What should be in a trauma bag

For those of you, who haven't had the pleasure of using standard issue military toilet paper, you may not know that it's sometimes referred to as John Wayne paper because it's tough and doesn't take crap off anyone. When things go wrong and we are faced with life-threatening extremity hemorrhage, we should always plan and hope to have a manufactured tourniquet.

When my friend Bill Harris asked me to write an article for Trauma Monkeys. I was honored and torn. Torn because I never deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. What in the hell would I write about? TM Blog. TCCC Guidlines. TCCC Guidelines. TECC Guidelines. Wound Packer. Enhanced Pneumothorax Needle. Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet.

Tourniquet Training Manikin. True clot Wound Packer. Respiratory Distress. Enhanced Decompression Needle. Firemans Carry. Trunk Monkey. Real Trauma Monkey. Absorbency is the devil Bobby.

Slow Motion Live Fire. Stump Dressing. Easy Sling. April 2, This is the number one absolute must have item. Can't I just improvise a tourniquet?

How many Tourniquets should I carry? Which Tourniquet should I buy? Victims on the scene will most likely be suffering from traumatic injuries, such as gunshot wounds, which means you must protect yourself from blood and other bodily fluids during treatment.

Disposable gowns may not be practical in the tactical setting, but make sure your eyes, face, and hands are protected during patient contact. Like any medical emergency, tactical treatment begins with a patient assessment. You'll need the fundamentals to complete your assessment and measure vital signs, including:. When you think tactical scenarios, think traumatic injuries. You're not going to be treating chronic conditions, such as COPD or asthma.

Tactical medicine is aimed at life-threatening injuries associated with scenes of violence—in other words, trauma. Your trauma supplies must include enough provisions to handle extensive wounds. Your bag should contain:. Your goal is to stop the bleeding and stabilize the patient for removal, so be sure to include plenty of trauma supplies in case there are multiple patients.

Just like your assessment equipment, you'll have to streamline your airway gear. This includes:. Think you have everything you need in your tactical medical kit? Download a copy of this list for the next time you're getting ready to head out into the field by filling out the form below.

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Quick Take: How behavioral health crisis calls are handled in the dispatch center. Is ketamine a problem lying in wait at your agency? Email Print Comment. Learn more. Four injured in Dallas-area school shooting. Rookie D. To be prepared for emergencies: Keep a first aid kit in your home and in your car. Carry a first aid kit with you or know where you can find one. Find out the location of first aid kits where you work.

Whether you buy a first aid kit or put one together, make sure it has all the items you may need: Include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest.

Check the kit regularly.