We’re all well aware that medical supplies, equipment, and especially qualified assistance will be tough to get hold of after most any disaster, especially longer term situations. With that in mind, I thought I would be a good idea to list several items that would prove useful to you and yours that you might not have considered stockpiling. I’m not talking about things like bandages, gauze, antiseptic ointments, or even Tylenol and Ibuprofen. It’s the “other” things that you should have but might not. Understand that none of the following is meant to be medical advice whatsoever. With that in mind, here’s my list, add your own as you see fit…
- Elastic bandages (ACE bandages in 3″ or 4″ widths) – useful for so many things, including sore muscles, strains, sprains, holding gauze in place, and plenty more. I suggest you have at least a few stockpiled.
- Motion sickness pills – not just for those who take frequent cruises, motion sickness pills can be used for times where a person is feeling generally nauseated or otherwise dizzy, including for inner ear problems.
- SAM splints – easily moldable splints for everything from your forearms to fingers. Yes, you can tape two twigs together to hold a broken finger in place but a comfortable SAM split will be so much more appreciated even a few days in. 😉
- CPR masks (w/one way valve) – even if it’s family and friends you’re treating, diseases can still be spread. With this in mind, consider a CPR mask that includes a one way valve in order to minimize such problems.
- Crutches / walker – People with broken feet/legs need to be as mobile as they can be and crutches (or a walker) allow them to do that.
- Israeli Bandage – a “special” type of bandage that is used to put pressure on a very badly bleeding wound.
- Clotting Powders (Quikclot) – in most cases, an Israeli bandage should do the trick, but if for some reason it doesn’t then this may be your next best option to stop the bleeding. I hear that some of the older Quikclot had problems so be sure you buy newer stock.
- Tourniquet – if the above don’t work (the Israeli bandage and clotting powders) then a tourniquet IS the last resort. On the other hand, I hear it’s a first resort for many field medics these days.
- TempTooth – dental problems are among the more likely of medical concerns for most of us; a broken tooth or loose crown WILL be a huge problem. While something like DenTemp is ok, TempTooth may be a better option for longer term situations.
- Ear Oil – anything that can be used to soothe an earache, especially useful for young children.
- Benadryl – most of us recognize that Benadryl is used for general allergy concerns. You might not be aware, however, that is can be used for more than allergies, including more severe allergic reactions. Besides an Epipen, about the best that most of us can do is to stock Benadryl to deal with allergies from things like bee stings in a SHTF situation. That said, Benadryl is NOT sufficient to treat acute anaphylaxis (a person needs proper medical treatment). So, if you can seek medical attention then by all means do so.
- Oral Airways – among other reasons, oral airways can be used to ensure a person’s airway doesn’t close while waiting for Benadryl to take effect.
- Gas X (or similar) – anything that can be used to reduce gas and bloating or other indigestion problems. Remember, you may have a very significant change in your diet that could cause a variety of intestinal problems.
- Laxative (or other constipation medications) – again, even a relatively minor change in your diet may cause unwanted side-effects in your bowels. This is equally true in children, even young children. For toddlers and infants consider a suppository instead.
- Vaseline – so many uses, look it up!
Let me reiterate, just because you may now purchase and therefore have on-hand any of the aforementioned supplies doesn’t mean that you should use it! For example, if you don’t know when and how to use a clotting powder then you shouldn’t do so. Of course, it behooves you to get proper training with these supplies–and anything else you choose to stock–so that you do no harm.
Now, what would you add?
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