5 First Aid Supplies You Didn’t Know You Needed

As some of you may know my wife Lisa is a Registered Nurse, and knowing first aid skills should be at the top of the list when it comes to preparing for any disaster or off the grid event. Events such as these are likely to create an overburdened medical system and make it impossible to get the medical attention we need.

If you are like me, this list will be exactly what the title says “5 first aid supplies you didn’t know you needed.” Most of us know what the basics of first aid are, we need band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic, over the counter medications and the prescription medications we use on a daily basis, but what is all this other stuff like Mepitel, Xerofoam and Mepilex?

We have also done a podcast  that goes into much more detail about the 3 different levels of first aid (beginner, intermediate and advanced)

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Here is a PDF you can download with the 3 levels of first aid kits.

I want to take a few of these first aid items that confused me a little bit and go into more detail about why they are important. This is a joint post by Lisa and I because I have the questions, and she has the answers.

Hopefully by the end of this post you will understand more about these first aid supplies and why you might want them in your first aid kit, as well as how to use them for their intended purpose.

Some not so common first aid supplies

Important:  this article is not medical advice, If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

Mepilex Foam Pad Dressing

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Mepilex foam dressings are thick foam that you can use in a variety of conditions, and for many different types of wounds. It also works great for adding a little extra cushioning for areas of pressure (which is the first level of a wound, so if you can prevent pressure, you may be able to prevent a pressure ulcer.)

Mepilex is a brand name of foam dressing, and there are other brands, so if you are looking for different types, they are available. But this is the type of dressing I use on a daily basis so this is the one I really know well. This will work directly on a wound, or as an outer layer to provide padding to the effected area.

The easiest part of this dressing is that it has a slightly tacky backing that you apply directly to the wound, which makes it easier to keep in place when you are adhering the dressing, with either tape or an ace wrap, or whatever else you choose. You can use Mepilex on abrasions, cuts, burns, pressure ulcers, and even over surgical incisions.

Mepitel Pad Dressing

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Mepitel is a wonderful product that you can put over wounds like burns, pressure ulcers, abrasions, and wounds that have a lot of drainage, because the drainage will come through the dressing, and stay off the skin.

Just like the picture shows, you place the mepitel directly over the wound, and then cover it with gauze, foam, or whatever you have.

And then the next time you change the dressing, and remove the mepitel, it will not stick to the wound, and will not rip off those precious new skin cells you have worked so hard to have return! And it doesn’t hurt when you remove it!

Xeroform Gauze Dressing

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Xeroform is good to have on hand in your medical kit. This is a petroleum impregnated gauze that can be placed over wounds that are a little too dry (crusty.) In order to promote healing, you need a balance of moisture. Too much is bad, and too little is bad, you need to have the moisture level be ‘just right” in order for a wound to heal.

You can place it over blisters that are still intact, meaning the liquid is still inside the ‘dome’ of the blister. You can change the xeroform dressings every three days, and hopefully within a week or two, the blister will have deflated, meaning the fluid will have gone back in the body while the outer skin shrinks down, and will get dry and scabby and flake off.

Adaptic Dressing

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Adaptic is a mineral oil based gauze dressing. The gauze is not as tightly woven as the xeroform is, and it allows a little more air exchange to the wound area that you are covering.

An adaptic dressing allows air to get in, and also allows the wound to drain if it needs too, not trapping the moisture or drainage next to the skin, which can be detrimental to wound healing. This dressing can be left in place 3-5 days before it needs to be changed.

Aquacel Application

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Aquacel is an amazing dressing. If you have a wound that is draining a LOT of fluid, this is the dressing you need. When the wound is draining, you put this directly on the wound, and as the wound drains, the aquacel AG transforms from a felt type feeling dressing into a gelatinous thick film.

The benefit to this is the drainage is absorbed by the dressing and keeps the skin drier, and allows the wound to heal. Because if a wound is draining a lot of fluid the skin will get macerated and look really white (like what your skin looks like when you have been in the shower way to long) and macerated skin can’t heal. This is why this stuff works so great!

As an example without being to disgusting, if you get maceration between your toes, and then you end up with a wound, you can wrap this around the toe, filling the crease, and any excessive moisture will be absorbed by the dressing, and keep the perfect balance of moisture on the skin, allowing the skin to heal.

 Bonus Dressing

I said we we’re only going to do 5 but I remembered about the Israeli Battle Dressing and decided to add it to the post.

Israeli Bandage Battle Dressing

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I learned about this dressing for Tom at Prepared Ninja, the Israeli combat dressing is a great addition to not only your first aid kit, but also your bug out bag. It comes in its own sterile packaging, and is everything you need in a trauma dressing.

It is easy to put on, will not stick to a wound, adds pressure (compression to stop bleeding), and adheres to itself. Even if you were wounded, and alone, you could put this dressing on.

Have a look at this video for a little more detail…

We have quite a few articles about first aid and wound care, Lisa will be adding more in the future. You can also find out more information on these first aid products here. If you have any questions though please leave a comment below and Lisa will answer them to the best of her ability.

Thanks,

Lisa & Dale