Good Basic Boat Scuba First Aid Kit

[PfcAJ]

I think @CuzzA 's list looks pretty good. You need to know how/when to use what you're carrying and the list pretty much covers what most people can expect to deal with.

The tourniquet is a bit of a dilemma. Until a few years ago it was considered a "no-no" for most first aid kits. American forces experience in Afghanistan and Iraq changed that. However we still need to consider how appropriate it is in non-combat situations as it does cut off blood flow to the extremities, which can cause tissue to die.

It takes a fairly long time for permanent tissue damage to happen.

TQ usage has really been positively demonstrated, and even the worst outcomes are better than a person bleeding out. In reality, definitive trauma care is very close time wise for most divers.

Major bleed is a real risk when diving (prop impact being the most likely scenario), but time after time again I see “first aid kits” that has no provisions to manage a major bleed. Not good.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Vinegar for stings can be added to your list.

 

[tkaelin]

Here's a great video on the subject of tourniquets.

Very interesting video. Thanks. The Dan DEMP cert did cover tqs. On my SOLO Wilderness First Aid we also covered it which included improvising using what you may likely have as a hiker as a tqt. I do see trauma bleed kits available now from a number of suppliers including DAN, American Red Cross and Adventure Medical.

 

[Ana]

The controversy about the tourniquet probably belongs in the same folder as waiting x hours after eating to get in the water.
Reports I've read actually put more importance on the procedure to release the tourniquet once the person made it to a medical facility.

Worse case, seems to be better to lose a limb than bleed to death.

I carry an O2 bottle, a little pouch for big bleeding and another for big burns, in addition to the basic kit that takes care of more general boo boos.

 

[tursiops]

The tourniquet is a bit of a dilemma. Until a few years ago it was considered a "no-no" for most first aid kits. American forces experience in Afghanistan and Iraq changed that. However we still need to consider how appropriate it is in non-combat situations as it does cut off blood flow to the extremities, which can cause tissue to die.

The modern use of tourniquets is covered pretty well in modern first-aid classes.

 

[dlofting]

The modern use of tourniquets is covered pretty well in modern first-aid classes.

My last first aid course was a WFR (Wilderness First Responder) recert last year. We did cover the application of tourniquets. What I'm trying to establish in my own mind is when one is used. Amputation is an obvious scenario but that's pretty rare in a civilian setting. So what are the typical mechanisms of injury for a deadly bleed to occur and where might those happen in a Wilderness (and depending on the setting this may include diving) environment. A propeller injury may result in major arterial/venous bleeding, but are there other possibilities. Just as an FYI a Wilderness setting is defined as more than one hour from definitive medical care.....a hospital or adequately equiped clinic.

 

[tkaelin]

Falls from height would have to be up there as a possible scenario.

 

[electricb]

My last first aid course was a WFR (Wilderness First Responder) recert last year. We did cover the application of tourniquets. What I'm trying to establish in my own mind is when one is used. Amputation is an obvious scenario but that's pretty rare in a civilian setting. So what are the typical mechanisms of injury for a deadly bleed to occur and where might those happen in a Wilderness (and depending on the setting this may include diving) environment. A propeller injury may result in major arterial/venous bleeding, but are there other possibilities. Just as an FYI a Wilderness setting is defined as more than one hour from definitive medical care.....a hospital or adequately equiped clinic.

I just did my WFR recert recently as well. Someone pointed out chainsaw use as a possible mechanism of injury in the wilderness. Ditto the propeller, maybe an animal bite? The propeller seems reasonable; the area in Mexico I was diving earlier this year was still talking about a diver who had lost a leg to a propeller injury.

 

[mmerriman]

tourniquets are now acceptable for use in serious bleed situations.

 

[dlofting]

tourniquets are now acceptable for use in serious bleed situations.

Yes, but I'm still thinking about what could constitute a serious bleed in a remote setting. This could include an LOB in some cases. So far we have a propeller or chainsaw accident. The reason I'm concerned about this is that tourniquet injury can occur if it is left on for an extensive period of time.....I've seen anywhere from 1 1/2 to 8 hours posited. If the injury occurs in a remote setting those times may come into play, so I to make sure I've done my homework.