First Aid Kit or Trauma Kit?

Is it a first aid or a trauma kit? OR…..is it both?

First Aid is what is done immediately after recognition of a sudden illness or injury and can, indeed, be

lifesaving depending on what type of incident has occurred, the actions need to be taken and what

items are on hand. What we want to do is try to separate and clearly delineate what they are in our line

of work. Is minor, non-life threatening first aid warranted OR do we require more aggressive first aid

(trauma care) due to life-threatening trauma? As we say in our classes, the situation dictates the

medicine.

Minor first aid are our “boo-boos”, while major first aid (trauma kit) is some type of injury which

requires immediate actions to be taken in order to preserve life. A minor first aid kit has more “comfort

care” items for situations that aren’t life-threatening. It is equipped for minor lacerations, abrasions,

minor burns, aches, pains, stings and other minor things. It typically isn’t equipped with any components

necessary to deal with massive trauma. So, we’re looking at adhesive bandages, small pieces of gauze,

over-the-counter pain meds, antiseptic wipes, sting wipes, burn gel and other items for life’s everyday

cuts and scrapes.

A very comprehensive first aid kit can have some life-saving components in it and that’s okay, but know

where they are, because in the first instance of trauma, it’ll become a “tactical yard sale” as all of the

“stuff” is being strewn in every direction while that “one” item is being sought out. The more “stuff” you

put into a first aid kit, the larger it becomes. The larger the kit becomes, the less likely you are to carry it.

That’s why we try to maintain a balance of compact sizing along with maximum efficacy. The smaller,

more compact and easier it is to carry, the more likely you are to carry it where it belongs; on your

person.

A trauma kit has the basic necessities to help with the things that will kill us the quickest, the first being

massive life-threatening hemorrhage. At a bare minimum, you need to have a pair of gloves (non-latex

due to latex allergies) to protect you from body fluid-borne pathogens and a scientifically PROVEN

tourniquet, not the latest “cool guy” tourniquet or a frickin’ knock off from China. Next, you should have

some sort of hemostatic gauze like QuikClot Bleeding Control Dressing or a chitosan-based product like

ChitoGauze along with a pressure dressing to reinforce the hemostatic agent and hold it in place. Then,

add a pair of compact chest seals in there so that you have the ability to “stop the bleeding and start the

breathing”. Those are literally the basic foundations of a “trauma” kit.

What your first aid or trauma kit doesn’t need in them unless you are trained AND certified to use them:

Suture kits, chest decompression needles, surgical airway kits, chest tube kits, endotracheal tubes or any

other advanced, invasive procedure devices. Why? They are a HUGE liability and they take up valuable

space that could be occupied with more pertinent devices like tourniquets and hemostatic gauze. I’ve

yet to hear of a major trauma victim needing to be sewn up in the field at the site of the injury.

Any of the other stuff mentioned above, unless you’re an MD, NP or PA, stay away from it. It doesn’t

matter if you watched it on YouTube or took a TCCC class, unless you have those licenses you CANNOT

legally perform those procedures. Even if you’re a CCEMTP or Flight Paramedic, you can’t perform them

unless you’re under direct medical control.

Basically, know what’s in your kit, where it is and, most importantly, how to use it. Clear delineation of

your items (minor vs major) will greatly increase your chances of finding what you need should the

situation arise. Just because an advertised kit has “more stuff” in it most certainly doesn’t make it

better. In actuality, it can make things worse because chaos causes confusion and confusion causes

hesitation. Hesitation is something that is not conducive to life in a traumatic incident.

Furthermore, only place items in them with which you have been trained on or you are otherwise

certified/licensed to use. Stick to the basics of trauma management; “Stop the bleeding, start the

breathing, treat for shock.” and everything else will fall into place.

Get a kit. Get trained. Be the difference.

Y'all stay safe!