australia:firstaid
Table of Contents
first aid kits for camping and hiking
see also:
Introduction
- a basic first aid kit should be carried by most hikers
- a more extensive one can be carried in your car
- whilst you can buy an off-the-shelf kit, you probably should think a bit more logically and strategically about what is really needed for your likely needs
- Failing to plan is planning to fail
- Prevention is better than cure - don't take unnecessary risks and take care
- prevent blisters or chafing developing - manage early!
- don't chase snakes and avoid running where track vision is limited, consider long gaiters!
- wear snow goggles to prevent very painful UV burns to eyes which will impair vision until they subside
- even minor scratches, abrasions or blisters can lead to severe life threatening infections if there is delay to care of several days - wounds should be cleaned as soon as possible and any foreign matter removed if practable and reasonable
- avoid washing/bathing open wounds in rivers or the sea unless boiled or sterile water is not available
- despite popular opinion the sea and rivers are teaming with bacteria - many resistant to usual antibiotics
- that said, if there is no sterile or potable water available, then irrigation of a dirty wound with river or seawater is probably much better than leaving it dirty
Minimum components of a first aid kit
- as a minimum you should carry:
- your essential medications
- for diabetics this is your insulin, blood glucose tester, source of oral glucose, etc
- for asthmatics, this is your inhalers and a course of prednisolone
- for those with past history of anaphylaxis, you should have a EpiPen
- for those with migraines, consider your anti-migraine meds
- analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen
- a 10-15cm elasticated bandage(s) for snakebites
- whilst uncommon, these can be very unexpected and a bandage could be lifesaving until you get help
- an aspirin in case of unexpected heart attacks if you are older than 35
- uncommon but unpredictable
- taking an aspirin early significantly improved outcomes
- a couple of triangular bandages with large safety pins
- can be used as a sling for an injured arm or collarbone
- can be used to splint an unstable fractured limb to a stick or similar
- can be used to compress a bleeding wound in conjunction with combine or similar
- cotton buds to remove dust or other foreign bodies from eyes or under the eyelids
- scizzors
- tweezers/forceps to remove splinters, etc
- bandaids or similar for small lacerations or wounds
- sterile dressings for open wounds
- adhesive tape to keep bandages in place and can be used to splint broken fingers, etc
- space blanket
For longer trips, consider adding the following
- First Aid manual
- blister care dressings
- open wound / laceration repair kit such as:
- sterile saline
- sterile forceps to avoid contaminating the gauze with fingers
- gauze to dry the wound and also some to cover it
- skin glue (supaglue will do if you are stuck - but it must be applied to the OUTSIDE of a dried, closed wound)
- steristrips
- additional bandages
- 7.5-10cm wide is most useful
- burn management gear
- BurnShield or cling film
- surgical gloves - preferably sterile
- paper clip or similar can be used heated by a flame to melt a hole in a nail to release the painful, pulsating pressure of blood under the nail
- EpiPen even if no one in group has known allergies
- antibiotics to treat skin infections if there will be delay of some days getting to medical help
- dental repair kit to manage unexpected broken teeth (dentists are hard to find on weekends let alone in in rural areas) from biting down on those hike nuts or from a fall
- eg. Dentafix temporary dental filling
Extra gear for Medicos to consider
- sphygmomanometer
- stethoscope
- oxygen saturation finger probe
- digital thermometer
- blood glucose tester
- urine test kit including pregnancy test (abdominal pain in a female hiker could be pregnancy related)
- source of oral glucose
- suture pack with sutures, antiseptic solution, sterile saline, needle holder, etc
- scalpel to lance boils, etc
- splinter removal forcep
- aluminium padded splint
- bag valve mask (BVM), Guedel airways
- needle and valve for tension pneumothorax
- nasal pack for severe epistaxis
- topical steroid cream / antihistamines for contact allergies
- Doctor's bag medications:
- epinephrine or Epipen
- stronger analgesics - oxycodone, Penthrane, etc
- prednisolone for asthma, croup, etc
- salbutamol inhalers with spacer
- antiemetic such as ondansetron
- aspirin
- antihypertensive such as a ACEI
- laxatives?
- additional antibiotics:
- cefalexin for most skin infections, UTIs, etc
- augmentin
- metronidazole suppositories - can be used with augmentin or cefalexin to conservatively manage appendicitis if there is delay to care
- special gear for high altitude hikes over 2500m such as bottled oxygen, acetazolamide, dexamethasone, nifedipine, salbutamol inhalers,
australia/firstaid.txt · Last modified: 2022/07/14 12:36 by gary1