First aid kit

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petdoc4u

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
134
Location
United States
Vessel Name
EXILE
Vessel Make
HANS CHRISTIAN TRAWLER
I am looking to renew my first aid kit and was wondering if anyone has found a satisfactory kit. Ebay is a great place to look just to see what is available, there are so many that it is is difficult to choose. Ideas?
Thank you.
 
I didn't find a suitable kit for the boat so I looked at the contents of several different kits and made up one of my own. It's much more complete than any of the individual kits I looked at. We have it in a fishing tackle box on the boat.
 
I didn't find a suitable kit for the boat so I looked at the contents of several different kits and made up one of my own. It's much more complete than any of the individual kits I looked at. We have it in a fishing tackle box on the boat.
Mike, I agree. That is the best way to make it more boat/family specific and age appropriate.
 
Boats should have in addition to a regular serious boating or industrial first aid kit....somewhat of a trauma bag....medical help is farther away than you think.
 
The big item you need to decide on is what level of liability you want to take on and what level you are trained to. It's one thing to go all out for a family member, but how far do you go for someone else. The more you have the more of a chance that your liability will be put in jeopardy.

You also need to talk about the stability of the actions you do to help someone on a long trip. It might not be worth the supplies that are used to help a person.


Every 2 years the twins, wife and I take EMT or first responder (not first aid) class. We do not take the state testing because it's worthless to do on the liability and the way the laws are setup to keep the certification.
We carry 2 smaller jump bags for the grab and go that are good for the splinter to large wound. A full size jump bag that has everything from the AED, splints, body bags, and a small 02 bottle. We also have a full size and a half size backboard. We also carry a 29 gallon Rubbermaid tub full of extra stuff. We just did our yearly clean out and restock and came out to around $2,500. Next year I have a few 02 bottles that I will have to replace or get re certified.
 
The big item you need to decide on is what level of liability you want to take on and what level you are trained to. It's one thing to go all out for a family member, but how far do you go for someone else. The more you have the more of a chance that your liability will be put in jeopardy.

You also need to talk about the stability of the actions you do to help someone on a long trip. It might not be worth the supplies that are used to help a person.
Choppy, I am certain that I misread that second sentence of the second paragraph. Are you suggesting that you would not use supplies you had on board if you thought you might be able to save them for fear of being sued if you ended up doing something wrong?

I'm not first aid trained beyond the basics and I'm sure my FA kit pales in comparison to yours, but I would do whatever I could to safe the life of someone who got hurt, whether it was on my boat or not.

The Good Samaritan Act provides some level of protection for people who try to help others unless you try to go way beyond your level of training or do something that is stupid, negligent or otherwise just plain ignorant.

I could not live with myself if I did not try anything and everything that I could to safe a life.
 
Has anyone ever needed a heavy duty pain killer like Vicodin while out cruising? I attended a seminar at a boat show a couple years ago and they recommended it as a first aid kit staple for those cases where a painful injury occurred and you were a good distance from getting to a doctor.
 
drb, I got a prescription from my doc for some hydrocodone to keep in the FA kit for those "just in case" times. It's not the strongest stuff out there but it certainly would help if it was needed.
 
Has anyone ever needed a heavy duty pain killer like Vicodin while out cruising? I attended a seminar at a boat show a couple years ago and they recommended it as a first aid kit staple for those cases where a painful injury occurred and you were a good distance from getting to a doctor.

Just have some minor surgical procedure performed, fill the pain med Rx, and you will have more Oxycodone or Hydrocodone than you will know what to do with. Hopefully that will change over time.

Seriously, I have a couple bottles of hydrocodone that were prescribed for me after small surgical procedures. I keep one on the boat just in case. Be mindful however that there are a lot of folks with opiate addictions and you don't want to have those meds around where they can cause folks trouble.

Edit: Another thought, you can get great pain relief by combining acetaminophen with a NSAID such as ibuprofen. While I can prescribe a 7 day supply of Hydrocodone to my patients with ocular pain, I rarely have. In most cases I will tell them to use the OTC dose of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I have them start with the acetaminophen and then the ibuprofen 2 hours later. Dose each of them every 4 hours (ie alternate every 2 hours) and it provides very effective pain relief. Almost the same level of pain relief as some of the narcotic combinations with none of the abuse risk. Keep in mind, never mix alcohol with acetaminophen.
 
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What is the longest distance in time you will be from a marina and medical help? We carry medical kits so far more than first aid. Although ours is not from Oceanmedix, they have the clearest outline of what to include.

Oceanmedix: Marine 3000 Medical Kit

We have not encountered life threatening situations, but we are close to some who have. Now most of that was on bigger boats and longer range cruising, but not all. Animal bites, including snake, and deep cuts were not that far from home. Nor were broken bones. More common is a severe stomach disorder or flu or something of that nature or severe allergic reactions. I definitely recommend basic first aid equipment but also prescriptions.

Here are other links.

Marine Series Marine 1000 Medical Kit by Adventure Medical Kits - AED Superstore - 0115-1000, 0170-00, 0340-00

Marine 3000 - Adventure® Medical Kits - First Aid Kits and Survival Gear

On prescription medicines I'd always have antibiotics and pain killers as well as those for allergic reactions and poisonings.
 
Just have some minor surgical procedure performed, fill the pain med Rx, and you will have more Oxycodone or Hydrocodone than you will know what to do with. Hopefully that will change over time.

Seriously, I have a couple bottles of hydrocodone that were prescribed for me after small surgical procedures. I keep one on the boat just in case. Be mindful however that there are a lot of folks with opiate addictions and you don't want to have those meds around where they can cause folks trouble.

Edit: Another thought, you can get great pain relief by combining acetaminophen with a NSAID such as ibuprofen. While I can prescribe a 7 day supply of Hydrocodone to my patients with ocular pain, I rarely have. In most cases I will tell them to use the OTC dose of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I have them start with the acetaminophen and then the ibuprofen 2 hours later. Dose each of them every 4 hours (ie alternate every 2 hours) and it provides very effective pain relief. Almost the same level of pain relief as some of the narcotic combinations with none of the abuse risk. Keep in mind, never mix alcohol with acetaminophen.

Know your passengers. The NSAID that might be great for most will be strongly contraindicated for those with major kidney issues. For a two hour cruise it's not necessary but for any long range cruising we get medical profiles from our guests. Knowing that your friend is on Warfarin might save their life. Knowing allergies could be critical. Knowing they can't tolerate penicillin or Fluoroquinolones could be very important. If you want to have them put it under cover only to be opened in an emergency or keep it in their cabin in their luggage, that's a compromise if they're hesitant to disclose. And before you give anyone a opiate it's important to know if they have any history that needs to be known.

If you are going to be 24 hours or more from medical help, it's much different than a max of 4 hours.
 
For a two hour cruise it's not necessary but for any long range cruising we get medical profiles from our guests.

Great idea. We only have family on board with us overnight, and we know their histories and meds so never thought about it.
 
Great idea. We only have family on board with us overnight, and we know their histories and meds so never thought about it.

Ours are family or extended family, but still some things we didn't know and some we don't want to trust to our memory in the event of an urgent situation. When we were doing our lab in an ER, one of the things we saw there was how many people come in as emergencies and the ER doctors have no medical information or history.
 
GFC.
My first paragraph was the liability. I'm all for basic first aid. Apply presser, use a bag of quick clot, basic splinting, low flow 02, CPR, and the basic stuff. I also carry IV supplies and some more advanced life saving supplies.

In the second paragraph I was trying to say that not everyone is savable and you need to know the limits of what you have, how long till you get real help, and what if there is more than one accident.

The Good Samaritan Act cuts off at first aid and CPR with AED. You go past that your working off your certificate or your license and if your in that situation you should have your own professional insurance to cover your own ass.

My background was a paramedic, RN / Masters, Certified Hyperbaric Technologist, and a bunch of diver certifications. I made a ton of money on large dive boats. I don't know how many people I have lost inside a chamber that would have had a fighting chance at a half way normal life if I would have been able to grab the right stuff on the way into the chamber. I think my longest decompression was 20 hours and I worked on him most of that time.


I quiz all my passengers about there medical history's if were going to be more than 60 minutes from shore at any time.
NSAID are blood thinners not something that I would want to give anyone.
 
GFC.
My first paragraph was the liability. I'm all for basic first aid. Apply presser, use a bag of quick clot, basic splinting, low flow 02, CPR, and the basic stuff. I also carry IV supplies and some more advanced life saving supplies.

In the second paragraph I was trying to say that not everyone is savable and you need to know the limits of what you have, how long till you get real help, and what if there is more than one accident.

The Good Samaritan Act cuts off at first aid and CPR with AED. You go past that your working off your certificate or your license and if your in that situation you should have your own professional insurance to cover your own ass.

My background was a paramedic, RN / Masters, Certified Hyperbaric Technologist, and a bunch of diver certifications. I made a ton of money on large dive boats. I don't know how many people I have lost inside a chamber that would have had a fighting chance at a half way normal life if I would have been able to grab the right stuff on the way into the chamber. I think my longest decompression was 20 hours and I worked on him most of that time.


I quiz all my passengers about there medical history's if were going to be more than 60 minutes from shore at any time.
NSAID are blood thinners not something that I would want to give anyone.

We subscribe to a service that allows us to reach ER doctors, trauma experts, and share information and get advice from them.

As to liability, we did assume some when we took our medical person in charge course as part of captain's training and we are insured both for things that happen on the boat and for our acting in those roles.

We don't profess to be doctors, but people with a little training who would make the best effort they could in situations. I'd rather accept the liability for trying than not to try.

There are situations in which the odds are against even a doctor when out to sea. However, there is also the ability with training and equipment to prevent some situations turning very much more serious. Cuts, infection, bleeding. IV's.

We carry equipment we hope to never have to use.

I say that everything we've encountered on board has been very minor, but then perhaps it's been minor because of what we carried. Washing out an eye and applying ointment to protect against infection, treatment of diarrhea, treating a cut from someone hitting their leg on a sharp edge of a dock and preventing infection.

We have been surprised at the number of people we've encountered at marinas who didn't even have bandaids or sunburn lotion or anything to sterilize a wounded area. Base what training you pursue and what equipment you carry on your cruising habits and needs. However, every boat needs something and we all need some training. I had never had a first aid class even when we started cruising. I lived in the city, never more than five minutes from help. My wife had it because of her profession as a teacher.

As to medical information, we basically have computerized forms for guests to fill out much like a doctor's office. One piece of information might be invaluable.
 
I know the liability that came with the captains training, but when I'm not on a boat and there is 911 15 minutes away then it's back to first aid and CPR.

I'm not a doctor and I'm far from it. I do have first aid and CPR like every other responsible person should have.

Your right there are a lot of things you can do at sea to prevent something minor from getting worse or slowing down something serious a few days to where you can get them some real help. But I know what my limitations are with what equipment I have. I'm not going to put my self at risk for a lawsuit.

I might of done to many mayday calls 24 hours + hours from land.
 
I tend to be rather cavalier about lawsuits. Maybe because I have yet to face a suit? My attitude is I will do what I feel is right and let the chips where they may.
 
I tend to be rather cavalier about lawsuits. Maybe because I have yet to face a suit? My attitude is I will do what I feel is right and let the chips where they may.

We...I really learned it from my wife...have an attitude to just do what we think is right. Makes life much simpler. I haven't been sued but if I get sued over trying to save a life, I can live with that. If I stand by and don't make the effort, I can't live with that. Plus that really increases the legitimacy of a suit, if I have the training and don't attempt anything. However, at the moment a lawsuit will be the furthest thing from my thoughts.

When I was perhaps ten years old, I was with my parents at a restaurant. Suddenly a guy jumped up and walked to another table and started the Heimlick Maneuver. Quickly the lady was ok and very thankful. The first thing from my mother's mouth was "he was really setting himself up for a lawsuit". My father agreed. I didn't say a word, knowing their was no use. I just thought how sad that was that they thought that way and said to myself that I would never be like them.
 
I will be in court most of next week for a diving accident that happened last year.

There was a group of 8 boats in our group. Part of them were running mix gas with dual tanks with a bail out. The second group were running different types of re breather setups.

Another boat pulled up from a distance and 2 divers entered the water. 2 divers went into the water both running single tanks. The depth was 100 to 115' so I know they would not be able to hit bottom with what they had, but I see all the time where divers will swim around 30' down on a tank and have the same amount of fun as we do at bottom.

We ended up pulling both bodies from the water. They are trying to say that each boat had a dive master. They are trying to sue the 8 of us for a 8 figure amount because we should of know better and are trying to hold us responsible for the 2 deaths.


Over all I think I have been involved in 20 to 25 wrongful death suits in one way or another. I worked hard to get to live the life style I have and I'm not going to kill it for taking on liabilities that that I do not have to.

Need to add...

I should of added that this lawsuit has already cost me $100,000 in lawyer fees and travel experiences. I have also been stuck at the same port for about 3 months will all the meetings I have had to have with all the different lawyers. During this time I have lost a lot of work hours and my business has suffered.
 
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Another boat pulled up from a distance and 2 divers entered the water. 2 divers went into the water both running single tanks. The depth was 100 to 115' so I know they would not be able to hit bottom with what they had, but I see all the time where divers will swim around 30' down on a tank and have the same amount of fun as we do at bottom.
Not sure if you have your facts or depths confused, but people have been diving singles to those depths since the 1960s. Ideally it's best to carry a small stage tank (bailout tank) for safety, but diving a single tank to 100'+ is commonly done.

Ted
 
I will be in court most of next week for a diving accident that happened last year.

There was a group of 8 boats in our group. Part of them were running mix gas with dual tanks with a bail out. The second group were running different types of re breather setups.

Another boat pulled up from a distance and 2 divers entered the water. 2 divers went into the water both running single tanks. The depth was 100 to 115' so I know they would not be able to hit bottom with what they had, but I see all the time where divers will swim around 30' down on a tank and have the same amount of fun as we do at bottom.

We ended up pulling both bodies from the water. They are trying to say that each boat had a dive master. They are trying to sue the 8 of us for a 8 figure amount because we should of know better and are trying to hold us responsible for the 2 deaths.


Over all I think I have been involved in 20 to 25 wrongful death suits in one way or another. I worked hard to get to live the life style I have and I'm not going to kill it for taking on liabilities that that I do not have to.

Need to add...

I should of added that this lawsuit has already cost me $100,000 in lawyer fees and travel experiences. I have also been stuck at the same port for about 3 months will all the meetings I have had to have with all the different lawyers. During this time I have lost a lot of work hours and my business has suffered.


Hopefully the counter-suit will make you close to whole again.

The other way to think about this is what if one of them had lived because you guys drug them out?

Part of our curriculum is a longitudinal course that we affectionately call "Doctor 101" which basically covers the business/ethics/logistics of being a doctor - the two take aways from the lectures on malpractice were basically (1) The best way not to get sued is to be a nice guy (this is backed up by data - independent of competence/error patients who have good report and like their docs don't sue) and (2) Never let the fear of liability deter you from helping in an emergency. Good Samaritan laws aside people hardly ever are sued and even more rarely have a judgement against them for rendering aid regardless of the outcome. It sounds like you ended up as one of the statistics.

As a diver I am interested though - is there something about the sport that makes it particularly litigious? I always sign my life away everytime I go out it seems but I do hear about suits fairly often on the Scubaboards.
 
Sorry O C Diver.
They looked like a 50's or smaller when they went in. When we pulled them from the bottom they both had 40's.

Decorenm
It happened right after the morning dive. We were repacking our re breathers when they went in. They were in the water about an hour when the radio call went out asking for help. There family in the boat had no idea about any of there equipment or the time that they went into the water.
Some people searched the top side and a couple people were able to dive right away. They were not found till about 4 hours after they went in.

Any time your trained to do something besides drive a car somehow others think you should be in charge of every persons safety/life around you. You never hear about someone getting sued for not stopping a speeding car that hit a tree killing the driver a mile down the road. If you read the Scubaboards I'm sure you have read about where someone did something stupid killing them self and then the family sueing someone, because they had more training.

The last dive shop I was at there was a sing at the door saying that your not allowed to talk about diving in any way shape or forum when in there store. I watched them kick out a couple because they asked if there were any nice places to dive with in an hour of the store; they had around $500 worth of equipment at the register when they were walked out.

The counter suit is a joke. They had to sell there pinto of a boat to live on, they live in an apartment, and they drive a junker. Last time there was a running joke about the cost of our lawyers it was over 500,000 total and that was months ago.
 
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