Nitrolingual) if any of the crew are over 50 or if there is anyone with a heart condition.

A copy of the Ship's Captain Medical Guide (freely downloadable) or a recent copy of a First-Aid manual as recommended by your local St John's ambulance brigade. A first-aid course would be a good investment - to ensure that the stuff in the kit may be put to good use.
 
Yup Splints usefull but Iv'e allways got 15 x3 x 1/4" strips for packing against around bits of kit.

Condoms are a good idea.

I ve added The GTN spray after my bypass this year

I needed a fingerstall last year for a mate, found I could improvise better with a lolly stick and gaffer tape.

Good clean tea towels are better than lint pads for stopping blood in bad wounds (nasty gash in my leg sorted with sail needle thread and tea towel. healed beautifully but wouldn't want to repeat the incident.)

Would agree on Ship's Captain Medical Guide essential bedtime reading. and a good first aid course.

I was taught start them breathing, stop them leaking, everything else can wait.

Main thing is to modify you kit to your personal needs. We have a large throughput of kids so lots of knocks and scratches hence the large number of plasters we get through,
 
At the risk of making the list over-long, can I put in a vote for Steri-Strips? They are very convenient, take up little space and make a very neat job of deeper cuts and wounds that would benefit from a stitch or two.
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Only point I would make ..... be careful of anything Codeine or similar. Many countries / authorities ban it's carraige or dispensing except by medical professional. Why ? It's from same family as Heroine and I know from bitter experience as a strong headache sufferer and who ran Ships Medical Chest.

I was always being dragged to my cabin to open up drawers where the Codeine was - I need strong aspirin or preferably Codeine blend. The drug detection dog would find it everytime. Even when packet empty etc.
 
Interesting about the Codeine. I was not aware of that.

I carry Panadol Plus, a blend of paracetamol with codeine: would the drug-dogs object to that? I'd be in the deep and smelly if they did because my stomach cannot tolerate aspirin and ibuprofen has no effect.
 
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Finger stalls for covering bandaged fingers.

[/ QUOTE ]
Cut fingers off old split marigold gloves or sim, dust with talc to stop stickin. Waterproof, excellent and free!

+Spray-on Elastoplast - quick and easy.

After slicing a nice hole in my leg, I found Duct Tape tightly applied, was the only thing that would stop bleeding - <u>for emergencies only!</u>
 
I think the best idea WRT to first aid kits came from Libby - by all mean have the serious/prescription/SCMG stuff on board, but split out the day-to-day regularly-used stuff into a less-intimidating box full of plasters, stugeron, painkillers, sun-cream, bug-bite-zapper, TCP, eyewash etc.

i.e. Don't confuse the 1st aid kit/bathroom cabinet with the stuff you might need 'cos you're more than a couple of hours from casualty.
 
Thanks everybody for the help. I spoke to Ocean Safety, without a UK sea farer's medical cert can't buy a Cat 2 kit. Best solution seems to be list all you r marvelous suggestions and go round to Tescos/Boots, then stuff it all in a couple of Tupperware boxes.
Ta for the input chaps.
 
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