Medical Instruments

[JJR512]

Other than trauma shears, what other instruments do you find it useful/helpful to bring with you in a pocket or holster (somewhere on your person)? What do you like to have with you in a bag or back on the unit? Why do you have what you have (what do you use it for)?

Bandage scissors? Kelley forceps (straight or curved? how long?)? Tweezers (pointy or blunt)? That tool (I forget what it's called) to get stuff out of eyes, it has a magnet on one end and a loop on the other? Ring cutter? Other kinds of clamps/hemostats? What else (and why)?

 

[firecoins]

For the stuff I carry on me, I carry a stethescope, an adult BP cuff, a pen light, extra gloves, several pens, a note pad, an oxegyn wrench and shears. The shears are the least used item of the group. I used it 2x over the last year and 1 of those was in the ER. I never got that pair back.

In my first in bag? I don't really control that. I like of course Oxygen with various masks, cannulas, tubing, airways, BVM, a couple of different size BP cuffs, dextrose, aspirin, 4 x 4s, 5 x 9s, band aids, tape and cling. I like this bag also to be as light as possible. Possibly an AED on cardiac calls.

In the back of the rig i expect working AC and heat, OXygen, lights and all the cabinets with NYS requirements to be locked up. I work out of the First In bag and trauma bag. The MOST important tool I need in the back....a 1 and half man stretcher.

 

[ki4mus]

on my person, stethoscope, trauma shears, pens, mini-mag light (can use as penlight or flashlight), good knife and multi-tool (always carried anyways all the time since 6th grade)

in the truck and the truck's jump bag, I expect everything to be there in it's own place.

in my car I do carry a personal kit (we all do here) it has bandages, ice packs, airways (opa, npa), BP cuff, gloves, CPR mask, and a few other odds and ends, but no meds,c-collars, or anything like that....

 

[Guardian]

I usually carry a wallet with 20-30 dollars, driver's license, credit card, car keys, and loose change. Oh, and the most important piece of ems equipment known to man, a reliable pen.

What can I say, they do a good job stocking our units here.

 

[natrab]

I only grab my shears on trauma calls. Otherwise if it's a medical we have shears in our bags. Other than that I have a pen, sharpie, my steth and safety glasses. I'm a minimalist, and I hate having a ton of stuff in my pockets. At night I usually add a flashlight to the arsenal (though usually only for trauma once again, cuz we have flashlights in our bags).

I do have a fanny pack of useful essentials that occasionally go missing on the rig (meconium aspirator, carpojet, ems reference guide, broslo tape, more pens, etc.), but that just gets hung on the medic catcher in the back of the rig.

As far as first in bags, if we actually get to scene first we bring everything in every time.

 

[BossyCow]

Again I maintain, the longer you have been doing this, the less stuff you carry.