Re: First Aid kit - expiration of items?

"Ronald Raygun" <no.spam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:tWJUj.315$DZ6.284@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> TonyB wrote:
>
>>>>Suppose someone breaks a leg in the middle of the Irish Sea.  A
"proper"
>>>>break, with bits of bone poking through the skin.  It'd probably not
>>>>warrant calling out a helicopter, but it's still a bit beyond a few
>>>>paracetamols and an elastoplast.
>>>
>>> A compound fracture is automatically a serious medical emergency, and
>>> you should not hesitate to call the emergency sevices. A fracture can
>>> cause serious internal bleeding, resulting in clinical shock. You can
>>> and should do first aid, but that is what it is - FIRST aid.
>>
>> I'm with Paul on that one, I think it does warrant a chopper one way or
>> the other.
>
> Well, maybe it was a poor example.  There must be other examples of
> situations where second aid from outside is not going to be viable,
> other, perhaps, than advice over the radio or sat-phone.
>
> On the other hand, replace the Irish Sea by the North Atlantic, putting
> yourself out of chopper range.  Then what?  Hope there's a ****p nearby
> with proper facilities and a trained medic?

Well, they may not be able to do a lot more than you can. Stem the
bleeding 
with pressure pads -
anything will do, sterility is the council of perfection but if the guy is

going to die from bloodloss then an oily
rag will do. Strap the legs together with a stiffener if you've got one
and 
give your paracetamol for pain relief.

That is about all that you can do in that situation.

TonyB
>