First Aid Kits

[Rogerborg]

Not case law example but it would appear that there is potential for a negligence claim.

There's always potential for an ambulance chaser to bill you for their time, but I strongly suspect that if they prevail against an untrained good Samaritan (rather than a professional whose indemnity insurance settles out of court), then it'll be the first time.  I'm sure there will be a first time, eventually - I mean, nobody thought unpaid amateur volunteer referees would be held liable, until Vowles - but it's not a concern that would put me off having a go if someone is spurting or choking or taking a no-pulse-sleep.

 

[Haru]

having seen Dog Soldiers one too many times

great movie

 

[Tackle]

As has been said, it's all very well to load up with the fancy kit, but knowing how to use it is far more important, so if ever offered first aid courses on any level, especially if works paying for them, take them, you might make all the difference one day. 

To the same degree, within reason, someone with training can utilise all sorts of non medical items in order to stabilise a situation, case in point, when a colleague of mine had been shot, properly shot lol, standard wound dressings wouldn't do the job, but packing the wound with my own Compton & Webb beret stopped him bleeding out. 

Fucker still owes me a new beret ?

 

[gavinkempsell]

Been a First aider in my work for nearly 20 years now, all because a colleague had a seizure close to the end of our shift, I only had my basic TA training from over a decade previously and managed to help/avoid the situation worsening then realized there were no first aiders on our nightshift. Kinda embarassed to say I don't carry a first aid kit of any kind outside of working hours.

Time I changed that...

 

[Duff Beer]

As has been said, it's all very well to load up with the fancy kit, but knowing how to use it is far more important, so if ever offered first aid courses on any level, especially if works paying for them, take them, you might make all the difference one day. 

To the same degree, within reason, someone with training can utilise all sorts of non medical items in order to stabilise a situation, case in point, when a colleague of mine had been shot, properly shot lol, standard wound dressings wouldn't do the job, but packing the wound with my own Compton & Webb beret stopped him bleeding out. 

Fucker still owes me a new beret ?

Ever since Maddox fell out the back of the Landy at Dover onto his M4 I’ve carried an IFAK.  I can still the subcutaneous fat from the wound

 

[Dan Robinson]

From UK law.co.uk:

What is negligent first aid?

Negligent first refers to cases where this type of treatment is given in a manner that is below acceptable standards or harmful.

Can first aiders be held liable?

If you have suffered preventable harm because you were administered first aid that you think was negligent call our advisors who will assess your case for free. 

Not case law example but it would appear that there is potential for a negligence claim.

The key word there though is "negligent".  Unless you're trying things like a tracheostomy, applying  a tourniquet, plaster or splint isn't going to get you in trouble. 

Anyway,  as any good tradesman knows.  The only first aid kit you need is a bit of leccy tape and some bog roll.

 

[Rogerborg]

The only first aid kit you need is a bit of leccy tape

What colour works best?

 

[Lozart]

What colour works best?

Black. Obvs.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've also had success with Blue.  Yellow and green are a bit shite - White gets dirty too easily.

 

[mightyjebus]

From UK law.co.uk:

What is negligent first aid?

Negligent first refers to cases where this type of treatment is given in a manner that is below acceptable standards or harmful.

Can first aiders be held liable?

If you have suffered preventable harm because you were administered first aid that you think was negligent call our advisors who will assess your case for free. 

Not case law example but it would appear that there is potential for a negligence claim.

And this is probably a good point to get across in this topic. Leave first aid to trained professional if at all possible. If they need your help they will ask for it.

To give an example, an old bloke, not unlike myself, falls over and stops breathing. You arrive on the scene and decide to administer chest compressions after doing the ABC's. Now some of the older gentlemen on here will jump in with 15 and 2, some of the slightly younger peeps will go for straight compressions and the new kids on the block will be doing 30 and 2 as per the current guidelines. It turns out that it was in vain and the old fella never recovers. sad times all round.

Now, the old fella was a top bloke but his family turn out to be arseholes. All 3 options above showed a willingness to preserve life but only 1 was concurrent with the latest guidelines so anyone doing either of the first 2 could be liable to a negligence claim. probably most of you reading this will be thinking, "I'd do it anyway" which is the right answer but just remember the world is full of arseholes.

Also don't be handing out over the counter drugs to people as you have no idea of their medical history or what other medication they may have taken.

 

[Jacob Wright]

Some great replies here, and honestly I didn’t expect this much!

I guess the take away message is: carry the basics, but be trained in it. 
 

As I’m an Ambulance Tech I carry a trauma kit with dressing, CAT tourniquet, gloves and pulse ox on my vest, with a standard FAK on my belt. 
 

Would 100% advise people to get trained, I’ve been in too many situations at work and elsewhere where literally having the basics could have made so much more difference. 
 

Get training, be fit peeps.

 

[Dan Robinson]

It's been a while since I had official First Aid training - it might even be as long ago as being at university (24 years) when I was a counsellor - where we had to potentially deal with anything from pissheads falling over after the bars shut through to suicide attempts and campus muggins.

Thankfully it was always pissheads... Or Stoners knocking on the door looking for Rizzlas because they knew there was always two people  on duty. ?

 

[Davet]

3. Cardiovascular, and specifically a myocardial infarction. The one thing I always carry for that, everywhere, is aspirin, and I'd advocate it for everyone. eBay "keyring pill holder" or similar, buy a bunch, pop a couple of aspirin in them and pass them out to friends and family, please.

I’d caution against giving drugs, over-the-counter or otherwise, to somebody unless you’re trained and licensed to do so or it’s the casualty’s own supply and you’re assisting them to take it, eg. GTN, insulin, etc.

If you do, have you diagnosed the issue correctly and are you giving the appropriate drug/dose or are you about to make things worse, without knowing the patient’s medical history?  And you are effectively then prescribing the drug.

Personally, I carry an IFAK with CAT, Celox, Russell or Fox chest seal, Israeli bandage, NPA. In the car, more of that, plus various size OPAs and I-gels, BVM, gauze bandages various sizes, pulse ox, ATMIST cards plus chinagraph pencil and an AED. I’m trained, licensed and regulated to carry and use it.The only stuff I don’t have, that I do at work, is Penthrox and O2.

To paraphrase the Flannel Daddy “get some training”.

 

[Tiercel]

I pop a bog standard hikers first aid kit pouch from generic outdoors store of your choice in a pouch because its small and Im unlikely to need anything more than a few plasters and maybe a bandage. Anything needing more kit than that can wait til the marshals bring a proper first aid kid. 

I keep a more advanced kit in my car (or if its an all day game or huge game site pop it in a backpack) which contains a few trauma dressings, tourniquet and IV kit with a bottle of IV paracetamol. I am a registered paramedic so know what I'm doing with them  as generally sites tend to be miles away from anywhere, so its going to be a long wait for an ambulance if someone stacks it down a hill and snaps their leg or something, so I can at least get some pain relief into them whilst waiting, plus then IV access already established for the ambo crew to give anything else.

However I would probably only be comfortable doing that to my mates who know I actually am trained and know what Im doing, and not just some random Ricky Rescue wannabe trying to stick needles in people.

I generally try not to get involved in medical issues on a game day as I feel its not my place to, unless I can see its a particularly bad one or someone is doing something completely wrong (like the site "first aider" who was trying to put a stick in someones mouth to "stop them swallowing their tongue" having a seizure). 

 

[Duff Beer]

I generally try not to get involved in medical issues on a game day as I feel its not my place to, unless I can see its a particularly bad one or someone is doing something completely wrong (like the site "first aider" who was trying to put a stick in someones mouth to "stop them swallowing their tongue" having a seizure). 

I’m very fortunate in that the team at my local are either Blue Light or trained by them.  This is also a part of why I’m comfortable carrying an IFAK on site; if I’m not in a position to use it on me I’m confident that they are and would do so sensibly should the need arise.

Having seen them spring into action when the need arose (nothing serious, I think someone did a leg or an ankle) they were next to the player with the quad and a trailer within two minutes, with no panic and professionalism.
 

One thing that I do carry on my IFAK which I missed out from my earlier list was a Green Chemlight.  At the Black Site it’s very dark, so green is used exclusively by marshals to identify themselves and/or casualties (Green is safe).  Whilst it’s forbidden to use green illumination if you’re not a marshal, should the worst happen it’ll make finding the casualty easier (and also stop them getting drilled in the dark) until help arrives.

 

[SheriffHD]

Something worth for any first aid kit - aspirin. If you suspect someone might be having heart attack/chest pain popping an aspirin will buy some time.

My first aid kit has;

BP cuff, stethoscope, pulse oximeter, burn gel, ice pack, saline, gauze, bandage, tourniquet, gloves, notepad pen, trauma scissors and regular scissors and a two finger mobile EKG.

And an assortment of paracetamol, ibroprofin, aspirin, glucose tabs, plasters.

And it all fits in a nice little viper pouch that unfolds which is pretty nifty.

 

[Cannonfodder]

Something worth for any first aid kit - aspirin. If you suspect someone might be having heart attack/chest pain popping an aspirin will buy some time.

See the quote below

I’d caution against giving drugs, over-the-counter or otherwise, to somebody unless you’re trained and licensed to do so or it’s the casualty’s own supply and you’re assisting them to take it, eg. GTN, insulin, etc.

If you do, have you diagnosed the issue correctly and are you giving the appropriate drug/dose or are you about to make things worse, without knowing the patient’s medical history?  And you are effectively then prescribing the drug.

 

[mightyjebus]

Something worth for any first aid kit - aspirin. If you suspect someone might be having heart attack/chest pain popping an aspirin will buy some time.

No it probably won't help. It would need to travel to the stomach and then take time to break down in same doses as it enters the bloodstream. Chewing an asprin is much better as you break it down quicker and likely to have more effect on the condition.

 

[Rogerborg]

Also don't be handing out over the counter drugs to people as you have no idea of their medical history or what other medication they may have taken.

Mmm, the only thing I carry and would hand over is aspirin, and only for the symptoms of acute MI.  From recent experience, if you call 111 and report a sudden spike in blood pressure, let alone chest or left arm pain and shortness of breath, they'll tell you chew 300mg while the ambulance is on the way.

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

15 and 2, some of the slightly younger peeps will go for straight compressions and the new kids on the block will be doing 30 and 2 as per the current guidelines. 

The current guidelines from St John's Ambulance are straight compressions.

Also, the current guidelines from St John's Ambulance are 30 compressions, 2 breaths.

?‍

 

[SSPKali]

Mmm, the only thing I carry and would hand over is aspirin, and only for the symptoms of acute MI.  From recent experience, if you call 111 and report a sudden spike in blood pressure, let alone chest or left arm pain and shortness of breath, they'll tell you chew 300mg while the ambulance is on the way.

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

The current guidelines from St John's Ambulance are straight compressions.

Also, the current guidelines from St John's Ambulance are 30 compressions, 2 breaths.

?‍

While FREC guidelines are just compressions, but a BVM or O2 (15L/m) are helpful ??

While the BeeGees “Stayin’ alive” is the right rhythm so is Queen’s “Another one bites the dust” - just sing it in your head ?