9 Unusual Things You’ll Find Inside an Army Medic’s First Aid Kit

When building a robust first aid kit for your bug-out bag or for emergency use in a crisis, the massive selection of medical products on the market can seem daunting. Depending on your bug-out plan, you may have to travel long distances and carry other critical gear with you, meaning your first aid kit will have to be portable while still having enough items to treat as many wound types as possible. Luckily, there is a profession with the exact same needs: Army Medic.

Combat can be a medical nightmare, with wounds ranging from blunt force trauma and lacerations to amputations and worse. The Army Medic carries equipment to treat wounds relevant to categories within widely used acronyms.

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PAWS

Bugging out can expose you to many of the same injuries experienced in combat, particularly if there are hostile people along the way. Falls, vehicle collisions, and confrontations may leave you or others needing immediate medical attention. To help you out, here are some unusual things you’ll find inside an Army Medics first aid kit that you should also consider having in yours.

But, before we get into all that, remember that knowledge should always be your main priority. The more you know, the easier it is to survive in any scenario. Going out without the knowledge of a wilderness survival guide or not knowing how to forage wild foods automatically puts you in danger. Keep learning to increase your overall chances of survival!

Hemostatic Gauze (Massive Hemorrhage)

To stop the bleeding from a gunshot or puncture wound, you will need to pack the wound with gauze and apply a pressure dressing. Depending on the wound size, this can take a significant amount of gauze to accomplish. Hemostatic gauze is coated in active ingredients that enable rapid coagulation of the blood, meaning less overall bleeding and more reliable treatment. Regular gauze relies on pressure alone, which may not be enough to fully stop the bleeding.

Junctional Tourniquet (Massive Hemorrhage)

Tourniquets are essential medical devices for stopping massive hemorrhages on limbs. They are extremely useful and widely known. When the wound is not on a limb, or a traditional tourniquet cannot be effectively applied, a junctional tourniquet may be needed.

Junctional tourniquets can be applied to the armpits and the pelvic region.  Many models have an inflatable bladder system that applies pressure directly to the affected blood vessel. Others may rely on mechanical pressure from straps and pads, or by lodging an object under the strap and above the blood vessel.

Modern body armor does a good job of protecting vital organs. Extensions such as shoulder and thigh armor protect even more of the body. Unfortunately, junctional areas like the armpits are very difficult to fully protect, so it is crucial you have a method of treating injuries there.

Nasopharyngeal Airway (Airway)

When a patient is unconscious or there are obstructions in the mouth or throat, it may be necessary to provide a clear airway to breathe through.  Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA) is a silicone or rubber tube that is inserted into the nose and slightly down the throat. It creates a clear airway that bypasses obstructions and is suitable for unconscious patients whose tongues can relax so much they choke themselves with it.

Propper sizing is important for preventing damage to nasal tissue or creating additional blockages with the NPA. Luckily, NPAs are inexpensive and multiple sizes can be carried. In a pinch, you can use the patient’s saliva to lubricate the NPA before inserting, but it is better to have a water-soluble lubricant.

Chest Decompression Needle (Respiration)

Broken ribs and penetrating wounds can puncture the lungs, causing air to leak out and slowly fill up the patient’s chest cavity. This air buildup can eventually compress the lungs to the point they are no longer able to inflate, essentially suffocating the patient with their own air in a condition called “tension pneumothorax.” Even if only one lung is affected, the buildup of pressure can cause significant issues for the heart and other internal structures.

To provide immediate relief, a chest decompression needle can be used. This is a 14-gauge needle that is 3.25 inches long and has a flexible catheter over it. The needle and catheter are inserted until the chest cavity is penetrated and air escapes. Then, the needle is removed, leaving the catheter inside to continue venting. While this will not heal a punctured lung, it will buy valuable time until proper medical treatment can be rendered.

Tranexamic Acid – TXA (Circulation)

Within your bloodstream, there are coagulants that help wounds stop bleeding. These are essential for healing and occur naturally or with the help of medical products like hemostatic gauze. Healing is a process, and just like there are coagulants in your blood to create clots, so are molecules that help break down those very same clots. This is usually a good thing but may cause excessive bleeding after injuries.

Tranexamic Acid (TXA) is a medicine that can be administered orally, topically, or intravenously. It helps prevent the activation of the molecules responsible for the breakdown of clots. If administered promptly after a traumatic injury, it can help lower the risk of mortality.

Emergency Blanket (Hypothermia)

While not the most unusual product, an emergency blanket is compact, inexpensive, and very useful for treating patients at risk of hypothermia or shock. Hypothermia is often associated with cold weather, but it can happen on warm and sunny days, too. As warm-blooded mammals, the human body relies on a regulated body temperature that is achieved in large part due to proper circulation.

Patients with significant blood loss may experience hypothermia at any time. It is often best to provide as much treatment as possible to the actual wounds and then wrap the patient in an emergency blanket until further medical treatment can be administered.

Combat Wound Medication Pack (Pain and Antibiotics)

Army Medics carry a wide selection of medications, many of which are unavailable to the general public. They carry a pill pack containing three medications in what is called the Combat Wound Medication Pack (CWMP). The medications are meloxicam, moxifloxacin, and acetaminophen, which are antibiotics and pain treatments.

This specific pill pack is not sold over the counter, but the logic and general usefulness can be replicated with OTC drugs. At the very least, you will want to have pain relievers to reduce physiological stress and a topical ointment that can kill germs. These can be packed together in a compact kit for easy access.

Rigid Eye Shield (Wound)

Eye injuries can be especially painful and troublesome. Due to the delicate nature of eye tissue, it is generally best to avoid applying pressure to eye wounds, but the need to keep the wound clean and protected persists. This is where rigid eye shields come in.

Usually made of plastic or metal, a rigid eye shield is a dome that can be placed over the eye and then wrapped with a bandage. This will help keep the wound clean and will disperse the pressure from the bandage to the area around the eye, preventing further damage.

Malleable Splint (Splinting)

Broken bones are a common injury that often heals on its own, though it will take some time. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken at sharp angles, any movement of which can cause additional internal damage, including laceration of arteries. This threat, combined with the immense pain the patient is feeling, makes splinting an essential medical treatment.

Splinting with sticks and string (rigid splinting) has been used for millennia and is just as relevant today as ever. Malleable splints are semi-rigid and more versatile. Though they are a bit bulky, malleable splints offer flexibility in how the splint can be applied. It can be shaped to conform to injuries on the limbs and even the neck, making them versatile and exceedingly useful as splints.

Final Thoughts

As with any tool, medical products should be trained with before use. Knowing when and how to use a product is just as important as knowing when NOT to use the product. The most valuable medical items you can have are proper knowledge and training. Medicine as a discipline constantly changes as our understanding of the human body evolves. Using these is not as simple as learning some lost remedies and then applying them. Stay up to date and keep your medical knowledge an asset rather than a liability.

What are some unusual items in your first aid kit?

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