Medical Kit--Truck

Yesterday I gave a list of what is in my home "could be anyone's" medical kit. Today I thought I would share what I carry in my truck. My truck kit has a warm/hot weather side and a cold weather side. Since we are going into hot weather, I'll start with that one.

Warm/Hot Weather "Could be Anyone's" Medical Kit Vehicle
Various sized non-latex band aids
non-latex blister band aids
2x2 sterile gauze pads
4x4 sterile gauze pads
6x9 sterile pads
abdominal pads
"puppy training pads"--for anything requiring a lot of absorbency such as major wound, water breaking for a pregnant woman, etc
rolled gauze sterile
eye pads
triangle bandage
white wash cloths
ace bandages
"SAM" splits--these are flexible aluminum padded with foam. In case of a sprain or break, this serves to stabilize the affected limb.
antibiotic CREAM
antibacterial gel
q-tips
scissors
duct tape--does wonders for getting out stingers, stickers, bull nettles, etc. slide the tape so it pulls the object out the way it went in. The object will usually slide right out of the skin. NEVER use tweezers to take out a stinger. Stingers have little bulbs at the end that keep pumping toxin. If you use tweezers, they squeeze the bulb and release all that toxin. Duct tape does not. I have bright patterns, so I don't lose it camping or in the dark, btw.
Sting-Ease
Suntan lotion--for us and others
aloe product
ice packs--the kind that get cold when you crush them
Benadryl--as an EMR, I cannot distribute this to a patient. However, I can tell a parent I have it and let them get it out of my purse or bag and distribute it.
Ibuprofen--I cannot give it to anyone else, but if my child need it, I have it.
sugar packets
aspirin
Anti Monkey Butt powder--We camp and hike. Sweat can be unkind, and chaffing burns. This is great stuff.
non-latex gloves
safety blanket--the metallic reflective kind
3 large towels
1 moving blanket
bottles of water--I usually carry a case, and I try to never have less than 12. 12 would do the kids and me stranded for a few hours on a July day in Texas, but if I were to come across a vehicle in distress or a hitchhiker or a homeless person (or several), I share. Think gallon of person a day, and consider what you might be doing that keeps you out where you can't get to water. How much water might you need before you can access more water?
extra folding chair
Headlamp
triangle reflectors
large wand light
flashlight
extra batteries
cone for my flashlight in case I need to direct traffic or people
reflective gloves in case I have to direct traffic
reflective vest so I'm easy to see
large umbrella
flares
light sticks
rain gear
Pedialite
window punch
seat belt cutter
good rope
zip ties
small mirror


Things I carry in multiple items and why:
Socks of various sizes--I know it sounds odd in the summer, but wet socks or holey socks are just rough on the feet. A pair of good socks can do wonders for someone hiking longer than they thought, out on the streets, or just needing to get dry
Ponchos--I pick up the $1.00 ones or find them cheaper. Never know when someone will need one, especially if there is a car wreck in the rain.
Protein bars--when we are kayaking or hiking, people get busy and forget to pay attention to their blood sugar and hydration levels. Whole lot easier to hand them a water bottle and protein bar than trying to one up a heat stroke on a dehydrated patient.

In the winter, I change the extras slightly. In the winter, I carry...
4 extra wool blankets--wool keeps folks warm whether they are wet or dry
Lots of socks--wet cold feet pose all kinds of health risks.
Gloves--I have 6-10 pair at all times. Little boy, little girl, childrens boy, childrens girl, adult female, adult male. Sometimes I have multiple for the little folks
Hats--same reasoning as above
Hand Warmers--I buy them in bulk.
Fire starter kit--if I have a situation where I cannot get someone to safety (snowed highway, lost overnight in a forest, etc), if I can get a fire going, everyone has a better chance of getting out alive, and in that case, I will gather every bit of illegal firewood I have to to keep those folks safe. Just sayin'.
Water
rain boots
food that can be eaten even if it gets frozen--nuts, protein bars (granola is still pretty chewy even if it gets frozen), crackers and peanut butter
cheap flashlights I don't mind giving away to someone who needs them

Someone commented to me that she was shocked I carried so little as an medical responder. She said my "home kit" sounded like what she had. Well, that was the point. I was trying to offer a list everyone could put together and know how to use. I tried to keep it limited to things the average person could use and still be covered by the Good Samaritan Act, which states that if you stop and render aid, you are protected from legal and civil prosecution IF YOU ACT WITHIN YOUR LEVEL OF TRAINING. Everything I listed for my home kit as well as my vehicle kit are acceptable for anyone. My one exception would be any kind of medicine. That is a sticky area. I can administer 5 different medicines--oxygen, aspirin, someone's own epi-pen, someone's own nitro meds, and glucose. That's it, so as I said, I cannot administer Benadryl either in oral or topical form. However, if you go into anaphylactic shock, I can put a tube up your nose and help you breathe using a mask and bag until 911 arrives. :-)

Which brings me to another question I received. What do I carry in my own bag? There are some things I carry that the normal person simply wouldn't carry because they would never use them. I never carry an IV pole because I wouldn't use it in my truck. However, there are some things I have in my bag that might be useful to the general populace, so let me share those.

various size hard splits--waterproof since we like being on the lake
pulse oximeter--I wish I had known about this when my kids had respiratory struggles. Turn it on, put it on the finger. It tells you pulse and oxygen saturation. Under $40 on Amazon, and anyone can use it. It was very useful last winter when I had pneumonia.
D-stick unit for measuring blood sugar--very commonly used by diabetics
scissors
multipurpose tool

Right now, that is all that comes to mind. If I think of more, I will do a quick update. As I said, this is stuff I keep in my truck. I have a large duffle bag I picked up for around $20 at Walmart that holds the extra stuff. I get teased for how much I tote around all the time, but that's okay, too.

I hope this helps.

Blessings of health and safety...