PPRuNe Forums - Bush first-aid kit

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This is what I have for all my back-country flying and hiking.

They have very good and well thought out kits. So far unused and I hope it stays that way.

Thanks again all. Some very useful input here. I am pulling together some stuff. I hadn’t appreciated the usefulness of Celox, I will try to get hold of some together with some painkillers. Also cling film for burns or general reassembly looks like a worthwhile addition.

I discussed this issue recently with a skipper who is very well trained in trauma response, he made 2 interesting points;

1. He says never use a tourniquet, a good pressure dressing can achieve the same without the damage. Interesting. I think I will still include a couple of CATs for extreme circumstances, but Israeli bandages for preference.

2. He carries injectable Valium for managing a patient in extreme distress. Probably not an option for me, but underlines the importance of managing pain.

Broomstick. I know MAF, I used to know an ex BA 747 pilot who flew for them. But I have also made contact with flying doctors in Nairobi who offer a trauma response course which seems to be aimed at people like me, I will sign up for that.

happy new year all, may all your 1st aid kits remain unused!

Quote:

Originally Posted by double_barrel (Post 10651302)

Happy new year to you too
A tourniquet will stop bleeding a pressure dressing won't, but should only be used if you really need it. Put a pressure dressing on the wound too. If applying some time from help you can try loosening the tourniquet after a few minutes and seeing if bleeding starts again. Celox under a pressure dressing is wonderful stuff.

A course as suggested above is excellent advice.

In my various stints as a mountain hut custodian, I check through supplies and equipment. I was once surprised to come across an obstetrics kit, but it has all sorts of handy stuff and dressings that are not found in your average roadside kit.

But really, the most important thing is to take a course. You can always improvise from materials at hand.

These days, a PLB will generally get you help within 24 hours. ELTs seem to have a 30% success rate.

A guy I knew was doing a lot of hard core bush flying. He carried 2 kits, a full one for the aircraft and small kit of the basics he wore in a vest. with pockets including a pocket for his PLB, that way of the aircraft was lost ( ie burn't out or sunk) he would have something.

Maybe a bit over the top but for many years I kept a little tin survival kit in my flight bag which lived on the floor beside my seat.

Some good advice but also some worrying comments - injecting valium is potentially lethal for example

Perhaps start with a course on first aid. That will teach you WHAT to do. Then you can buy the items you need to do what you have learned

If you have not been taught how to use a drug or a disposable, you really should not have it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radgirl (Post 10651751)

Fair points. However, I have done a bunch of traditional 1st aid courses, which all assume a shiny ambulance/helicopter/lifeboat will be on scene in under an hour. Also a ship’s captain’s medical course which put a lot of emphasis on managing long term stuff - anything from childbirth to the clap, and which also assumes you will have the book to consult. But I realise that bush flying exposes you to a very different set of risks, so I’m working on closing that gap with reasonable but not excessive preparation.

Indeed injectable Valium must be used with great care, and I was not proposing to carry it. But i think it’s telling that some people, who are trained in its use, consider it important. When I started this thread, I had not really thought about managing someone in extreme pain or distress; very sensibility that aspect is considered best left to the professionals in the 1st world. I will seek local advice on that.

Quote:

if you have not been taught how to use a drug or a disposable, you really should not have it

A bit 1st world😀. When there’s no prospect of trained professionals turning up, sometimes you have to improvise! Knowing the basics principles is essential, after that you do what you can. I well remember helping someone rescue a family trapped and bleeding in a wrecked car by judicious use of a high lift jack, two land rovers and a tow rope to rip the car open like a sardine can. That would have been considered insanely irresponsible in some parts of the world, here it certainly saved lives.

Quote:

Originally Posted by double_barrel (Post 10651858)

, and which also assumes you will have the book to consult.

You (everyone) could do a lot worse than download the Oxford Handbook of Emergency Medicine Fourth Edition(OHEM4) to your phone. It's comprehensive, searchable, and easy to use.

This apparently happened today https://citizentv.co.ke/news/photos-...ajiado-312226/

and is exactly the sort of scenario I had in mind when thinking of post crash 1st aid, and that's a better outcome than many. That field must have looked like a perfect spot to touch down from altitude, but close up the scattered rocks and holes make it very likely that something will get broken with even the best forced landing.

Looks like a good outcome given the circumstances.

(Helicopter on-scene in an hour is remarkable, must have been the power of the company to mobilise it fast - certainly not an 'official' response)