Depending on how far from help you are, you will need something to wash out/disinfect the wound. When you get shot bits of whatever you are wearing go into the wound as well. That can cause the wound to go septic fast.
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I keep a larger bag in the car, but I carry an IFAK at all times. The IFAK has a TQ, NAR S-roll gauze, flat pack Celox gauze, 2- Hyfin Chest Seals, CPR shield, disposable mask, space blanket, a 5 1/2 inch pair of shears, and a Sharpie.
Training is essential. The very least is a āStop the Bleedā course and basic first aid/CPR/AED training.
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Since I will most likely be in an urban environment If I am shot or someone I love is shot. The job of my trauma kit is to keep the person alive until an ambulance arrives or I can get the person to the hospital.
However, I have a Wilderness First Responder Kit that has an irrigation syringe along with a whole bunch of other stuff for dealing with traumatic injuries in an austere environment.
I am hoping to take Dark Angel Medical two day 16-hour class this year. I was a spouse to take it earlier this year but COVID happened. I have also been a certified WFR a couple times.
What medical training did you take to be prepared?
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I was an EOD tech in the Navy who also went to Corpsman school for enhanced medical care. 1980ās way of saying special warfare medic (equivalent of a surgical assistant). Then I was a trauma flight medic for 2 years before I gave it up for lack of $$. I made more bartending. I still keep my certs up to date.
Only way in AL. To make enough $$ was with the fire department and they were on a hiring freeze for Affirmative Action. So I read the writing on the wall and found a better paying job.
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Thank You for your service.
Explosive Ordinance Disposal cool.
It sounds like you have way more experience treating gunshot wounds than I do and knowledge. Do you ever teach FAT ( First Aid Trauma)
Thanks
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Honestly, I am too disabled. Originally, I kept my certs active for my daughter and her competitive cheernastics team, that is a dangerous sport. Then for her school team, and for the occasional accident and in case something happened to my family. Now I keep mine active strictly for family.
@Craig6 has alot more current training than I do in very similar situations military medical training wise.
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@Zavier_D You rang?
My pedigree is pretty long so I wonāt bore you with the list but I will tell you I was an instructor at Naval Undersea Medical Institute and I helped design the Navy C4I course āCombat Casualty Care Course - Instructorā I also taught āGoat / Pig Labā C4 school, yes it was a real thing.
Suffice to say that in my younger days I had two full medical jump bags to include IV, O2 and drugs that I carried all the time. I have since whittled that huge mass down to something that fits in a blow out bag which also fits in my BDU cargo pocket with room to spare. I agree with you that wilderness medicine is some of the best training you can get as it teaches you to deal with things in a non orthodox manner to achieve effective results. Iāve been to 6 or so full immersion classes and while I will not discuss individuals or companies you can find good ones by letting your fingers do the walking on Google.
The biggest thing with trauma medicine is to take your own pulse first. If you are freaking out you are not helping. The other thing is to make the bad guy stop shooting, if they are not shooting it means they arenāt making bullet wounds, read into that what you will but Corpsmen carry M-4ās now not an empty pistol and a āshoot me firstā arm band.
The biggest advancement in modern day trauma medicine is the use of the tourniquet. Not really an advancement more a change in mindset. It used to be that once you put a tourniquet on it was forever and the limb was sacrificed. Not so now. In the late 80ās I was an OR tech in orthopedics, we used to put a tourniquet on all extremities to do surgery, up for 6 hours, down for 1/2 hour, up for 3 hours, down for a 1/2 hour up for 2 hours down for a 1/2 hour and repeat there after. You can do that in the field with great success as chances are you are less than 6 hours from a trauma center. Put it on and check your watch.
All chest wounds suck.
Belly wounds that you live through will probably not kill you for 48 hours.
The greatest medical kit you can carry is in between your ears. Know how the body works, know how it interacts with itself. Trauma is mechanics, I was fine, now Iām dying. What can you do to keep the dying part from happening? Sadly sometimes nothing.
Cheers,
Craig6
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As an after the fact thought.
When sourcing a tourniquet make SURE it has an ALUMINUM windlass not a phenolic resin / plastic one I have scars on my arms from the plastic ones breaking.
Your gun belt is NOT a good tourniquet, leave it on to hold up your gun. That said a strip of blue jeans or similar makes an excellent one along with a rod of some kind (pocket knife (closed), magazine, screwdriver ā¦ whatever) to twist and another strip of fabric to lock it in place when you stop the bleeding.
Cheers,
Craig6
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Most good tourniquets have a place for you to write down the time you apply the tourniquet. If using field expedient tourniquet write the time down on a clearly visible part of their body.
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Welcome to the community. That sounds like a good kit and good advice. I need to find time to get properly trained in ifak usage for trauma situations.
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Still pretty basic, but I want to do more. There are times I think that I canāt be prepared enough, so practice, practice, practice.
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Thanks for the welcome. I know it can be difficult to find time, just like finding time to keep up all the rest of your training routines as a CCW or any other weapon carrier.
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Indeed. It is hard to find time, but itās very important to keep up current skills and continue to learn new skills.
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Keep expanding your abilities. Time is precious and so are our families.
Our training and the training of our families are essential!
Keep Learning!!!
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My EDC bag that I take with me everywhere is set up as an EDC/trauma/med bag and also carries my daily needs. On top of that, I have a full trauma/med kit in the home. Still need to set up a small trauma bag dedicated to carry in the cars (will be doing that in the next couple weeks.) I am a paramedic, so looking at the supplies that I have listed below, some will have access to them and some will not. I utilize a 5.11 EMS backpack to carry the following gear.
Medical/Trauma Items:
- Tourniquet
- Chest Seal
- Trauma Shears
- Suture Kit
- Emergency warming blanket
- IV catheters 16g-22g (both for starting an IV and utilizing for needle chest decompression)
- 500cc Normal Saline IV bag
- IV tubing
- IV start kits
- Meds (ibuprofen, benadryl, ondansetron, epinephrine, sudafed, etcā¦)
- Syringes and needles
- Pen light
- Saline flushes
- Gauze and bandages for minor wounds and pressure dressings
- Stethoscope
- BP Cuff
- Nitrile Gloves
Personal items:
- Flashlight
- Chapstick
- Gum
- iPad
- Charger for iPad and iPhone
- Pens
- Sharpie
- CRKT Spork
- Gerber EMS multi-tool
- Gerber folding knife
- Earbuds
- Waterproof matches
- Bandana
- Driving gloves (Summer only. I live in AZ so everything in the car wants to give you a 3rd degree burn, lol)
For the trauma kits I am setting up for the cars, I will have:
- Tourniquet
- Chest seal
- Israeli Bandage
- Trauma shears
- IV catheters for chest decompression
- Triangular bandage
- Gauze and gauze rolls
- 500cc IV bag
- IV start kit and IV line
- Quick clot
- 10 cc saline flushes
- Emergency blanket
I do not carry a face mask, NPA, or OPA. The reason being is for a trauma scenario, if the heart stops, you do not need to breath for the individual. It is appropriate to do compressions only. I do carry a small face seal if I need to provide assisted ventilationās. I do have those in my home med/trauma pack.
I wear cargo shorts all the time on my off days (or purse pants as my wife likes to call them) and can easily carry a tourniquet in one of the pockets when I do not have my EDC bag on my person.
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For me, add to that packets of clotting powder and compression bandages.
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I have that in my kit listed as āgauze for minor wounds and compression bandages.ā I made my own set up to minimize the space an Israeli bandage takes up in the bag. 
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Iām working on a trauma kit and looking into training too. Itās all in the CCW world.
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Yes I doā¦