If you ever end up in a dangerous or life-threatening scenario, carrying a trauma kit will provide you with the supplies you need to safely navigate the situation. There are several essential items you’ll need to ensure you’re prepared for a variety of outcomes. Check out the guide below on must-haves in any trauma kit.
What Should All Trauma Kits Include?
1. PPE
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is designed to protect the wearer from bloodborne pathogens and other diseases, along with irritants in the air. PPE in a trauma kit should include several pairs of medical-grade latex gloves, masks, and a pair of goggles.
2. Gauze & Packing
Sterile gauze and packing material are used to plug holes in the body and stop bleeding quickly. They also protect wounds from exposure before they can be addressed by a medical professional, preventing infection and further injury.
3. Pressure Dressing
Pressure dressings are multi-use items and come in handy for multiple kinds of traumas. Their strong elasticity means pressure dressings can be used to stabilize a sprained ankle, woven into a sling, or used to apply pressure and stop bleeding.
4. Emergency Blanket
Trauma patients are prone to hypothermia regardless of the outside temperature. This is because the loss of blood leads to shock, where the body can’t properly provide oxygen to the cells, leading to a drop in core temperature. For an injured person, this can lead to a loss of clotting ability, risking hypothermia and death.
It’s far easier to prevent hypothermia than treat it—that’s why lightweight trauma blankets that reflect a patient’s body heat are a necessity in trauma kits.
5. Tourniquets
Tourniquets can stop a life-threatening bleed in an arm or leg and buy an injured individual time to get to the hospital. While tourniquets can be improvised from personal items like belts, these are less effective than the real equipment. Invest in a trusted brand like SOF® or TACMED® for reliable tourniquets.
To ensure you always have the right equipment on hand during an emergency, reach out to Think Trauma Kits of Los Angeles, CA. They provide first aid kits, emergency medical supplies, and defibrillators, along with trauma kits that are appropriate for anyone to use, regardless of medical experience. They also offer training supplies to help individuals learn the best techniques for administering first aid in an emergency. Visit their website to learn more about their products