what's in your first aid kit?

[Shearwater]

Having just heard of a chap accidently slashing his leg with a super sharp filleting knife - but fortunately having a proper first aid kit with field dressings and steri-strips (altho' close to passing out by the time he got to shore). I wondered what I'd do in a similar situation and found my kit very wanting. So before I decide to buy a load of stuff that never gets used....what do you have and what would you not do without?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Also got lots of sterilised 'wadding' and surgical tape for a field dressing equivalent, along with a pair of surgical scissors, the sort you can cut clothing off with without cutting the casualty.... steri strips, lots of plasters, bandages for slings, hot and cold compress packs, tweezers, sterilised needle and a small torch (a suggestion from a friend.... have it to hand for when you need it)...

Ours also contains paracetamol, and when we finally get away long term cruising, i'll look to add some legally allowable pain killers, plus an emergency dental kit.

 

[ukmctc]

Also got lots of sterilised 'wadding' and surgical tape for a field dressing equivalent, along with a pair of surgical scissors, the sort you can cut clothing off with without cutting the casualty.... steri strips, lots of plasters, bandages for slings, hot and cold compress packs, tweezers, sterilised needle and a small torch (a suggestion from a friend.... have it to hand for when you need it)...

Ours also contains paracetamol, and when we finally get away long term cruising, i'll look to add some legally allowable pain killers, plus an emergency dental kit.

All of the above and Eye dressings and washes, there are also various painkillers and gels, survival blankets (for cold and shock) and most important a good first aid book. Most things are x 6 of.
I also carry a dental kit, the main 1st aid kit is in the saloon ready to grab along with grab bag which contains a basic 1st aid kit. Each cabin has a basic 1st aid kit (3).

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Tubi Grip - Its a tubular bandage that you can buy in many diameters and tensions. It is good for slipping over a limb and compressing a pad in place. You can get them up to body diameter!

The rest is just the usual assortment of stuff.

 

[prv]

Mine is a standard chandler's "coastal" box, with a few other odds and sods added just because I had them to hand. I think there's a couple of field dressings in there, and some steri-strips.

Most of it is not exactly high-tech, and frankly you could probably do almost as well with teatowels and electrical / gaffer tape.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

I carry a pretty extensive First Aid kit, as even in the Solent, a few hours to port is a very long time; my mother found this out the hard way when she had her fingers mangled by their anchor chain in Newtown Creek...

It's a bit frustrating we can't carry more effective pain killers, and personally I think it ludicrous a good first aid course isn't included in school lessons; our sailing club does very good courses, and I would urge anyone to attend something similar.

These courses can actually be fun - when it came to the 'ABC kiss of life' demonstration, a very pretty young lady volunteered as the subject, naturally I got trampled flat in the rush !

One addition to the Kit I do recommend is Dioralyte Oral Electrolyte Powder, ( empty a sachet into a tumbler of water ) - it's not a drastic medicine though of course one must follow the instructions; it helps replace lost minerals if someone has been consistently vomitting, ie seasickness.

About £4.00 for a box of 4 sachets, has to be asked for at chemists; on any long trip I'd suggest more than one box, as a lot will be 'lost' through sickness.

On that subject I'd also suggest the mineral water bottles with a nozzle one can suck, and possibly Lucozade.

 

[Ric]

Vaseline is useful as a salve for minor but irritating burns - especially rope burns.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

On the subject of painkillers. What are the most effective you can legally buy in the UK?

When I bought Ladybird just over a year ago the first-aid kit had >1,000 malaria tablets, a bottle of iodine with a price label in shillings and pence, dozens of rust stained bandages, a pair of seized scissors (cause of rust stained bandages), and some aspirin.

I now have a small first aid pack for minor stuff, such as small cuts, abrasions and hangovers; and a 'big pack' for burns, breaks, more serious hurts, and really bad hangovers.

 

[phantomlady]

Our first aid kits contain all the usual standard bandages and salves plus very strong painkillers and antibiotics (which can be bought over the counter in Spain) for long trips.
I must admit my most used item is Savlon cream! Its great for itches, scratches, rashes, minor burns, 'dinghy bum' etc. They also do a dry spray formula which we find particularly good for blisters and burns.
Ooh and I never go anywhere without my Rennies.....

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... One addition to the Kit I do recommend is Dioralyte Oral Electrolyte Powder, ( empty a sachet into a tumbler of water ) - it's not a drastic medicine though of course one must follow the instructions; it helps replace lost minerals if someone has been consistently vomitting, ie seasickness.

About £4.00 for a box of 4 sachets, has to be asked for at chemists; on any long trip I'd suggest more than one box, as a lot will be 'lost' through sickness.

An excellent suggestion. I used to motocross in the deserts of Oman all weekend and we used this stuff to to replace lost salts. Without it I could re hydrate but still feel messed up and cramped, conversely with the electrolyte, I would feel fine. I have made a note to add this to my kit. Thanks.

 

[Thistle]

Very surprised that no-one has mentioned anti-seasickness tablets (eg stugeron). First Aiders cannot, of course , give these out but crew prone to mal de mer may appreciate their ready availability and a first aid kit seems to be a logical place to keep them.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Very surprised that no-one has mentioned anti-seasickness tablets (eg stugeron). First Aiders cannot, of course , give these out but crew prone to mal de mer may appreciate their ready availability and a first aid kit seems to be a logical place to keep them.

Even better are the scopalomine anti-nausea patches. They used to be available on private prescription but you might be able to ask the pharmacist for them now. They are superb when the victim can keep nothing down, not even tablets.

 

[shaunksb]

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what do you have

My doctors phone number.


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[Ubergeekian]

On the subject of painkillers. What are the most effective you can legally buy in the UK?

Co-codamol is pretty dashed effective. I had super large ones prescribed for a dental abcess, and although you can only buy weaker ones over the counter, there's nothing to stop you taking two. Loads of paracetamol, though, so ca' canny or lose your liver.

 

[Matata]

Best to think of what can go wrong. Pain = painkillers. Prob best available over the counter as long as no allergies or asthma is Ibuprofen 400mg for adults . For dental bits , either sticking crowns or bridges back on again, repairing broken cusps or lost a filling there is a great powder which you mix with water into a light syrup consistency. Sets in a min. generic name glass ionomer. Ask your very friendly dentist for a couple of tea spoons of the powder for a nice bottle of vino! Store it in a 35mm film canister nice and dry. For bleeding apply constant pressure with a clean pack, keep it raised pref above level of the heart. For life threatening blood loss possibly a tourniquet and I'd be on my radio quick!!! Dioralite(? spelling) as someone said before is THE way to get fluids and salts back into someone with severe D+V typically sea sickness. Nik

 

[john_morris_uk]

We cary lots of the above - but I was fortunate to be sent on a 'Ship's Captain's Medical Course' a few years ago so have a little ticket that says I can carry antibiotics and rather stronger painkillers than you can carry over the counter. I still phone/radio a doctor to check which ones to give out if I am not sure.

If you can't manage to get onto such a course, a proper tourniquet is a life saver for major blood loss. (For example all Brit forces carry one on their person when in Afghanistan as the evidence is that many US died in Vietnam through blood loss!) The new style Field Dressings are much more about compression than absorbing. They are elastic bandages that are very good - and I will get some for the boat when I get a chance.

We then carry steri-strips, tweezers, dioralyte (as already mentioned) plasters, bandages, a First Aid Book.

Drugs normally include some painkillers (Ibobrufen, Paracetemol and Dihydrocodeine as a little further up the scale)

When we go further offshore, we carry needles, gut, local anesthetic and splints etc etc.

When we eventually go long term cruising we will also fit a safe for some Diamorphine (to comply with the regulations for carriage of such drugs on ships at sea) and a copy of the Ship's Captains Medical guide.

 

[Juniperskip]

If you are heading offshore your friendly GP will probably prescribe painkillers for you with instruction plus antibiotics. We are lucky in that ours also agreed for me to call his mobile anytime when we were Transat. Had Falmouth MRCC on sat phone preset 1 and GP as 2!!! Fortunately didn't need to use and returned the medicine on return..

 

[prv]

my mother found this out the hard way when she had her fingers mangled by their anchor chain in Newtown Creek...

Apart from pain killers (which we can't carry very good ones) and strapping it up till you get ashore, what more can a typical coastal sailor really do?

(Genuine question - that's all I can think of doing, but I'd be glad to hear better advice)

It's a bit frustrating we can't carry more effective pain killers, and personally I think it ludicrous a good first aid course isn't included in school lessons

I left school in 2000, and we had first-aid lessons then. It was officially part of Biology, for want of a better place to put it. I assumed it had been included as a national standard, in the same way that GCSE Physics included how to wire a plug, but perhaps the first aid was just my school's local (and very worthwhile) addition? It was a good school for teaching "outside the box".

One addition to the Kit I do recommend is Dioralyte Oral Electrolyte Powder,

Good idea. I will add some.

Pete

 

[bbg]

This is in my First Aid kit:

They fall under several general headings
Skin, disinfection, burns
Bandages, bleeding, dressings
Fever, pain, anti-inflammatories
Digestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
Infections, antibiotics
Allergies
Ears / eyes

Edit - FWIW, I also have a small "day" first aid kit - antiseptic wipes, antibiotic cream, small bandages etc.

And for long passages, baby diaper rash cream.

 

[shaunksb]

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If you can't manage to get onto such a course, a proper tourniquet is a life saver for major blood loss.

I was taught not to use a tourniquet as it can cause more damage but to use a fist at the top of the arm or in the groin and elevate the limb.

I had to use this on someone who severed an artery in their arm and kept them alive for a quarter of an hour until the medics arrived.

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