Life saving First Aid in a mass casualty situation.

[rhino]

I agree, thats on my list of upgrades for both better tape and butterflies. I also need a pen light, nasal airway...
That tape is pretty much for holding various gauze and dressings for boo boo's, sprain, strains... I have low hopes of it working for securing a chest seal.
How do you pack gorilla tape more efficiently?

For emergency use, a couple of wraps of the 1-inch size around an IBD twice will do the trick.

I also carry wads of regular size by folding one end about the length of a credit card on the sticky side, then I very carefully wind a bunch of layers over the top of that. I can carry a significant amount of tape in a flat package that unwinds almost as easily as it did originally from the roll. Some people do the same trick with an actual credit card (old/cancelled) as a form to wind the tape, but if you're careful you don't need it.

 

[Sylvain]

For emergency use, a couple of wraps of the 1-inch size around an IBD twice will do the trick.

I also carry wads of regular size by folding one end about the length of a credit card on the sticky side, then I very carefully wind a bunch of layers over the top of that. I can carry a significant amount of tape in a flat package that unwinds almost as easily as it did originally from the roll. Some people do the same trick with an actual credit card (old/cancelled) as a form to wind the tape, but if you're careful you don't need it.

I do the "credit card trick", I just use a thin piece of clear plastic even thinner than a credit car.

I use red electrical tape to mark the end of the duct tape.I use that as a pull tap to get to the duct tape faster.

And of course I use black duct tape to be more tacticool and match my high speed, low drag, all back trauma shears.

By not folding the duct tape over itself I can use the entire lenght of it, and not use a few inches by having it sticking to itself.

 

[2A_Tom]

This is not lifesaving, but an innovative solution for closing small wounds. It is a next gen butterfly. Note that at the beginning of the video they warn about closing deep wounds.

[video=youtube;VjK-zE3ulcQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjK-zE3ulcQ[/video]

And then I looked up the cost $29.99 each.

https://www.amazon.com/ZipStitch-Laceration-Kit/dp/B07KBFVHY6/?ie=UTF8&keywords=butterfly+bandage

 

[actaeon277]

Dark Angel sale
save 20 percent on all trauma kits with code DAMLOVE
sale ends Feb 15th

 

[Sylvain]

This is not lifesaving, but an innovative solution for closing small wounds. It is a next gen butterfly. Note that at the beginning of the video they warn about closing deep wounds.

[video=youtube;VjK-zE3ulcQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjK-zE3ulcQ[/video]

And then I looked up the cost $29.99 each.

https://www.amazon.com/ZipStitch-Laceration-Kit/dp/B07KBFVHY6/?ie=UTF8&keywords=butterfly+bandage

I've seen those a little while ago.
If you're in a situation where you need to close a small wound you probably need to show it to a physician first.
And if it needs to be closed they will probably use surgical suture instead of that thing.

Even if the wound is not deep or large you might create more harm than good by closing it, especially if it was not properlly cleaned (which is hard to do in the field).

 

[2A_Tom]

I have many hairline and dissapeared scars that were minor lacerations, that either my parents or I closed with butterflies.

When I was a kid, I was what they called accident prone, the first aid squad (all volunteer) took me to to the hospital several times. Other times they treated me on the spot. They taught my parents about butterflies and that cut down on the calls to the fire house (all volunteer).

I have had countless wounds that were never seen by a doctor. The last time I went to a doctor, he sutured the wound, but did not prescribe an antibiotic. Three days later my hand was the size of a baseball and the sutures had to be removed and the wound healed open.

 

[Sylvain]

I have many hairline and dissapeared scars that were minor lacerations, that either my parents or I closed with butterflies.

When I was a kid, I was what they called accident prone, the first aid squad (all volunteer) took me to to the hospital several times. Other times they treated me on the spot. They taught my parents about butterflies and that cut down on the calls to the fire house (all volunteer).

I have had countless wounds that were never seen by a doctor. The last time I went to a doctor, he sutured the wound, but did not prescribe an antibiotic. Three days later my hand was the size of a baseball and the sutures had to be removed and the wound healed open.

Well it depends on the type of wound obviously.Also the location of the wound etc.

But I've seen some people adding suture kits to their "trauma kits", thinking that if they got shot or stabbed they would just close the wound themselves and move on.

Some people have poor judgement when it comes to evalute the severity of a wound.
Some people go to the ER for a minor fever, some don't go if they dislocate their shoulder.

 

[2A_Tom]

This was my intro to their video.

This is not lifesaving, but an innovative solution for closing small wounds. It is a next gen butterfly. Note that at the beginning of the video they warn about closing deep wounds.

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

You could always start with the simple, best thing you can do in a mass casualty is start flipping people on their sides as airway is the first of the ABC's and no one likes choking to death on their own tongue...

Gloves in a mass casualty is a joke, a arterial bleed makes a mess, you are going to get covered, no time to triple glove up so you can keep striping gloves between patients.

Belts make horrible tourniquets, a SOFT-W CAT gets the job done, a RATS is easy to carry and will buy time but have my concerns about it completely stopping blood flow having said that they work great on small limbs (kids) as well as 4-legged animals.


OP, Band-Aids, alcohol pads, and lube are not needed in a mass casualty... What you described is helpful but has nothing to do with mass casualties and that is what you made this thread about.

I would worry about real life threatening possiblities such are vehicle crashes, cuts, and trama that you might see in the day to day as the chance of being in a real mass casualty is pretty rare.

I am so happy to see someone else thinks the RATS are overrated . I stick with the soft myself. I would suggest anyone that hasn’t been through some sort of GSW, TCCC, basic stop the bleeding class, take the time and go to one. I myself have been through plenty and it’s not a topic to take lightly, this will roll over to youre place of work, your family, friends.. etc..

 

[rhino]

This is not lifesaving, but an innovative solution for closing small wounds. It is a next gen butterfly. Note that at the beginning of the video they warn about closing deep wounds.

[video=youtube;VjK-zE3ulcQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjK-zE3ulcQ[/video]

And then I looked up the cost $29.99 each.

https://www.amazon.com/ZipStitch-Laceration-Kit/dp/B07KBFVHY6/?ie=UTF8&keywords=butterfly+bandage

Those are very cool!

You can MacGuyver a similar result with super glue and cordage, but it's nowhere as easy to apply and get the wound margins pulled together.

Have any of you every used Steri-Strips to hold a wound closed and then had a reaction to the adhesive? I have never had a reaction to other kinds of tape, but the adhesive on those strips left me with some fairly serious chemical burns.

 

[2A_Tom]

Yes they are very cool, but way too expensive.

When I first learned about butterflies it was with old white adhesive tape. Take a piece about 1 1/2 " twist it in the middle so it will not stick to the wound, attach it to one side, pull the wound together and attach the other side.

I have never has an allergic reaction to adhesives.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

I have carried a TK-4 type tourniquet (https://www.chinookmed.com/500221/tk4-tourniquet) on my person for almost 2 years now. Understanding they are not as good as a CAT, I have 3 small children that this would be useful for smaller limbs. It'll do if we are not close to one of our vehicles/home where we have a CAT as part of an emergency kit.

At the last STB I attended another gentleman was gracious enough to volunteer to allow me to apply and we verified no pulse. I like them as they fold up nice and flat. Yes I removed it from the sterile pack. Used my girl's hair ties to keep it together.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

 

[2A_Tom]

Sterility is not a major concern in an arterial bleed situation.

My tourniquets are relatively clean, but they are not in packaging.

Speed is far more important.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Speed is far more important.

Full dad mode disclosure: I find it difficult to live without cargo pockets. They complete me.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

 

[2A_Tom]

Just saw this and I thought I would pass it on. Very highly rated only $15.

https://www.reconmedical.com/shop/

[video=youtube;ViI15SGCTVU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViI15SGCTVU[/video]

https://smile.amazon.com/Recon-Medi...931d6e888&pd_rd_wg=Tfh5S&ref_=pd_gw_pd_bia_d0

 

[Sylvain]

Just saw this and I thought I would pass it on. Very highly rated only $15.

https://www.reconmedical.com/shop/

[video=youtube;ViI15SGCTVU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViI15SGCTVU[/video]

I've seen that model but not in person.

It's a mix between the CAT and the SOFT.
Not sure how they can sell that without being sued by North American Rescue.
They just replaced the plastic windland of the CAT with a metal one, and added a hole in the band.

I guess if you change enough things it's a different and new design.

Just like this tourniquet (TIE tourniquet used by the Spanish military) ...

It uses velcro and a plastic windlass, just like the CAT.
But the locking mechanism is different and they also don't use the time band.

 

[actaeon277]

SAVE 10% ON YOUR FIRST MED KIT. COUPON CODE: SAVE10NOW

Dark Angel Medical - Tactical IFAK and Trauma Kits - Every Day Carry Med Kits

 

[2A_Tom]

Every time I look at their site, I think, Wow they are high.

 

[Sylvain]

Every time I look at their site, I think, Wow they are high.

Talking about their prices?

They do sell a 4" cube of silicone for $170.

 

[actaeon277]

Well, if you use them, Dark Angel replaces what you use. So, that would make the price higher.