Re: First Aid kit - expiration of items?

"Martin" <me@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:3iqt141809vtp0h099h3upham102ndomid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Mon, 05 May 2008 11:00:58 GMT, Ronald Raygun 
> <no.spam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>>Duncan Heenan wrote:
>>
>>> I have a First Aid kit on board, bought 7 years ago as an 'approved'
>>> offshore kit (though I can't remember under what regulations). I have
>>> never used anything from it and I was wondering what sort of things in

>>> it
>>> may have gone off and need replacing. can anyone help?
>>
>>It might contain various pills.  Apart from that, I suppose sticky tape
>>could gum up, or there might be some worry that sterile packaging
>>could have become compromised with age.
>>
>>Open it up, take out anything dangerous, and give it to the grandkids
>>so they can play doctors and nurses.  And treat yourself to a new one.
>
> I recall a recommendation to refill by purchasing items separately using
a 
> list
> made by a doctor.
> -- 
>
There's very little that you need in a first aid kit anyway. A lot of
useful 
stuff is already knocking around the boat,
like a bit of wood to make a splint for a broken bone and some rope to tie

it up with. A few pads to
press on very nasty bleeding could be useful and the usual plasters but 
other than that seasick pills are probably
the best thing to keep in the box!  I might include some eyewash for
foreign 
bodies in eyes and maybe some aspirin
in case someone has a heart attack. If you're well offshore a small first 
aid book might be handy too. Oh, and burns dressings perhaps.

True life saving first aid can pretty much be done with your hands unless 
you're a doctor with a medical pack aboard. In mine I ought to put some 
airways
and IV cannulae, but that's only because I can use 'em, although anyone
can 
swot up on airways and have a go - if the patient is going to
die anyway you can't do much harm. The super-yotties amongst UKRS might 
include a defibrillator too!

TonyB