Serious Medical Preps

Can someone tell me where to get sterile sutures in case someone in my family has a bad cut. I want a reputable company, don't want infection if I can help it.

Are their any other suggestions for serious medical preps that a non medical person can use in an emergency.

http://www.nitro-pak.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=+suture&image.x=0&image.y=0

Peroxide and Alcohol.

  I did a search a while ago for a suture kit and found a bunch of sites that sold them. I guess it depends how much you want to spend and how extensive you want your kit to be. That said however, people should be aware that in many emergency situations, unless you've got a major arterial bleed that won't stop - in which case you'd better hope you can get to an ER quick as it's life threatening - direct pressure with a sterile dressing (or even a clean T-shirt) and lots of patience will stop most bleeding. Applying pressure to pulse points above the wound (if you know where they are) and elevating it above the heart can also be effective. Use tourniquets as a last resort and with caution. Too loose and they make the bleeding worse by only constricting venous flow, and too tight and for too long will result in tissue death and potential loss of a limb. Butterfly bandaids do a good job of holding even big cuts together that under normal circumstances would have you bolting for the ER for stitches or staples (after the worst of the bleeding has stopped of course - they don't like to stick otherwise). Before we all start treating ourselves and our loved ones though, we are discussing medical care during an emergency like a pandemic where trained help may not be available, and it should be said that under normal circumstances a trip to a healthcare professional is always a good idea when you can, as unseen problems like nerve and tendon damage can also occur from seemingly minor injuries. Hey, while you're there - your tetanus shot up to date?  

good information jacksdad and especially about being up to date with first aid and CPR certified. 

am looking into sutures as well ~ for a multi family medical set up ~ have several family members that are nurses, former EMTs ~ so having these "sterile" items on hand and using them on the advise of a medical doctor makes sense to me.

What about sterie strips .  And did you know that some operations they use super glue to seal a cut i heard.. Also there is liquid bandaids..  I have while camping sterilized a sewing needle and used white cotton thread and closed a cut on a finger that was really bad and needed imediate attention at the moment it happen.  But I would recomend for sterile reasons to stick with sutures or sterie strips..  Sterie strips are those pieces of tape looking things the docter put on you after a operation to keep the wound closed.  They can be bought in any drug store.  There is also a spray to clean a wound and keep it sanitry. 

Zinc oxide ointment for burns

i'm stoping in Tijuana, mexico this weekend and plan to pick up a bottle of amoxillian, and i'll see what else they have over the counter that i need a prescription for in the US.

Susan,

I just dug out mine, good thing too, they expired last month. They were made by Thomas Laboratories. Phone (623) 936-8536.

Ok, so are any of you afraid that these meds are not for human consumption and may have bad stuff in them??

And how do you know what doseage is correct for you or your child/teen?

I am like nightowlmn, this is scary to treat with meds when we do not know what we are doing and what each med is good for.

Is there a book that will tell us which med to use for what and at what dose? We need a Dr. or Nurse to answer this question.

Good information everyone on Serious Meds! As time gets short we need to have this information for prepping.

You can find uses and dosages on drugs.com.  I havne't done it yet but plan to print out  Antibiotics I'm not scared of using or the prednisone.  Have used them before.  I scared of not having enough knowlege to treat bird flu.  Delay in the proper treatment could mean death.  I'm hoping my antibiotics will be used for something not related to bird flu.  That way we don't have to go near a doctors office or hospital.

I just ordered my suture kit.Thanks for the info.I've wanted a kit for awhile

That nitro-pak place seemed kinda expensive. $8 for a single suture pack?

ShaRenKa are you talking about the superglue gel you purchase at the grocery store??

I thought there would be a special medical superglue.

FluMom wrote: ShaRenKa are you talking about the superglue gel you purchase at the grocery store?? I thought there would be a special medical superglue.

Nope, I've pretty much gashed open the end of my big toe after dropping a 45 lbs speaker on it;P lol Blood everywhere! I went into bathroom, washed it best I could, as it was bleeding pretty good, poured peroxide over it. Then I poured Peroxide on it, dabbed it with a sterile gause pad, and then my super glue just over the cut opening (holding it together with my other hand). I'm not lying, after 2 1/2 weeks it was hard to see even the scar.

I wasn't taught to suture in CPR class I can't help you with this subject

 

 

I've had sutures and used superglue..I'll take superglue anyday..lol

please excuse the typos..lol Had to turn a light on in here..getting dark...lol

I have a couple of Aloe plants, that are grown for their medical abilities, the gel from them is soothing on burns. I also stock up on arromatherapy oils especially Lavender as it acts in two ways antiseptic and analgesic [ you may smell like your greatgrandmother, but it sure is fast acting.  Hospital used it on my brother many years ago when he was in a bad fire, it was first thought he was going to need extensive skin graphs, he needed 2 smallish patches on his leg and arm after they had used the lavender oil for 3 weeks, it was used neat, directly on the skin, and in the water they bathed him in]. Lavender oil can be used neat on babies in fact the only oil that can be used undiluted also the oil can be used on pets.

Hey Ro! I too make not only arromatherapy oils, but oils such a "Thieves Oil" and have came up with a few of my own natural healing oils and pastes and balms. Thieves oil in case someone dosn't have a clue as to what it is, Is a mixture of essential oils, and where did it come from? Back in the days when plagues ran rampant. Grave robbers use to mix a batch up, place it around their nose, mouth and hands before digging up the latest burrial site to steal their jewlery ect! It protected them from catching whatever killed the poor soul! I have made so far about 20 bottles and am selling them here locally for about $12.00 a bottle. I'm praying it works against the ABF as well!

FluMom wrote: I think someone on this site told me about Water Jel for burns. I am sorry, I kill indoor plants so Aloe is not an option for me. Water Jel is pricey but I will be getting some just so I can treat a minor burn without going to the hospital.

lol I killed Aloe plant too.  You can buy a bottle of Aloe where they have suburn stuff.  Pretty sure I have a bottle from Solarcaine.  I also got a bottle from Avon.  Its pretty common for sunburns.