Car First Aid Kit

[Skean Dhude]

I'm looking at revamping my Car First Aid Kit. I have a large black bag, similar to a Doctors bag, with a lot in it at the moment and with more experience I don't see a lot of the items as relevant. What is the recommended it list for a Car Kit for a Family?

[Scythe13]

Personally I have one of those kits from Halfords. That's what I used to sort my finger out when I chopped off my knuckle, so I'm a fan of them.

To be fair, about 80% or more of a car FAC could easily be sorted out with a load of bandages. With it being cars, take burns into account, and that's well over 85% of injuries in and around cars sorted out.

The main injuries in car incidents are cuts, breaks, internal damage (not something I'm able to work with), whiplash (a neck brace it about it for that), and spinal compressions. You'll get small burns from an air-bag surface (friction burns). Dislocations...uncommon. But that's it.

As long as your kit covers that, you have 95%+ covered.

[PreparednessUK]

You should ask a paramedic for advice I bought a basic car kit and added stuff I found missing eg painkillers eye wash etc. trainers also say don't buy stuff your not trained to use. I have done one of those 4 day courses it was geared towards festival work eg people drugged up drunk and beaten up along with the normal stuff better than a normal first aid stuff I have done

[bigpaul]

I carry one of those first aid kits I got from Sids Surplus in the car!

[Lanky Yankee]

I carry in my nonwork car kit:

5-#1 dressings
5-#2 dressings
5- packets of gauze
1- 1L bottle of water for irrigation and wet dressings
2- space blankets
1- flash light
1- tough cut scissors(good for cutting seat belts and clothes)
1- window breaker
5- burns dressings various sizes
2- packs of steri strips

I don't carry any cervical collars with me. I'm work on a paramedic car, so I respond to calls by myself. Usually when i turn up to car accidents, i'll tell the people not to move their heads. Once you go down the route of cervical collars then someone will have to hold their head still until the ambulance arrives.

Also if you use your kit at a accident, ask the ambulance crew to replace it while they are there. As long as they are not too busy working on the patient. I routinely replace peoples equipment. It's just nice to do and a good way to keep everything fresh.

[Skean Dhude]

(19 October 2013, 17:22)Lanky Yankee Wrote: IAlso if you use your kit at a accident, ask the ambulance crew to replace it while they are there. As long as they are not too busy working on the patient. I routinely replace peoples equipment. It's just nice to do and a good way to keep everything fresh.

Bugger.I've used mine once in an accident I came across and when the ambuance arrived I just left. I was kind of annoyed that I had to fund it but the guy wasn't really in the position to sign a cheque. Never occured to me to ask the ambulance crew.

The others have never involved an ambulance at all. Just me funding idiots who don't even have the courtesy to replace the kit. I'm now a lot more careful.