Medical training

Any Military IFAK would have the essentials for trauma.



You can generally buy such kits online at eBay for fairly cheap.

For first aid you could just go with free online courses like here (look at link below) or find one in your local area.

https://www.firstaidforfree.com/

You could also go get an EMT-B certification. Most community colleges have courses and they don’t take that long.

I originally took FA/CPR at my local community college. I have since taken it twice as a first responder at work. I don't know if either of those options are open to you. As far as a kit, online sources have IFAKs, varying in complexity. My advice would be to carry compression/gauze pads, ACE bandage and/or waterproof tape, and nitrile gloves. Also nice are a knife/multitool, bandages, aspirin, and antibiotic and burn relief ointments. But, above all, carry what you are trained in and comfortable with, and don't carry or guess with unfamiliar equipment. A misused tourniquet can be more dangerous than an unused one.

badkarmamib said:

A misused tourniquet can be more dangerous than an unused one.

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Training and practice in tourniquet-use is invaluable. Significant limb-bleeds aren't something to improvise with a belt or just apply pressure to like on tv. Get a CAT or Sof T, and dont trust knock-offs. But with training, one shouldn't hesitate to use a tourniquet when appropriate. The negative effects can be treated when the victim gets to the er.

I would suggest a course because skills like packing a shoulder or groin wound or sealing a chest wound may be difficult to practice right with only online resources. Kinda like learning to shoot by only reading forums.

Browning said:

Any Military IFAK would have the essentials for trauma.

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I would bet an IFAK has too much for your standard lay civilian to deal with trauma. I would not want someone fumbling with their new IFAK and not knowing what the large needle in there is for ie Tension pneumothorax. Something I have had to do overseas. 0/5 stars, would not recommend. A few tourniquets, at least 1. 2 or 3 pressure bandages with some anti coagulant (Quick-clot) is a very good starting point for most types of bullet or knife trauma that anyone can be trained on.

A good course would also help you put together a specific, carryable kit.

I recently went to a course run by Tactical Defense Institute which included good first response training, but most of my training is from volunteering with a backcountry search and rescue.

Most of these events occur in towns where EMS is nearly immediately available. Hold pressure on the wound til EMS arrives. CPR in the setting of penetrating trauma is an essentially useless endeavor. Do it if you want to, but a patient that bleeds out in the field and has cardiac arrest is highly unlikely to be salvageable. I don't see how a kit is going to improve upon just holding direct pressure. I'd save my money.

I have taken the standard Military basic training years ago. Later took the basic Red Cross Course's. I think the basics are necessary stop the bleeding, check for bleeding etc. But also to learn how to aid a "Sucking Chest Wound".

Everyone should take the basic Red Course. Even treating a allergy that can cause a child to suffocate from just being around something as simple as Peanuts. How to be careful of Blood Contamination etc. We live in dangerous times. And you can bet it is going to get worse not better.

I have been a first responder at work for decades. It's a good thing to know. I think the Red Cross gives this training.

Imagine if our schools, instead of teaching so much of the nonsense that gets taught today, actually taught valuable real world skills that could save lives. I won't get into the subjects that are off topic but I've always thought it would be cool if high schoolers were taught about things such as tourniquets etc.

The military teaches the MARCH algorithm for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC):
Massive hemorrhage
Airway
Respiratory
Circulation
Hypothermia
Each soldier was issued kits that contained the items needed for another TRAINED team mate to treat serious wounds while under fire. This was not just training for medics, it was for everyone- part of the reason was to take lifesaving steps as a "grunt" while your medic may be overtasked with a more serious casualty- or the medic may be a casualty himself. This is serious stuff, and its pretty advanced training for nonmedical personnel. When, where, and how to use tourniquets, HALO seals, stuff a gaping wound with kerlix, employ clotting agents, insert a nasal airway through someone's nose, stick someone in their intercostal space with a chest dart to relieve a pneumothorax, or cut into their neck for a cric are all tasks where the person doing it REALLY needs to know what they are doing. So get some validated training.
FWIW, it was determined that casualties bleeding out has been the most common cause of fatalities on the battlefield. Tourniquets are considered the "first resort" now when someone has sprung a significant leak.

Tactical Response and Gunstite offer courses. I think the local colleges are a great idea and you get to hold a certification. Can any of you Military Medics tell me why my ASVAB didnt qualify me for 68W (Medic?) but I was cleared for (68D) surgical tech?

herrwalther said:

I would bet an IFAK has too much for your standard lay civilian to deal with trauma. I would not want someone fumbling with their new IFAK and not knowing what the large needle in there is for ie Tension pneumothorax. Something I have had to do overseas. 0/5 stars, would not recommend. A few tourniquets, at least 1. 2 or 3 pressure bandages with some anti coagulant (Quick-clot) is a very good starting point for most types of bullet or knife trauma that anyone can be trained on.

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Not all IFAK kits offered online have needle compression kits. That’s an advanced skill and should be treated as such. You can kill someone doing that procedure if you don’t know what you’re doing or at the very least greatly complicate their care (that basically buys them a chest tube).

I was more talking about the bandages, hemostatic agents, the NPA, tourniquet, tape, gloves and chest seal along with a first aid course.

http://www.naemt.org/docs/default-s...iquets-and-hemostatic-dressings.pptx?sfvrsn=2

Browning said:

Not all IFAK kits offered online have needle compression kits. That’s an advanced skill and should be treated as such. You can kill someone doing that procedure if you don’t know what you’re doing or at the very least greatly complicate their care (that basically buys them a chest tube).

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I agree. A full IFAK is a great kit for someone trained in every component. Even then, for swapping out parts it is still a good starting point.

herrwalther said:

I agree. A full IFAK is a great kit for someone trained in every component. Even then, for swapping out parts it is still a good starting point.

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Exactly. It’s a starting point. Buy it and swap stuff out for your skill level. The average person is more likely the use whatever they’re familiar with. That usually means gauze, tape and ACE bandages. They can take some things out and add things.

Most IFAK don’t come with trauma shears, add those. Add in gauze and an ACE bandage if you want. If you can’t see the wound you can’t do an adequate assessment and treat it effectively. Remove clothing or cut it (I’m speaking more in the vein of gunshot wounds), visualize what you’re dealing with and go from there.

I’ve been in EMS since 1997 and while I’ve run across some layman bandaging and even a tourniquet or two I’ve never run on a call where someone has darted a chest. Some of our district is in the county with deer and hog hunting opportunities.

Our response times out there are in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 min at its furthest point off road.

We generally fly those out because of transport times to Baylor, Methodist or Parkland. The chances of someone needing to do that even out in the near boonies is pretty slim. In the city or the burbs it’s almost nonexistent. In most situations we'll be there pretty quick.

I’m not as worried about people doing too much as much as I’m worried about them doing too little. Most people know that sticking a large bore catheter in someone’s rib cage without adequate training is a bad idea.

The problem is they freeze and/or they don’t want to dive into the goo because they’re squeamish.

The biggest mistake I see with the average Joe is not wanting to remove or cut clothing and visualize what’s going on and at least put a great deal of pressure on the wound because they’re afraid of “Making it worse”. If your buddy has a .308 hole going out his back and out through his chest it’s not going to get much worse.

Take their clothes off and at least put pressure. If it’s in an extremity and there’s a spurting bleeder do a wide tourniquet and keep cranking down until the bleeding stops and there isn’t a pulse in the affected limb.

If we think it needs to be removed we’ll do so when we get there.

Balrog said:

Most of these events occur in towns where EMS is nearly immediately available.

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"Nearly immediately" is probably at least 3 minutes, but IAC they are not allowed in until the cops have secured the scene. Besides which, it's my understanding that a person can bleed out in as little as 30 seconds if shot just right. I am not knowledgeable about this stuff but it's at the top of my list to learn.

I haven't read the replies so far. Tampons are great bullet-wound-pluggers.
Other than that, direct pressure over the wound and keep the patient as calm as possible. Phone the professionals - should be your first response.
DO. NOT. Torniquet.

Arterial wounds you probably have at best 5 minutes to get a professional.
If gut shot and it's bleeding black, that's liver. 10 minutes.

Most knife wounds will be stabbings and generally gut/lung. You can survive a collapsed lung as long as you vent it so you don't drown in your own blood. Most gut stabs are trivial. A kidney hit will put you in shock within 3 minutes.

You may be surprised how many bullets the human body can take and survive.

MihiT said:

I haven't read the replies so far. Tampons are great bullet-wound-pluggers.
Other than that, direct pressure over the wound and keep the patient as calm as possible. Phone the professionals - should be your first response.
DO. NOT. Torniquet.

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You need to update your training and info past 1965. Tampons are a terrible idea for GSW's and TQ's are now standard procedure for extremity hemorrhage. Tons of updated, proven information available on this.

shafter said:

Imagine if our schools, instead of teaching so much of the nonsense that gets taught today, actually taught valuable real world skills that could save lives. I won't get into the subjects that are off topic but I've always thought it would be cool if high schoolers were taught about things such as tourniquets etc.

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They would not be interested. They teach drivers ED and the dangers of driving while text messaging and it does nothing for the vast majority. They could care less about the dangers. You would just bore them.

KY DAN said:

Can anyone recommend a course that may be offered or possible a kit that would at least have what maybe needed?

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Greg Ellifritz teaches an excellent medical class geared specifically toward these scenarios. https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/available-classes Taking a class will help you select the components of a medical kit intelligently, and you'll actually know how to use them. In the mean time, buy a Dark Angel Medical kit, https://darkangelmedical.com/d-a-r-k-trauma-kit/ and two extra TQ's, one as a backup and one for practice.

And leave the Tampons for vaginal and nose bleeds. They aren't for bullet wounds.

old lady new shooter said:

"Nearly immediately" is probably at least 3 minutes, but IAC they are not allowed in until the cops have secured the scene. Besides which, it's my understanding that a person can bleed out in as little as 30 seconds if shot just right. I am not knowledgeable about this stuff but it's at the top of my list to learn.

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Right. Holding pressure is about all you are going to be able to do in that setting. How reasonable is it to take a trauma kit to Wal Mart? If you run out to your vehicle to get your bag, are you really then going to run back into a situation that the police have not yet secured???

Balrog said:

Right. Holding pressure is about all you are going to be able to do in that setting. How reasonable is it to take a trauma kit to Wal Mart? If you run out to your vehicle to get your bag, are you really then going to run back into a situation that the police have not yet secured???

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Many shopping malls now have a CPR kit onsite. Walmarts seem to get more shootings than other stores, maybe every Walmart could have a trauma kit onsite. But certainly if you're organizing a security team for your church a trauma kit and appropriate training should be part of the plan.

I also once saw a video where the presenter had the minimum basics in a pouch about 4" x 4", the type with a velcro strap to attach to the same belt you carry your gun on.

Balrog said:

Right. Holding pressure is about all you are going to be able to do in that setting. How reasonable is it to take a trauma kit to Wal Mart? If you run out to your vehicle to get your bag, are you really then going to run back into a situation that the police have not yet secured???

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Depends on what location inside the Walmart they’re shot in.

By the pharmacy? Just run and grab supplies off the shelf.

They even apparently sell tourniquets.

https://www.walmart.com/search/?page=1&query=tourniquet&typeahead=tourni

Back by the sporting goods section? There’s quick clot and outdoor medical kits.

If they’re back by the electronics though that’s it. They’re a goner for sure.