When working in larger groups, whether it is your family or a group of friends, there can be times when a need for trauma care may arise, maybe for more than one person .  There are times when a person can suffer a significant traumatic injury, or more than one person may suffer a traumatic injury as well. Medical care at a hospital may be hours away or may not be available at all.  That is where the Squad/Group Trauma Aid Kit (STAK) provides you the means to render emergency trauma care to one or multiple trauma victims.

In the last post MEDICAL CARE: Team Basic Aid Kit (TBAK) I covered items that each team or family would carry with them into the field where medical care was not readily available.  It is a solid kit for a small team or family, including a minimal level of trauma care.  But when there are more people you need more capacity.  That is where the STAK comes into play.

Let’s get on with reviewing STAK mission and contents.

Mission of the STAK –

1. To return the an person with minor injuries to activity without additional immediate medical care, or,
2. To provide the cleansing, suturing and initial external antibiotic treatment to a traumatically injured person, or,
   
3. To provide the above to more than one person, or,
4. To prevent death by bleeding from significant traumatic injuries..

Carry Method –
Your Squad/Group Trauma Aid Kit is carried by any designated person. Rapid access to this kit is probably not going to happen or be required.  First Aid care will be administered rapidly on-scene by the injured person, a buddy or your designated medic.  The need for trauma care will be assessed during that time.  A suitable location for providing more advanced trauma care will need to be found.  Those steps take time and that is sufficient time for the kit carrier to arrive on-scene with the bag.  The bag should be able to be attached to a MOLLE vest but will probably be carried by a shoulder strap due to its weight and bulk.  The carrier needs to be sufficiently large enough to carry all the kit contents but small enough to not be overly intrusive or overly restrictive in regards to tactical movement.  It must be able to stand up against hard field use as well as rough weather conditions. I recommend the Condor Tactical Foldout Medical Bag.

Condor Tactical Foldout Medical Bag
This kit is, by default a little on the heavy side.  Whoever is going to carry this will probably want to lighten their load a little bit by reducing some other gear they carry.  Example:  Reduction in 2 30-round magazines of ammunition.

This kit can be carried via the should strap or the back has MOLLE compatible straps.  Although strapping this onto a Load Bear Vest would be pretty unbalanced and uncomfortable to carry this way.  Also, with it attached like that to a LBV it would be difficult to access without removing the LBV.  It would probably be best to carry via the shoulder strap.

The kit is also pretty water resistant but don’t go swimming with it, you would be disappointed.  The material is heavy and the zippers have held up really well so far in field testing.

Contents:

Contents are listed by compartment.  Compartments are identified by need to access in order of care given.  Contents identified for the steps to take in treating traumatic injuries.  In other words, what you need first is contained in the most accessible compartment.

Compartment #1 –

• 5 x pairs Nitrile Examination Gloves
• 2 x bottle (6oz) of Band-Aid Antiseptic Wash (also contains anesthetic)
• 1 x pair of EMT sheers
• 12 x Sterile Gauze pads, 4” x 4” (6 packs of 2 each)
• 1 x can (6oz) NeliMed Wound Wash saline spray

Compartment #2 –

• 1 x can (6oz) NeliMed Wound Wash saline spray
• 1 x Surgical Set – 80122: The Elite First Aid, Inc
• 24 x Butterfly Closures, Small
• 10 x Sutures, 18”, 4-0 (USP) black, nonabsorbent
• 1 x Stapler, Skin, Disposable, with 35 Wide Staples : Oasis
• 1 x Staple Remover  : Oasis
• 1 x bottle (20z) Iodine tincture (2% USP) antiseptic
• 1 x can (2oz) Triple Antibiotic Spray

Compartment #3 –

• 2 x Dressing, First Aid, Field, 4” x 7”  NSN 6510-00-159-4883
• 2 x Dressing, First Aid, Field, 7-1/2” x 8”, Sterile NSN 6510-00-201-7430
• 1 x Dressing, First Aid,  Field, 11-3/4” x 11-3/4”, Sterile NSN 6510-00-201-7425
• 1 x Triangular Bandage, 36”x 36”x 51”
• 2 x Quick Clot Silver, Antibacterial, Blood coagulant, 50 gram : Z-Medica
• 1 x tube (1/2oz) Triple Antibiotic Salve
• 5 x 2″ x 75″ Stretch Bandage, Kendall 2231
• 1 x roll Tape, Medical, 1”
• 1 x 3” Non-Woven Cohesive Wrap Self Adherent Bandage (a.k.a. FlexWrap, Corban, VetWrap)
• 1 x roll 2″ Ace Bandage

Contents Descriptions:

Nitrile Examination Gloves : Gloves to protect from body fluids such as blood.  Also helps to prevent cross-contamination between patients.

 

 

Band-Aid Antiseptic Wash : 6.0 fl oz bottle. Cleans minor cuts, scrapes & burns, relieves pain & itch and helps to prevent infection. Used to clean minor cuts, scrapes and burns by thoroughly flushing the affected area.

Recovering from an injury begins with properly cleaning a wound; the sooner the better. Germs cause infections when you have an open wound. Germs will be found on the inside and outside of the wound. They get inside from whatever object broke the surface of your skin and through migration from the skin post-trauma.

To give the victim the best chance of survival from being wounded you must properly clean the wound; which includes removing both the debris and killing the germs the best you can. And the wound cleansing generally will be accompanied by some degree of pain. This wash product has antiseptic properties to help kill germs while you are irrigating the wound washing debris out, but it also has a mild anesthetic as well. But trust me, they will still feel pain, just not as much.

 

EMT sheers : A type of scissors used by paramedics and other emergency medical personnel to quickly and safely cut clothing from injured people.

 

Sterile Gauze pads, 4” x 4” :  Rayon and polyester blend is ideal for applying ointments, prepping or cleaning. Highly absorbent. Packed in sterile, patient-ready envelopes.

NeliMed Wound Wash saline spray :  A sterile saline solution that cleanses minor wounds and scrapes without any burning or stinging. Sprays in any position, including when inverted. Sterile, drug free, and preservative free.  No burning or stinging Isotonic Saline Solution.

 

Surgical Set – 80122: The Elite First Aid, Inc :  Provides sufficient surgical to perform minor surgery for a wide variety of injuries.  List of included items in the 80122 Surgical Set

• 2 x Straigh Hemostats
• 1 x Curved Hemostat
• 1 x Scalpel Handle, #3
• 2 x Scalpel Blades
• 1 x Needle Probe
• 1 x Pen Light
• 1 x Pair of Scissors
• 1 x Pair of Tweezers
• 1 x Suture Set
• 1 x Holder
• 1 x Alcohol Wipes
• 1 x Antiseptic BZK Wipes

Iodine tincture (2% USP) antiseptic & Providone-Iodine prep pad : A disinfectant and antiseptic to help prevent skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns.

Once the wound has been washed and the debris removed you want the next step of germ killing to take place, this is where the tincture of iodine comes into play. You can also use this to clean an area around the sutured wound area prior to applying a clean sterile bandage. The sterile 4×4 gauze pads are great while applying the iodine.

Remember, if you are not using a sterile pad to help apply this product, or you are not using a sterile bandage after applying this product, you are defeating the purpose of the germ killing capabilities.

 

Butterfly Closures, Small or Medium : These waterproof butterfly closures are designed to close and secure small wounds and incisions, holding the skin firmly while not sticking to the wound itself. They remove the need for stitches in relatively minor cuts.

  Sutures, 18”, 4-0 (USP) black, nonabsorbent :  Multifilament, non-absorbable suture, 45 cm, undyed. Needle: 19 mm, 3/8 circle, reverse cutting. Used to close properly cleaned traumatic wounds when more advanced medical care is not available.Stapler, Skin, Disposable, with 35 Wide Staples  :  The Oasis wide skin stapler is affordable and simple. It fits comfortably in your hand to enhance control of skin closure and also reduces surgery time. Lever action staplers are the most popular design on the market, along with a distinctive staple shuttling feature greatly reduces track friction, a primary cause of jamming. Other features include a short trigger stroke for ease of use and nonstop feed, angled head allows visibility of incision to ensure precise staple placement during operation, arrow indicator assists in accurate staple alignment. Staple count indicator allows you to view staples remaining to help minimize waste. Staple lines are more likely to prevent leakage of blood or air. Wide Staples measure 6.5mm x 4.7mm.

Staple Remover  :  Versatile Oasis stapler remover allows for fast and easy removal of surgical skin staples with minimal discomfort to the patient.   Versatile single-use skin stapler allows for fast and easy removal of surgical skin staples with minimal discomfort to the patient. Consistent performance by placing the metal tip of the sterile remover underneath the staple and squeezing the handles until they touch and the extractor is fully closed. Once the staple is completely reformed the remover can be lifted from the skin and the staple is removed.

Triple Antibiotic (ointment / salve / spray) : Triple antibiotic ointment is a topical solution containing three antibiotics – bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B sulfates. It is used to prevent infection and heal wounds. The combination of antibiotics works to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin, keeping open wounds free of germs that could cause infection.

After you get the wound cleaned up, maybe sutured you still have to worry about infection. The iodine based products mentioned above go a long way towards preventing that infection by killing the germs/bacteria topically at the time of application; but they are not antibiotics.

This item is an antibiotic, and it is designed to kill bacteria that can cause infections and assists in the wound healing. This product can be used on burns as well to help prevent infection. And don’t be an idiot…DO NOT TAKE THIS PRODUCT ORALLY !

Quick Clot Silver, Antibacterial, Blood Coagulant (50 gram) :  Advanced clotting sponge stops moderate to severe bleeding until further medical help is available. Silver version has the added antibacterial advantage of ionic silver. Quikclot is a chemically inert material in a mesh bag that speeds coagulation of blood, resulting in a stable clot that stops bleeding and is safe to leave on wounds until more advanced medical help arrives.

 

Dressing, First Aid, Camouflaged, 11 ¾” x 11 ¾” : This bandage is classified as a medium for larger wounds such as intestinal or larger areas of burns, etc. Dressing comes with 4 ties and are very absorbent (1 unit of blood).

 

Dressing, First Aid, Field, 7 ½” x 8”, Sterile : This bandage is classified as a medium dressing used for larger wounds. Has four cloth tails.

 

Dressing, First Aid, Camouflaged, 4” x 7” : This bandage is classified as a smallfor wounds such as gunshot or cuts smaller than 6” in length They come with 2 ties and safety pins.

 

Triangular Bandage, 36”x 36”x 51”  :  A triangular bandage provides support for a broken arm, sprained knee, broken foot or head injury.  The triangular shape of the main fold provides custom support for most injured areas.

 

 

 

2” Non-Woven Cohesive Wrap Self Adherent Bandage :  Elastic Adhesive Bandage is a type of cohesive bandage or wrap that adheres to itself, but does not adhere well to other surfaces such as hair or skin. Porous, allow skin to breath and comfortable to users.   Provide controlled compression. Water resistant, will not loosen by sweat or water.  Used to hold dressings in place and to help provide pressure to control bleeding in conjunction with other dressings.
2″ ACE Bandage :  Designed to provide support and compression during recovery and return to activity. They are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, easy to use, and adjustable for a custom fit.  Odor resistant, hook closure enables the bandage to be wrapped easily and secured without clips, and bandage retains elasticity after repeated use and washings.

 

 

 

 

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