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Go to the source: SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA

Ferfal,

Compliments on the recommendations of antibiotics on amazon. As a former Army officer, and professional in risk analysis, first aid is tremendously important to everyone during our everyday lives. It doesn’t have to take a widespread crisis for life to decide to come take a shit on your head. It happens, and with or without help, your life, or the life of friends around you may depend on what goodies you’ve got to take care of the situation. Here’s a recommended first aid pack list for the expert traveler (which incidentally includes antibiotics) http://www.concierge.com/images/cnt/pdf/UltimateFirstAidKit.pdf -from Conde’ Nast of all people

Bad things happen, and those bad things typically fall into two categories, short term (like a commute to work) and medium/long term (vacation, camping, disaster of some sort). In short term life threatening situations we focus on stabilizing the person and evacuating them to emergency services (hospital, EMTs, Medics). In these short term situations that means “ABCs” (Airway, Breathing, Circulatory) and treat for shock, heatstroke and hypothermia. This is basic first aid stuff that everyone should take the time to learn.

For trauma the focus is on keeping the patient alive and losing blood is a pretty common way in which people die before reaching medical help. The idea is to keep them alive until you can get them to more professional help (hospital etc). I carry a trauma-focused first aid kit in both my wife’s and my car, and my laptop bag/briefcase. The one personally mandatory trauma item I emphasize as a must have isn’t typically in off-the-shelf first aid kits is “QuickClot”, especially anyone who does recreational shooting / hunting. Quickclot is a chemical powder that in the event of someone bleeding out, you stuff a pack of this in the wound which will stop the bleeding. There’s videos on the net demonstrating stopping arterial bleeding on a pig using the stuff. It’s standard issue to US soldiers, and I say a must have for every home. If you can keep someone from bleeding out long enough to get them to a hospital, you can save a life.

At home I would recommend those with any interest in trauma first aid to keep a bag or two of saline as well (especially those that enjoy recreational shooting at off-the-beaten path areas and ranges.  Saline gives volume to someone who’s lost alot of blood, and can help stabilize them.  Giving an IV isn’t that hard.  Even front-line military personnel are trained in giving an IV as part of “combat lifesaver” training. 

As far as the long term, you made a pretty good case for the antibiotics.  To the guy who asked if you could determine a viral vs bacterial infection… well alot of doctors prescribe antibiotics to people who have a cold to make them go away… and that’s a virus.  Just have some common sense, do a cursory amount of research and don’t be a dumbass and you’ll be fine. 

Net: For those who wish to take control of their own destiny, choose not to be a victim and be able to provide basic first aid after a farm, car, construction, home, recreation, shooting, etc accident, it’s a given. 

Regards,

“Black Six”

Quikclot is excellent stuff, thanks for bringing it up. I remember reading about how its saved thousands of lives already, stopping soldiers from bleeding out. A must have in your survival kit and EDC kit too. The QuikClot Trauma Pak has 25gr of quikclot, gauze, dressing, trauma pad, triangular bandage, duct tape, etc, everything you need to stop major bleeding. (video link)

 

Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Packwith QuikClot 

Quikclot Combat Gauze video link 
I really like how this product works, looks easier to manipulate during messy situations.

  

QuikClot Combat Gauze, 4 Yard Roll

A small first aid kit can be carried with you at all times if you have a bag for every day carry. I’d also include a good amount of sterile dressing, a tourniquet and an emergency bandage  (Israeli bandage).

FerFAL