|
|
|||||||
To answer the first question, I can't say that either of the PHs I hunted with in Zim or Namibia had a first-aid kit on them out in the field. It was left in the truck. But I myself always had a compact military sterile wound dressing that fit in my pocket. While driving around in Africa, we had such an extensive medical kit that we were practically a mobil hospital! Luckily, besides various sicknesses/diseases which we dealt with using appropriate anti-biotics and drugs, the only "traumatic wound" we had to deal with was a second degree burn my wife got on her foot in north Mozambique. After poring the one bottle of cold water we had on the burn, we used a special gel bandage that is made to "suck out the heat" if water is unavailable. I doubt that all the anti-biotics we had would be needed on a hunt, but a good broadspectored anti-biotic would be an idea to bring with you for a large cut or wound to keep it from getting infected right from the start. Obviously one would have to complete the cure as prescribed even if infection didn't set in. There are a couple of products which are made to stop traumatic bleeding, and are used in a few military forces. One is Trauma-Dex, and the other is QuickClot. They both "powder like" and both create rapid coagulation of the blood, basically by sucking up excess water, and consentating the blood platelets which creates a (fragile!) bloodclot. However, I had a long discussion about this the other week with the Norwegian militarys cheif trauma surgeon. According to his tests, a correctly applied good sterile dressing and pressure works almost about the same by itself, and a sterile dressing and applying pressure is needed ontop of these powder products anyway if they are to work correctly. So one must ask if the slight increase in coagulation is worth the weight of carrying them around on a hunt, which after all isn't in a warzone! Usually! They only weigh about 100 grams, but everything adds up... I think the most important thing is being able to deal with wounds based on knowledge. Fancy bandages and equipment doesn't help much if one doesn't know how to utilize them properly. I suggest that those who haven't recieved first-aid training in the military or simular, take a course at the local Red Cross, or whatever other options are available nearby. One thing is saving your own life, but a bit of knowledge can help you save someone elses life, which is just as important. It could be a loved one that gets hurt... Erik |
|