First Aid Kit. The things sometimes not though of.

[Evolver]

What are some of the out of the normal odds and ends that would come in handy or things that are sometimes overlooked in a First Aid Kit?

Oh and... Describe the usage. :)

[Evolver]

Lost Filling and Loose Cap Repair.
The one that I picked up was from Wally-World made buy DenTek called Temparin Max Its a small 1/2oz container with applicator. Haven't had to use it so no review.

[Evolver]

Thread. Thread has many uses and one good one is for Tick Removal,

This is the best way to remove a kick that is in the skin. Just make a simple over hand knot and pull ends until the loop is just a little larger then the tick so you can slip it over the ticks body then slowly tighten the knot as you work it down around the tick as close to you skin as possible... Then tighten the knot a little and put slight tention on the thread and hold it until the tick pulls its sucker and head out on it's own. It won't like the thread being there and it will come out on its own.

Now if it's in a hairy part of the body this method is a challenge so you might want to try a diffrent technique. The thing that you are trying to do is not squeeze it's guts into your system and two you don't want to leave the suckers head in.

[izzyscout21]

Black Pepper.
You can use it in lieu of a bandaid as a sort of Quick-clot. Works well on small cuts.

A flashlight.
Lets you see in the dark...;)

[Evolver]

Benzoin Tincture.
An alcohol solution of compound benzoin that may be used to increase the adhesion of an Butterfly bandage, Tagaderm, 3M Steri-Strip and other adhiseve tape type admendments. Apply to the area around the wound not in the wound useing an applcator (Q-Tip or pad), let dry then apply bandage/tape. It can also be applied over a minor burns or road rash to give it a thin second skin.
Benzoin Tincture can be packaged many way but I found that Swabstiks are the most convenent. Here is just one example. http://www.amazon.com/Compound-Benzoin-Tincture-U-S-P-Swabsticks/dp/B002GXAZO0

[LUNCHBOX]

Honey,
It can be used to keep down infection. (packets are readily available at KFC)

Tea,
It can be used to stop bleeding as well.

Chewing tabacco,
Takes the sting out of bee stings.

[bacpacker]

Cayenne Pepper (powdered) can be used to stop bleeding.

Lavender Essential Oil, can be used on a burn to lessen the damage and take the burn away.

[ladyhk13]

Lidocain and syringes along with suture packs. Get to know your doc or vet really well and you may be able to talk them out of the lidocain...we got a bottle of it for free.

[Evolver]

Clove oil or Ambesol.

Clove oil is the alternative for Ambesol for gum pain. Too much of it will burn tissue so limit it's use.

[Evolver]

Honey,
It can be used to keep down infection. (packets are readily available at KFC)

Tea,
It can be used to stop bleeding as well.

Chewing tabacco,
Takes the sting out of bee stings.

Honey is defiantly one of gods gifts. :)

[Evolver]

Lidocain and syringes along with suture packs. Get to know your doc or vet really well and you may be able to talk them out of the lidocain...we got a bottle of it for free.

Practice sutures on skin on raw chicken legs. :)

[realist]

Silvasorb Gel to keep the wound moist and fight infection.

[Evolver]

Cotton swabs. (Q-Tips)

Just one other good use for a swab is... If you have debris in the eye even a metal sliver put the swab on debris or sliver, twist it and the debris/sliver will attach to the swab and come right out.

[The Expendable]

Black Pepper.
You can use it in lieu of a bandaid as a sort of Quick-clot. Works well on small cuts.
...

Good idea, but wouldn't it be better to keep Quick-Clot in your first aid kit? Keeping black pepper as a makeshift coagulant is kinda like stockpiling coffee filters to use as toilet paper. :)

[The Expendable]

Practice sutures on skin on raw chicken legs. :)

They showed that technique on Best Defense: Survival. Good idea.

[izzyscout21]

Good idea, but wouldn't it be better to keep Quick-Clot in your first aid kit? Keeping black pepper as a makeshift coagulant is kinda like stockpiling coffee filters to use as toilet paper. :)

Well, yes and no. I was talking about minor cuts and scrapes. Quick-clot, Celox, and other hemostatic agents are serious trauma treating tools, and can have serious ramification if you use them. If you don't have training in their proper use, don't use them. You can make things worse for someone if you dont know what you are doing.
Black pepper is black pepper. No harm no foul.....not for serious bleeding control. Unless you plan on ripping open a $30 pack of Quick clot every time someone cuts themselves peeling cucumbers from the garden, I'd keep some of the black pepper or super glue around.
ANd just for the record, you can get a lot of wipes out of a pack of coffee filters. Id even go out on a limb and say more than a roll of TP. Cheaper too.

[Sniper-T]

pen/paper; and/or something to mark skin. If you're triaging more than a couple people, it helps to be able to keep track of what you've done, and any meds possibly given

People's foreheads are like built in sticky notes

ETA: bugspray works well to get ticks out too. give them a liberal shot of spray, and they'll also come right out on their own. I've heard cooking oil will also work, but haven't tried it.

[Evolver]

[QUOTE=The Expendable;16747 kinda like stockpiling coffee filters to use as toilet paper. :)[/QUOTE]

Take it from me... Don't go here. ^ Thanks Ex. :mad: :p

[Evolver]

Well, yes and no. I was talking about minor cuts and scrapes. Quick-clot, Celox, and other hemostatic agents are serious trauma treating tools, and can have serious ramification if you use them. If you don't have training in their proper use, don't use them. You can make things worse for someone if you dont know what you are doing.
Black pepper is black pepper. No harm no foul.....not for serious bleeding control. Unless you plan on ripping open a $30 pack of Quick clot every time someone cuts themselves peeling cucumbers from the garden, I'd keep some of the black pepper or super glue around.
ANd just for the record, you can get a lot of wipes out of a pack of coffee filters. Id even go out on a limb and say more than a roll of TP. Cheaper too.

Agree! Quick clot and like agents need to be dealt with after used on a wound (surgically). In a SHTF situation use with extreme caution.

[Evolver]

If you don't have water, saline, contact solution or any other safe liquid to wash and irrigate your wound with, You can safely use your OWN urine. I highly recommend that you don't use anyones other than your own for more reasons that I need to go into

[Daybreak]

Cotton swabs. (Q-Tips)

Just one other good use for a swab is... If you have debris in the eye even a metal sliver put the swab on debris or sliver, twist it and the debris/sliver will attach to the swab and come right out.

Need a match? Coat a Q-tip with chapstick ( something else for the FAK ) light it with your firesteel.

[Stg1swret]

Super Glue, used for closing wounds in place of stitches, developed for use in Viet Nam

[Taz Baby]

Plain flour is used to stop bleeding. Pack the wound with as much as you need, apply pressure to the wound. It makes the blood clot. I have used this many times on myself and other people and animals. I carry a small bag of flour in every vehicle I own.

[Gunfixr]

We have a suture kit, as well as a field surgery kit, and a splint kit.
Actually, it's a GI squad size med kit.
Always keep Krazy Glue.
Have used black electricians tape for many years as bandaids.

[Evolver]

Benadryl for allergic reactions, insect bits, Ivy, itchy skin and a larger dose for calming. You can also give it to your pets for calming for thunder, fireworks and New Years. Dose; 1 mg per pound... As per our vet.

[Gunfixr]

Only pet we have is a bird, well, but for me I guess.
Anyway, the bird is stark raving mad, so it doesn't really matter.

[GunnerMax]

Epi-pen?

[Gunfixr]

I have so far been unable to acuire any of those, although a couple would be useful.

All first aid kits should have Imodium, or the generic equivalent. Once the SHTF, and our diets take a major and sudden turn, our systems will rebel for a bit.

[msomnipotent]

Vet tape and tea tree oil. Vet tape is like duct tape and an Ace bandage (which is also in my kit), and tea tree oil will disinfect anything better than Lysol can. I also carry liquid band aids. They are just amazing when you need them.

[Evolver]

Snake Bits,

Through your Snake Bit Sucker Kit away and don't use a tourniquet on a bit.

Apply pressure immobilization as quickly as possible; if you wait until symptoms become noticeable you will have missed the best time for treatment. Once a pressure bandage has been applied, it should not be removed until the patient has reached a medical professional. The combination of pressure and immobilization may contain venom so effectively that no symptoms are visible for more than 24 hours, giving the illusion of a dry bite. But this is only a delay; removing the bandage releases that venom into the patient's system with rapid and possibly fatal consequences

Pressure is preferably applied with an elastic bandage, but any cloth will do in an emergency. Bandaging begins two to four inches above the bite (i.e. between the bite and the heart), winding around in overlapping turns and moving up towards the heart, then back down over the bite and past it towards the hand or foot. Then the limb must be held immobile: not used, and if possible held with a splint or sling.

I a SHTF situation... Apply pressure immobilization and pray!

[The Stig]

Snake Bits,

Through your Snake Bit Sucker Kit away and don't use a tourniquet on a bit.

You mean like this one?

http://www.dailyequine.com/horsesaddleshop/kelly-walking-bit.jpg

or this bit?

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/bytes-ch.jpg

Or maybe one of these?

https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3HM-K82K070w7fJGHafD_lYos_k7i7LxFVnBIX3vquocLD1OT

With love,

the resident smart ass.

:cool:

[Evolver]

LOL you got me LOL Bite me smart ass!!! :p

[Sniper-T]

huh?

eta:

serously.... HUH???

I really dont get it?

[Evolver]

I spelt Bit wrong.

[The Stig]

huh?

eta:

serously.... HUH???

I really dont get it?

Instead of saying snake bite, he typed snake bit. Several times.

Thus the mockery.

[izzyscout21]

rotflmao

[Grumpy Old Man]

In lieu of potassium iodate, get a quart of Povidone from the feed store. It can be swabbed on the belly for iodine intake. I may need 2 quarts as I seem to have outgrown some of my clothes.

ETA: It is also a disinfectant and can be used topically on wounds just like betadine.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Honey,
It can be used to keep down infection. (packets are readily available at KFC)


LB you might want to rethink that. At least out here in Kommiefornicastan, the KFC packets are Honey Sauce. The list of ingredients places honey in fourth position, which means that the HFCS, corn syrup and sugar are in greater concentrations than the honey itself.

[GunnerMax]

Here in VA it is honey sauce. Honey is too expensive for them, I assume.

[ipscscott]

Benadryl for allergic reactions, insect bits, Ivy, itchy skin and a larger dose for calming. You can also give it to your pets for calming for thunder, fireworks and New Years. Dose; 1 mg per pound... As per our vet.
Sorry for the necropost, but please double-check that dosing. AFAIK it should be 1mg per kilo (not pound)

[Willie51]

Sorry for the necropost, but please double-check that dosing. AFAIK it should be 1mg per kilo (not pound)

Oh crap, I just gave my 65 lb dog 2 tabs. (25 mg each). According to what you're saying, I should have only given her 1 tablet (2.2 lbs = 1 kilo). We're having a terrible storm right now here in s Florida.

[ipscscott]

Oh crap, I just gave my 65 lb dog 2 tabs. (25 mg each). According to what you're saying, I should have only given her 1 tablet (2.2 lbs = 1 kilo). We're having a terrible storm right now here in s Florida.
Well, she should pretty much sleep right through the storm! I don't think it's going to cause any harm, diphenhydramine is pretty hard to OD on. I've personally known of people back in school who took it "recreationally" for it's hallucinogenic effects and they would FAR exceed the recommended doses (like by a factor of 10-15) so I'm pretty sure your pup will be just fine.

Where in FL are you if you don't mind me asking? Here in CFL we're not getting anything right now.

Whoops, scrap that last. Just saw you said SFL.

[Willie51]

Well my pooch lived through the night and you're right ipscscott, she slept very well.

Diphenhydramine is great stuff to have on hand whether to have in your car, boat, BOB, prep room, etc. And thanks to Evolver, we have a new use for it. :)

[Evolver]

I still stand behind the 1mg per pound.

BENADRYL(Diphenhydramine):
Benadryl is an antihistamine that helps relieve swellings and itching from allergic reactions and is used long-term to treat allergies. The dose is one milligram for every pound given twice daily. (Although safe to use, Benadryl is not very effective in cats, and other antihistamines are more commonly prescribed.)
Benadryl Dosage
Twice daily
Dogs
(1 mg per pound)
weight amount
12 lbs 12 milligrams
25 lbs 25 milligrams
(1 adult capsule)
50 lbs 50 milligrams
(2 adult capsules)
http://www.walkervalleyvet.com/otc-meds.htm



The Average Dosage of Benadryl for Dogs

The average dosage is 1 mg of Diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in plain Benadryl) per 1 lb of weight. Sources also state the maximum limits:

• Up to 30 pound dogs – no more than 10 mg of Benadryl every eight hours.

• 30-50 pound dogs – no more than 25 mg of Benadryl every eight hours.

• 50+ pound dogs – no more than 50 mg of Benadryl every eight hours.

The maximum limit should not be exceeded even if the animal is larger in size, unless prescribed otherwise by your vet. This is similar to Benadryl dosage for horses. A horse may weigh 1000 lb, but you won’t give it 40 tabs at 25mg a piece. In cases of a horse, the maximum limit is 10-15 of the 25 mg Diphenhydramine tabs.

On the other hand, the dosage prescribed may be higher in case of life threatening conditions like anaphylaxis. Call your vet for directions.

http://benadrylfordog.com/benadryl-dosage-for-dogs



Giving your dog Benadryl can help relieve a number of symptoms. Although it can be a useful medicine it's a good idea to check if it will be suitable for your dog before giving it to him. Benadryl is originally designed for humans and too much could be harmful to your dog. Therefore, it's also important to make sure you have the correct dosage for your dog's weight.

Generally, the recommended dosage of Benadryl is 1mg per 1lb of your dog's weight. It should only be given to your dog every 8 hours.

Read more: Giving a Dog Benadryl to Stop Itching - VetInfo

http://www.vetinfo.com/dog-benadyrl-stop-itching.html

[Willie51]

Evolver, I never doubted you buddy. :confused: And I proved you were right. Jenny (my dog's name) did not pull a Michael Jackson on me last night. She awoke just fine. She is doing great!!! :)

[Evolver]

Here is more...

Diphenhydramine should be a part of everyone's first aid kit.
Benadryl, or diphenhydramine, is a first-generation antihistamine. It has been around for a very long time, and it has survived the test of time well, often out-shining newer antihistamines with ease.

While it has some side-effects (pronounced drowsiness being the most common), diphenhydramine is extremely safe for most applications; and even better, most if not all of its interactions and side-effects are known. Note that it is counterindicated when your dog (or your human) has prostatic disease, hyperthyroidism or glaucoma.

There are other, less-common interactions, that you can check via the Related Link below. It is very difficult to give a lethal dose of Benadryl. This most definitely does not mean it's okay to exceed dosing - it's not. It does mean that you are not likely to accidentally kill your dog with a tiny mistake. Having been around so very long, diphenhydramine has a huge list of possible, super-rare, super-unlikely (and probably false) interactions.

For example, there's a mention of a fatality of a patient in class III FDA trials for daptomycin (a tricky, dangerous, powerful antibiotic) who also ingested 650 mg of diphenhydramine (10x the normal dosage for humans, per USA standards). The patient's diagnosis, as well as the reason that doctor choose that massive a dosage - in other words, everything that happened - are excluded from the record. So there's a listed case of Benadryl interacting with daptomycin - even though there's no indication that it actually had an effect. The reason I go into such detail is to illustrate that medications like diphenhydramine have a lot of history, some of it anecdotal. It's a very safe med.

My vet and others I've asked about this specifically say you should administer up to 1 mg/lb every 8 hours (or 3 times a day -- tid). So if you have a 20 lb. dog, it's 20 mg of diphenhydramine. This is higher than the equivalent dose for humans, but nevertheless seems to be the accepted dose for dogs.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_Benadryl_can_you_give_a_dog#ixzz24VgfCwft

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_Benadryl_can_you_give_a_dog

I never post things that I'm not sure of...

[Willie51]

Like I said, we never doubted you buddy and we love our Benadryl. :cool:

[Evolver]

Sorry for the necropost, but please double-check that dosing. AFAIK it should be 1mg per kilo (not pound)

It was directed to Ipscscott and not you Willie. :)

[ak474u]

My sister is a Neo-natal nurse practitioner, when my little boy had RSV, she recommended using diphenhydramine Benadryl Or Dimetapp can't remember which... by the way, it's kinda hard to find here, only 2 brands that actually contain it, and not the other one Dextromorphan, which doesn't act as an expectorant and dry up mucus. The Dr. Didn't give him anything for RSV, and he was coughing like crazy, so my sister said "dry him up" worked like a charm. Benadryl works great for scorpion stings, we carry it around with us on hiking trips for ants, scorpions, bees, etc. my wife had a very bad reaction to a bee sting as a child which may or may not happen next time she gets stung, supposedly you can outgrow certain allergic reactions, but I dont like to roll the dice.