UKC

How good is your first aid skills, carry a firstaid kit in your bag?Interesting to find out.

In reply to first aider: yes I allways carry a kit, and I have a up to date first aid certificate.

In reply to chriz:

Always carry a basic kit, however last first aid course I did was probably 10 years ago, and needs refreshing, however the basics remain the same, and I'm aware of the danger areas (spinal injuries, head injuries etc), so I'm probably better for a casualty than nowt, but would always defer to someone with more recent knowledge

In reply to first aider: Been wondering about this recently. I've done first aid course years back and do carry a basic kit. but how often should the stuff in it be replaced? the bandages etc. aren't 'that' manky... but then it is FIRST aid so I guess you use what you've got and get down to change dressing's etc. but how much should people be carrying? how sterile does it need to be? I think I could get by with FA skills in basic situations but could definitly do with a mountain FA course...

In reply to David Barratt:

There should be an expiry date on the packaging. If theres not then either it isn't sterile or is so old it will be out of date.

bandages that don't come into cotact with wounds don't need to be sterile but anything which touches a wound should be sterile

To the OP, always carry a kit and have just done a FA course

David

In reply to David Barratt: as long as the stuff in within the expire date, clean is better than nothing, i bought a small kit from the St.anderw"s First Aid web site, different sizes well boxed, last for years. Fits in kit bag easy.

In reply to first aider:

My kit consists of stuff just for me, paracetamol, immodium, ibrufen, triangle, plasters, bog roll, mars bars and other small stuff.

Unless you are working with people then its pointless hauling the kitchen sink just in case you come across something.

In reply to first aider:

I have a fairly fresh REC 2-day first aid course, and before that a BASP one. I renew every 3 years.

If it's just me out, or me and a couple of mates, I carry a small first aid kit.
- compeed
- gloves
- large wound dressing
- crepe bandage
- micropore tape
- some melanin
- rescucitation mask
- some cling film
- some painkillers (paracetamol)
- pencil, paper
- duct tape
- needle and thread (for repairing kit, not people)
- mobile phone

In reply to The Lemming:

General question:

As far as first aid goes I am very experienced as I’ve been a member of ST John Ambulance for over three years now, have worked on contract to local ambulance service responding to 999 calls so seen a lot in my time.

As I’m currently working towards my CWA & CWLA, I’d like to know if there are any first aid course that are tailored just for climbing?

In reply to rockmonkey21:

Check out REC and BASP, they do outdoors-tailored courses, and if there's enough interested people they'l tailor it to a specific outdoor activity. We had one recently from REC that was climbing and walking specific (it wasn't a rope rescue course though, that's different again).

In reply to first aider:

I carry a fairly comprehensive first aid/emergency kit in a map-case:

-Matches, lighter, pencil,paper, bivy bag and space blanket, energy gels, cable ties, insect repellent.
-Alcohol wipes
-Triangular Bandage
-Trauma Banadage
-Various gauzes and dressings and crepe bandages
-Compede and plasters
-steri-strips
-Tubigrip
-Tape (finger and Duct)
-Tampon
-Burn Gel
-Face shield
-Steripods
-knife, tweezers and sheers
-Aspirin
-Paracetamol
-Ibuprofen
-Codiene
-Tramadol
-A few Diarrhea relief/antihistimine capsules etc
-Gloves

In reply to first aider:
I hope the OP isn't getting the wrong idea about the climbing population reading this as I believe this sample may be very bias towardes the very 'keen'. In the interest of making a good sample, I will contribute:

I never bring any first aid kit, my last first aid training will have been 3 or 4 years ago, but I think I would be fairly confident with many first aid situations.

I think there must be a lot of people like me without any kit - I'm not saying that this should be the case.

Cake

In reply to first aider: REC trained (jan 2012) carry a small FA kit

In reply to first aider:

I somehow managed to do three first aid courses in two years: a day long First Aid at Work refresher (including some defib training); a First Aid at Height (much more intensive with the assumption that help wouldn't be arriving for a couple of hours); then Casualty Care in Mountain Rescue with all that that entails.

After doing the second one I spent quite a bit of money on kit because I thought I'd kick myself if something happened and I didn't even have the basics. So now I have a large plastic box in the boot of my car which includes a cervical collar, a smaller kit for general use, a much smaller one for when space is a big issue and another one with emergency kit in a Peli case for caving trips.

I just hope I don't have to use any of it for anything too soon.

Chatting with a customer at work the other day he said that the teacher of a course he had attended had told him: "There are three types of casualties: the ones who are going to die whatever you do; the ones who are going to survive whatever you do; and the ones in-between that hopefully you can push in the direction of survival."

In reply to Furthur: thanks to all, in general most people will try and do something to help if the need occurs.

In reply to first aider:


And there's the crux, if the need occurs.

Since I started walking on the hills in 1991 I have been involved with:

1 Dislocated shoulder on scree slope
2 One episode of cuts to hand
3 One episode of cuts to shin
4 One episode of broken ankle bouldering
5 One episode of broken ribs climbing.
6 Lorry driver with neck injury coming off single track lane and down an embankment

That's just six episodes that I can remember in 22 years.

Personally I'd say that this isn't a lot to justify carrying a massive First Aid kit just in case I come across something on the hill.

Of those accidents only two could be safely dealt with by me and my first aid kit involving pouring water over wounds to clean them and applying plasters to cover cuts.

The other Four episodes required the resources of the Mountain Rescue, Air Ambulance and A&E Ambulances to get the casualty off the hill and to hospital.

Am I concerned that my First Aid kit is too small?
Not really because if the sh1t hits the fan, there isn't much I can do beyond offering TLC and calling for the Big Boys to save the day.

Shit happens, and all I can do is the best I can with what I have around me. Most of the time the best bit of kit in my First Aid box are my wits and ingenuity.