Hard to source first aid items

[Cgrutt]

Looking for some hard to source shtf first aid items. Suture kits, various syringes (wound flushing, lydocaine, pneumothorax chest tube, etc.), lydocaine for that matter... Any recommendations?

[usmcveteran]

Don't we have that ? I'll check when I get home and put up some links

[Cgrutt]

I have some lydocaine but nothing to administer it. Want to buy some suture kits while I'm at it. There's a lot on ebay just not sure of reliability.

[usmcveteran]

I would trust you to suture me but for myself I suck at that and want to get stapler... Might be better to get staples so more people could use it?

[Cgrutt]

Yeah thought about that but it's quite a bit bulkier and I'm looking to min. weight/space for backpacking kit. Sutures seem to be more available than syringes. Can you get a prescription for syringes. Got to be available in local pharmacy for diabetics I would think...

[usmcveteran]

Yes diabetics can get them, do we have any places for druggies to get clean needles?

Also decompression needle can be improvised using needle for animals . That's what class told us.

[Cgrutt]

Yeah, can also be improvised with a razor blade, clamp and tubing (IV drip, etc.) or a ballpoint pen but would prefer to get the real deal, LOL...

[Cgrutt]

BTW, good article/paper here http://militarymedicine.amsus.org/do...LMED.169.5.403 in case anybody is interested in this stuff.

After cleaning and anesthetizing her left chest wall, a 24- French gauge chest tube was inserted. In the absence of a chest tube drain, a temporary one was constructed using an IV bag, a sterile water bottle, and some tubing. The patient experienced immediate relief and began to breathe normally. The drain produced about 2 L of yellow fluid. On subsequent examination, she had a midline trachea and reappearance of breath sounds on the left side of her chest.

[usmcveteran]

Yeah, can also be improvised with a razor blade, clamp and tubing (IV drip, etc.) or a ballpoint pen but would prefer to get the real deal, LOL...

http://www.chinookmed.com/cgi-bin/ca...FRexoCBgnw_wcB your welcome lol

[usmcveteran]

In fact they have everything I think you need

[Cgrutt]

Thanks!