From the media coverage, you’d think that the heart had bounced out of the cooler and was flopping around on the sidewalk. The organ was triple wrapped in plastic and protected from the elements. It’s embarrassing to the “medics” involved, but neither the heart nor the recipient suffered any injury. Both are together and doing fine.

Mrs. TOTWTYTR wanted to know if the five second rule applied, but I told her I didn’t think so.

Oh, and I don’t know that the people doing the transfer were “medics” doctors, nurses, or UPS guys. Chances are that the media doesn’t know either. Which is typical of the laziness that passes for journalism these days.

Part 1 generated a lot of comments, all of them good, with some great suggestions. Since not everyone reads comments, I thought I’d take some of the suggestions and make a second post. Besides, it’s an easy way to generate another post!

First a suggestion. In doing research of various things, I’ve found that Amazon has a lot of these items and those on my original list as well. It’s amazing what they have.

One thing I forgot about and should have had on the list was some sort of emergency dental kit. A broken tooth or denture or even a filling that falls out can result in agony. Absent bringing a dentist with you,  you should consider  an emergency dental kit. You can make your own, using Oil of Clove and zinc oxide for filling material, or you can buy a commercial kit. Buy a few basic dental tools (mirror, pick, spatulas) and you have the makings of an emergency kit. Oil of Clove numbs the nerves, but be aware that it also kills them. A root canal will probably be needed when you return to civilization or civilization returns to you. If that isn’t likely an extraction might be in order, but I’m not going to go into that much detail here.

Two ideas from reader tlczek,

1. My ice pack at home are these little freezable pouches (reuseable ice cubes) about the size of large ice cubes (mine happen to be Thermos brand) that I keep in a plastic bag. They also sell smallish sheets of them. Both are really convenient for icing injuries and last about as long as water ice. This may be a good option if you’re going somewhere that may not have ice cubes readily available, but a place you can freeze things.

2. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for allergic reactions or sedation. Obviously it’s not as good as epi for allergies or a benzodiazepine for sedation, but it’s safer and easy to pack away. (Plus, it’s non prescription) Again, it depends on your environment, but in unknown territory, you don’t know what can cause an allergic reaction. Benadryl could keep an airway open long enough to help.

As I noted in the original post, Benadryl is excellent for a number of things. Also, if you or someone in your party have allergies, get a prescription for Epi Pens.

OldNFO and Danny have suggested feminine hygeine supplies for emergency bandages. Even if you don’t use them as bandages, it’s a good idea to have them along for their original purpose. Just in case you have females in your group and they didn’t plan to be without them when it was the time they needed them.

Mule Breath suggests benzoin and/or betadine if you are going to carry Steristrips. Betadine is a pretty good antiseptic for cleaning wounds. I’d suggest that these and any other liquids be stored in zip lock bags, separately.

Medic3 suggests super glue, but it might be worth it to spend a bit more and get the medical grade Dermabond.

Dave H points to contact lens saline solution as good substitute for bottled saline. It’s sterile and slightly pressured which makes it good for irrigating wounds. He also points to a thread on the NYShooters Forum that lists a number of references for what to do when no doctor is around. Some of those references are free, some cost. Dave also recommends the Boy Scout First Aid book.

A number of readers have suggested some sort of clotting agent for wounds that are bleeding a lot. I’m not completely convinced on this yet, but it’s certainly worth considering.

Divemedic suggests Immodium in addition to Pepto Bismol and Space Blankets. His reasoning for Immodium is if the Pepto doesn’t control the diarrhea, then dehydration will kill the patient well before any bacteria. Space Blankets are a great supplement for regular blankets because they help to preserve heat. They are not a replacement, though.

Greg Friese writes,

A few weeks ago The Feral Irishman sent me an email asking for suggestions for a The End Of The World As We Know It first aid kit. He was looking for something that he could take with him if he had to bug out in a hurry. I thought about it and asked a couple of people what they would suggest and came up with a list. Granted, it’s not really for TEOTWAWKI, it’s more for use around the house or when camping or even in your car if you’re on the road a lot. It’s by no means all encompassing and I’m sure some of my readers will have suggestions for changes and additions. At least I hope so. I’ve even made a couple of changes since I sent my reply to the email.

Here is the slightly expanded list with some comments added.

4×3 dressings (sometimes 4×4 depending on who makes them) Good for covering wounds too big for a band aid.

5×9 dressings A bit more absorbent than 4x3s. And obviously bigger.

One or two trauma dressings These are big and cover a wide area. Very absorbent, but if you have a would big enough to need this, you are out of do it yourself territory.

Tape in various sizes, but remember if you have two inch wide tape you can always cut it down. There are various types, but I like the “Durapore” surgical tape because it combines strength with flexibility and it sticks well. You can also get “cloth” tape, but I’ve never found it to stick as well. Get some “Coban” too if you can find it. It’s stretchy and sticky, good for people who are sweaty.

Band aids in various sizes. Get a big box, you’ll likely use a lot of them.

Steristrips They work well when you need something to hold a wound together and don’t have access to sutures. If you know how to suture, then get some various sizes of suturing material as well.

Ace wraps The come in 3″ and 6″ sizes, get a couple of both sizes. In addition to being good for sprains and strains, they form a nice compression bandage to hold dressings in place over open wounds. They are also great for the “swath” part of a “sling and swath” immobilizer, much better than gauze or another cravat.

Roller gauze bandage Good for holding dressings on arms and legs. Comes in various sizes, but can be cut to size so get a biggest ones you can find.

Triangular bandages, also known as Cravats. Good for making slings and holding things in place. Get a few of these as well.

Tourniquet  There are a number that can be placed one handedly, which will help if you are injured and alone. Keep in mind that you need to get to a doctor fairly quickly to avoid permanent damage. An injury that is serious enough to need a tourniquet is likely to need surgery. Or at least a surgeon to sew up the wound. There is the co called “Israeli bandage” and other brands.

Sterile water, although you can always boil it if you have to. Good for cleaning wounds. Avoid hydrogen peroxide as it can cause tissue injury and slow healing.

Antibiotic cream Good for smaller wounds to keep them from getting infected.

Pepto Bismol Good for diarrhea and nausea or vomiting. Better than Immodium if you aren’t going to be able to get to a doctor for a few days. Immodium can trap bacteria in your gut which can lead to serious problems. Pepto Bismol also calms down nausea and vomiting, which Immodium won’t.

Tylenol and Motrin They do different things and work in different ways. Tylenol works better for me, other people like Motrin (and related drugs) better. The big difference is that Motrin can cause stomach upset.

Pocket Mask Good if you have to give mouth to mouth.

Gloves. Get various sizes. They protect you and the patient from each other. Exam gloves are fine, they are clean but not sterile.

SAM Splint We don’t use them, but they are very versatile and I’ve used them in training classes. You can get the original orange ones, or the tacticool military ones. Get a couple of different sizes.

Vaseline Gauze Good for chest wounds, although if someone has a chest wound serious enough to require this, they are going to require a surgeon and a hospital.

Also, put aside a couple of blankets and some sheets and towels. They don’t need to be sterile, but you want them clean and sealed against the environment. Get army style wool blankets and cheap white sheets. Put them into a large zip lock bag or if you have a way to vacuum seal the bag, do that. Keep in mind that injured or ill people should be kept warm so you’ll want blankets under them as well as on top of them. You can also get disposable blankets, but personally I like stuff that can be rewashed and reused. Some sort of ground cloth too if you are going to be outside.

An eye wash kit is a good idea too. You can get them commercially. Don’t get an “eye wash station”, because they aren’t portable.

I’m not a big fan of commercial “ice packs” since they only last about ten minutes or so. At home I use zip lock bags and ice cubes. Put in a bit of water to keep the cubes from sticking and you have an ice pack that will last for hours. Don’t forget to put a dry face cloth or towel between the injured area and the ice pack.

Antiseptic towelettes Good for cleaning up areas covered with blood that aren’t part of the injured area. Or cleaning your hands for that matter.

Scissors Trauma sheers to be exact. Get a couple of sets.

Medications If you are a family member are on prescription medications, be sure that you have an adequate supply to get you through for a while. How long that will be, it’s hard to predict. I suggest at least a weeks supply, just in case you can’t get to a pharmacy.

Also a first aid course, one tailored to wilderness medicine if possible. You might not be out in the woods, but in a civil disaster of large enough proportions you might as well be because the infrastructure most of us rely on is going to be disrupted or just plain gone. Just having the knowledge is worth while, even if you can’t use all of it.

Update: Two ideas from reader tlczek,

1. My ice pack at home are these little freezable pouches about the size of large ice cubes (mine happen to be Thermos brand) that I keep in a plastic bag. They also sell smallish sheets of them. Both are really convenient for icing injuries and last about as long as water ice. This may be a good option if you’re going somewhere that may not have ice cubes readily available, but a place you can freeze things.

2. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for allergic reactions or sedation. Obviously it’s not as good as epi for allergies or a benzodiazepine for sedation, but it’s safer and easy to pack away. (Plus, it’s non prescription) Again, it depends on your environment, but in unknown territory, you don’t know what can cause an allergic reaction. Benadryl could keep an airway open long enough to help.