# Prescription medicines for first aid kit



## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I'm off to see an amenable doctor later this week and will discuss what medicines above and beyond the contents of a prepackaged offshore first-aid kit I should bring. This will be for myself on transoceanic passages (I have no known allergies) and have only come up with:

Cipro(flaxin) - in case of severe infection
Antihistamine - in case of allergic reaction
Penicillin - general emergency antibiotic
Scopolamine patch - Seasickness, I hate suppositories, and normal medicine taken orally won't work after symptoms have started.

Does anyone have other recommendations for contents that might (or do) require a prescription?


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Not sure what they have pre-packaged, but here are some of the things I always have on hand.

Since I became allergic to insect stings, I have been using Benedryl as an anti-histamine. As worked quite well for me to reduce the swelling, which is my reaction to the stings.

Neosporin for topical application. As well as hydrogen peroxide.

Ora-gel for temporary relief of dental pain. Also Bayer asprin for placing on a bad tooth directly.

Persripction-wise, I think you have it pretty well covered, unless you were to get some type of pain killer.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I have Benadryl, Aspirin, Neosporin and 1l of Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol in my kit already (those didn't require a prescription) - wow, you really hit on exactly what I'd envisioned needing. {so far I used only the peroxide and bandages for a cut-to-the-bone on my hand}. I *forgot all about* a powerful general painkiller!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You would probably want to have some narcotic-based pain medication on-board in case of serious injuries. Tylenol-3, which contains codiene, Percocet, Dilaudid or morphine sulphate, are possible choices. I'd stay away from Oxycodone or oxycontin, as that drug is flagged more by DEA due to it being "hill-billy heroin". 

It would also be good to get another broad-spectrum antibiotic, since many diseases are now fairly resistant to pennicillin. 

If you're going to get any of the medications in tablet form, make sure that you can get them in smaller containers. That way, if you do have to use the tablets, you can keep some of them sealed. Tablets tend to degrade in high-heat/high-humidity conditions, fairly rapidly. 

Also, Silvadene creme is another thing you'd probably want to have on-board. It is used for burn treatment. 

Prescriptions for antihistamines don't really make much sense... Benadryl, Claritin, and Sudafed are available over the counter...and all three are quite effective. Benadryl also works partially to counter motion sickness, but can make many people drowsy. 

One other prescription medication that may be of interest, which I believe is available transdermally, is Zofran... it is a very potent anti-naseau drug... can be of great use in combating the effects of seasickness. 

You may also want to get, depending on where you're planning on going, some form of anti-malarial medication. Be aware that in many areas, the older standard treatments for malaria are no longer effective.

Another medication you may want to carry is an anti-parasitical medication... Tapeworms and other intestinal parasites are fairly common in third world countries... you may want to discuss this with your doctor. 

A few other things I'd pack in the Medical Kit, and I call it a medical kit rather than a first aid kit, since you will probably be further than 10 hours from medical assistance...so it really is a medical kit... 

1) Eye wash of some sort
2) Boric acid powder, which is both a good insecticide and topical antiseptic.
3) splinting equipment—SAM splints are excellent, and fairly easy to use
4) Antifungal lotion or creme—Tinactin, Lotromin or something like that. 
5) Electrolyte solution powder for rehydration
6) Multi-vitamins for daily use. Prevents scurvy, etc.. and easier than carrying lemons and lime juice. 

One other piece of advice.... I would take the bottles of medication and then individually vacuum seal each bottle, using a food vacuum sealing machine. This will protect the medications for oxygen degradation as well as humidity degradation... Then you can store the medications in the bilge, where it is coolest... without worrying about the effects of any bilge water on them. Don't do this for any transdermal patches, as the vacuum sealing process may damage the transdermal gelatin matrix. It should be fine for any tablets or caplets though.

One last thing I'd carry is some Cyanocrylate-based "crazy glue" type adhesive. It can work to seal larger lacerations fairly well. Medically, it is sold under the name Dermabond, but I've found that the regular, hardware store supplied stuff works just as well. It is more effective and less prone to problems than either sutures or surgical staples, at least under the conditions you'll be using them.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Zanshin, look for products like "Quik-Clot". These are available either as powders, or as impregnated bandages. The special ingredients cause rapid blood clotting, so blood loss is stopped and wounds sealed very rapidly. 

A product of combat medicine, they've been on the civilian market for only a few years now but many pharmacies are starting to carry them. Much more effective than pouring granulated sugar on a wound--which is an alternative if you have nothing else. (The sugar promotes clotting by absorbing the fluid, it is reasonably sterile and water-washable.)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One other medication that might be worth looking at getting is Provigil, aka Modafinil. It has definite uses if you're single handing...


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I've finally spoken with a UK doctor and now have a prescription for the following things for the 1st aid kit:
1. Dicloflex - anti-inflammatory and analgesic 
2. Scopoderm TTS - transdermal patch for seasickness relief (intended to be used in case of sickness, not as a prophylaxis)
3. Co-dydramol - paracetamol and dihydrocodeine tartrate based analgesic and anti-inflammatory
4. Flamazine - topical burn treatment and other skin infections
5. Amoxicillin - antibiotic. Penicillin based. The only drug with a limited shelf-life of < 1 year.
6. Malarone and Doxycycline - Antimalarial medicines. These two medicines are meant to be used separately (if at all) depending upon which malaria region I am in - since many strains are now resistant to one or the other drug. Not intended as a prophylaxis.

The medicine case contains a lot more elements that are OTC, but I won't list them all here since the subject has been covered in detail in other threads. The prescription drugs were chosen to cover as many possible conditions as possible while ensuring that their shelf-life in tropical conditions was sufficient for a lengthy voyage. All but the antibiotics have 3 year + shelf lives.

That covers the prescription drugs for the moment; but I don't feel that this is quite sufficient and am going to try to find a physician here who either sails or understands the issues involved when out to sea. Since England is so heavily populated I think that most doctors assume that help will be available within hours and not the days or even weeks that one might have to wait at sea.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Amoxicillin could be a bad choice. First, because a LOT of people have allergies to penicillin-type antibiotics, and this could kill them. Second, from the limited shelf life, there should be other alternatives that have a more reasonable shelf life.

And if you are not familiar with the Scopoderm, read the data sheet with it. Scop is very effective a lot of the time, but also has major side effects with many people. It can also be very dangerous. I wouldn't use it on someone unless it was medically necesary, i.e., if this person isn't able to function they're going to die, unless they'd tried it ashore first. Among the complications, violent delusional pyschosis, heart problems, eye pressure problems. Or, as some of us say, "I'm on meds now. I may become an axe murderer but you don't have to worry about me being seasick, just to let you know."


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Hellosailor - you've added 2 negatives without a positive; it would be helpful if you were to offer alternatives.

I researched the alternatives to Amoxicillin and all have a short shelf life. The kit is mainly for me, and as I'm not allergic to penicillin I went for the amoxicillin. I asked for Azactam but they stated that I could only get one type of antibiotic; perhaps I can find that OTC somewhere else and have an antibiotic for those allergic to penicillin based pills.

Regarding Scop - I do not intend to use, or have any passenger use, the Scop as a prophylaxis; just as an emergency measure to reduce symptoms. The usual anti-seasickness medications are pills and are therefore useless by the time symptoms are bad enough to require medication. I don't like suppositories so the only alternative is transdermal which limits the choice to Scop. In addition, all the other active seasickness medications have as many and as severe reactions plus they induce more drowsiness than Scop. Also, if you actually read the clinical observations, the cases of psychotic behaviour are very, very rare and the symptoms all go away quickly after removal of the patch, unlike ingested medications where symptoms can last a long time. I don't see any alternative to the (very pricey) patches in this case, do you?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Zanshin-
For me, Scop counts as "GOOD DRUGS!" and when our FDA took the oral caps off the otc market in the 80's, I actually placed a curse on the man who did that. Don't misread me as being negative about Scop, I would just say to be extremely careful about it under uncontrolled circumstances.
It is on the market as oral pills, brand name Scopace in the US. Much cheaper than the patches, much faster action. Easier to control the dosage. And, like most similar drugs, it works best as a prophylaxis, rather than after the fact. If you take it when someone says "I'm not feeling too good" it kicks in way better than after someone says "Ohhhh, I'm siiiiccckkk".
Most of the effective drugs for seasickness have some range of counterindications and IIRC none of them work for more than 1 in 3 customers. Sturgeron (cina-somethingorother) is supposed to be very effective, didn't work for me at all. Easily available in the UK I'm told. Ontologists often know more about these meds than anyone else, they are also used for the naseau produced in chemotherapy. There are a couple of other orals and suppositories (Compozine) as well. (And given the choice of being seasick or using a suppository, I think most of us would be glad to eagerly shove them in our ears and noses as well.<G>)
I don't not to use Scop, just beware that it is a very serious drug, and that like Penecillin, it can save--or kill--equally effectively.

Antibiotics in the US and UK often have different brand names, I've no idea what you have available to you over there, or what your doctor would be familiar with. Azithromycin (Zithromax) is one of the more common ones in the US supposedly with a 3-year shelf life, also a bit expensive. Shelf life is one of the things no one wants to talk about, especially when you are supposed to only get what you need, when you need it, and then consume the full course. If you asked your doc for a short list of what he'd recommend as being broad-spectrum, strong, and relatively safe, and then researched the shelf lifes, that would probably give you a better way to start.
Or, the one-year shelf life you were quoted may be incorrect--apparently many pharmacies in the US simply use one year as the "throw away" time for anything they have in stock.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Hellosailor - I hope I didn't mis-state my intent previous reply to your post - it is just that any medication powerful enough to make a difference will have powerful side effects and that this is why they need to be used with caution; so the list of "bad" aspects for any medication is going to be long and we could sit here all day and write about potential negative effects for just about everything. 


I've got another meeting with a RYA-recommended GP next week, so I've added "Azithromycin" to the list. I checked my Amoxy, the lot was produced 10/2006 and it's labelled expiry is 09/2007  OTOH, I did work for a pharma company many years ago, and know that the labelled expiry dates are very, very conservatively calculated.


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## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Appendicitis*

The one main situation that bothers me is acute appendicitis. Studies have shown that medical treatment with a broad spectrum antibiotic (while not a substitute for surgey) has a good chance to give you enough time to get surgical treatment.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Ahh... Flamazine is the UK equivalent of Silvadene here.. and Co-dydramol is very similar to Tylenol 3 with codeine.

As for the anti-nasuea medication... did you inquire about Zofran transdermal patches???


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Snider - I had the same worry, and mentioned it to the doctor when we were discussing the antibiotics for the list of medications. She was a very "proper" British lady and I was on my best formal behaviour as well. When she didn't reply directly to my question about what to do with a bout of appendicitis while 5 days from any help she didn't reply directly but her expression spoke volumes. In my best American idiom, I noted "In that case I'm screwed, aren't I?" and she laughed out load and nodded her head. then again, she doubled the amount of antibiotics she allocated to me, so my directness probably broke the ice 

Sailingdog - I didn't inquire about "Zofran" patches; I didn't realize they existed!


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Zanshin, she didn't offer you a prophylactic appendectomy?

No wonder they complain that British docs can't make any money, they just don't know how to sell up!<G>


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Here is a company that sells this stuff. I think the prices are a bit too high but it may prove to be a good place to start. I was going to take the list they sell to my doctor and see what he thinks. They also have some cool medical things like Marine Defibrillator Kits.

http://www.oceanmedix.com/


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

I can heartily recommend the Silvadene cream-get a big tub of it. While it is effective on all levels of burns, your most likely usage would be for severe sunburn or scalding. It is easy to forget the level of incapacitation that a severe sunburn can cause. It was one of the most frequently used items in my medecine chest on merchant ships-who'd think there were so many ways to get burnt?


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Sailaway21 - the "Flamazine" creme is the UK equivalent of Silvadene. Even though I don't quite have a tub I am glad I have it. I also have a large amount of aloe vera cream for day-to-day sunburn care - a necessary thing as I'm fair-haired (or would be, if I had any left on top of my head) and fair-skinned.


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## trantor12020 (Mar 11, 2006)

Zanshin, howabout when you're through collecting all your medication for the trip that you compile a list for the rest of us to use/reference. Perhaps the forum Moderator could even put it in the "Sticky" group. 
BTW, your medical list beats mine my a very big magine so sorry that I couldn't contribute any suggestion.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Trantor,

I'm still working on this list. I am fairly certain that I can get EpiPens added and perhaps some alternatives to the antibiotics and antifungals and analgesics (I would like to get Percocet or the like, but will wait until I get to a country which hasn't made them illegal). I'll keep the board posted on additions. I'm also tempted to stop putting together the non-prescription components and first-aid supplies piecemeal, and at the moment this Marine 2000 kit looks like a good and complete deal.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Zanshin said:


> Snider - I had the same worry, and mentioned it to the doctor when we were discussing the antibiotics for the list of medications. She was a very "proper" British lady and I was on my best formal behaviour as well. When she didn't reply directly to my question about what to do with a bout of appendicitis while 5 days from any help she didn't reply directly but her expression spoke volumes. In my best American idiom, I noted "In that case I'm screwed, aren't I?" and she laughed out load and nodded her head. then again, she doubled the amount of antibiotics she allocated to me, so my directness probably broke the ice
> 
> Sailingdog - I didn't inquire about "Zofran" patches; I didn't realize they existed!


Umm.. this was the second time I've mentioned them. Most people don't know that they exist. Their use is relatively rare, and they're probably fairly expensive...but if you can get them... they're a relatively high-confidence, low side-effect way of stopping seasickness. From what I understand, Zofran has far fewer side effects for most people than does Scop.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Zanshin said:


> Trantor,
> 
> I'm still working on this list. I am fairly certain that I can get EpiPens added and perhaps some alternatives to the antibiotics and antifungals and analgesics (I would like to get Percocet or the like, but will wait until I get to a country which hasn't made them illegal). I'll keep the board posted on additions. I'm also tempted to stop putting together the non-prescription components and first-aid supplies piecemeal, and at the moment this Marine 2000 kit looks like a good and complete deal.


That is a pretty solid kit. Eric Weiss, the president of the company has written a few good books, including a new one on marine medicine as well. I think the color-coding system and separating supplies based on usage makes a lot more sense than some of the other kits, which just bundle everything all together.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Sailingdog - that kit compartmentalization in the kit is certainly one of the big selling features for me, as is the book and reputation of the company; I'm shopping around right now for internet pricing and have seen ranges from $499 through $575 (for the same kit!). Once I'm pretty sure that I've got the best deal I'm going to order it and throw it into the big Pelican case - I'll have enough band-aids, gauze, tape and other 1st aid extras to take care of minor stuff and will only need to delve into the big kit on emergencies.

I still haven't found a source for the Zofran patches (lots of sources for the pills, though).

Oddly enough, the Marine 3000 kit is billed as ">24 Hours from aid" while the Marine 2000 kit is "<24 Hours", yet the manufacturer states that the difference is mainly in the quantity, not the contents. The only content differences between the 3000 and 2000 are:

Glutose Paste
After Sting Relief Jellyfish
Hydrogel Streile Dressing
Tender's After Burn Aloe (1oz.) [both have a 4oz tube]
Dental Floss
Oil of Clove


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

One thing I would add is:
Tetracyclean (spelling?) it is a antibiotic the medical book I have for emergency use. 
And the #1 thing to get is Phenagren!(spelling?) 25mg sepository, just do it. it is not that hard, ;-). All other anti-seasick drugs are junk. In 30min with this stuff you WILL be cured. It is a strong anti-nausia drug.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Dave-
Tetracyclin was passed out like candy in the 60's and 70's so there are, IIRC, many bugs resistant to it and that makes it a mixed value.

Phenergan, aka promethazine, is IIRC part of the "NASA cocktail" and a strong antihistamine. Many antihistamines are used to prevent seasickness, all can make you drowsy, and like most good drugs it has a list of side effects:

"Drowsiness is the most prominent CNS effect of this drug. Extrapyramidal reactions may occur with high doses; this is almost always responsive to a reduction in dosage. Other reported reactions include dizziness, lassitude, tinnitus, incoordination, fatigue, blurred vision, euphoria, diplopia, nervousness, insomnia, tremors, convulsive seizures, oculogyric crises, excitation, catatonic-like states, and hysteria."

All the more reason to have several meds in the kit, rather than just one. And, to actually try them out while at home, on land, with a "trip sitter" to keep an eye on you. Just in case.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Tetracycline also has some nasty side effects, like enhanced photo-sensitivity...which means you sunburn extra crispy, extra fast... 

Zofran is far better than Phenergan and has fewer side effects for most people.


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## osii (Feb 18, 2013)

Did I not see Demoral on this thread? What do you do if someone breaks their arm or leg? If I am going to be at least one to three days away from medical treatment, I would want something to help with the pain of a limb breaking. I would have a few pills and at least enough liquid for a few injections. 

As far as legality goes, as long as you have something that was prescribed and bought at a pharmacy, proving it's legitimacy should not be a problem in this information age. If you are really worried, just photo the prescriptions and receipts and keep 'em on your smart device and the cloud.

I travel with quite a few prescription drugs all the time. If any LEO wants to know if they are legit, they can call my pharmacists anytime. I don't even bother carrying any documentation on me. 

Admittedly, it's also easier being middle aged and having all these drugs than being 25.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Demorol.

You won't just be able to buy it at a pharmacy, you'll need to pay for a doctor's visit and then explain to him why you want an rx for narcotics, and many states are getting much tighter about that these days. And the side effects of most heavy meds (Bugs! Get them off me! Bugs!) can be a serious concern as well.

If you have an existing relationship with a doctor, they may be willing to write you an rx for the entire offshore med kit, whatever is within reason. Of course, you may have to pay that without insurance since there's no medical need for it at the time.

And this brings up one advantage of a federally documented vessel: The captain can order whatever meds he needs, including narcotics, _for the vessel_. Usually from a _dispensary pharmacy_. And those aren't easy to find, but your local pharmacist should be able to puzzle it out and locate one.

Scrip from your doc? Technically, legal only for you. Scrip for the vessel? Legal for everyone aboard.


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## osii (Feb 18, 2013)

HS, agreed. And another great reason to have a captains license.

If you can afford a sea worthy vessel, and the time off to sail it, you can afford demoral without an insurance copay.

Most middle aged persons have good relationships with far too many physicians.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

A captain's license is not required nor relevant.

A federally documented vessel is the criteria. If you own it and "skipper" it, that's all you need.

Generic demorol is surprisingly cheap.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

HS,

Please document how a skipper of a federally documented *pleasure* craft can order up prescription pain killers for the boat.

Be specific, name the pharmacies, regulations etc.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

No can do, Chickles. The thread was on this forum or that other one, about 3 years ago, and the remark posted by someone who did in fact order his vessel's meds from

Home | Seaside Marine International Drug Company Inc.

I'd suggest you check with them to find out the current situation.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

demerol is contra-indicated for head injures as may increase intracranial pressure. In general morphine sulfate is a safer drug and more likely to be tolerated by more people. Can be used for myocardial infarction and. pain control in setting of trauma . May also wish to think about Ultram/tramadol. not sedating and not respiratory suppressant like the opiates. If I broke an arm and was single handing don' t think I'd be keen on being doped up. Believe promethazine supp. may need to be refrigerated. for IV hydration - Lactated ringers. Would take rocephin if only one antibiotic. broad spectrum. relatively low risk of side effects IMHO. also would take acyclovir ( singles etc) or other antiviral and antibiotic for ocular use.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

lastly a medrol dose pak. wuld cover common needs for steriods e.g serious allergic rxns. etc.


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## captainbri (Dec 16, 2012)

Buy a good medical kit, it will have most of what you need. mine has syringes and suture, Plus syringes are good for Irrigation and flushing a wound.kits, I would see if you can get something for local anesthesia in case you have to give yourself sutures.

I have had to pull a tooth and give myself sutures without any local anesthesia, trust me I wish I had something. When your on your own and a long way from help a medical kit is priceless. coconut water has been used as an intravenous hydration fluid when nothing else was available.

this is the kit i have and i have purchased extras.. STOMP Portable Hospital Coyote Tan Backpack Military Medical Kit Extensive and Intensive Medic Care


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

To me it seems like it would be a good idea to just sit down with your doctor and tell them what you are doing and get their advice too. I'm sure if you explain to your doctor that you are going to call them from the middle of the Pacific ocean on a satellite phone if someone gets hurt they'll probably have some suggestions about what to have with you. They (doctors) aren't passive elements in all of this. I mean this in addition, of course, to doing what you can to be prepared yourself. In the end the best advice is don't get hurt or sick.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

captainbri said:


> Buy a good medical kit, it will have most of what you need. mine has syringes and suture, Plus syringes are good for Irrigation and flushing a wound.kits, I would see if you can get something for local anesthesia in case you have to give yourself sutures.
> 
> I have had to pull a tooth and give myself sutures without any local anesthesia, trust me I wish I had something. When your on your own and a long way from help a medical kit is priceless. *coconut water has been used as an intravenous hydration fluid when nothing else was available.*


*Aaaaaaaacccckkkk!!!* *NO! NO! NO !*

You're not serious right?  Nothing should go into the vein that is not sterilized and it should always be medical grade, isotonic, and ph balanced etc. Even if the venipuncture site isn't prepped appropriately the bacteria introduced from your skin can ruin one of your hear valves (endocarditis).

Starting an IV requires special equipment and the skill of starting an IV is a perishable one. If you don't practice often, you can't do it. Also, the only person you'd be sticking on your boat would be a severely dehydrated one, which is harder still.

The better solution to severe dehydration of any cause is a solved one. The World Health Organization developed a formulation of water, salts, and sugar that is 99% as effective as IV hydration and has saved millions of lives. You can buy the WHO Oral Rehydration Salts (though they're easier to find in other countries than in the USA where they are distributed by AMK and are expensive) or you can make it up yourself.

No special equipment, no needles, no special skills, no risk of endocarditis. What's not to like? 

Recipe:

1 liter clean water
6 TSB table sugar
1/2 TSB table salt
1/4 TSB salt substitute (potassium chloride)
1/4 TSB baking soda

This specific concentration of sugar speeds absorption of the water through a co-transport mechanism but is not enough sugar to delay gastric emptying. i.e. it doesn't make your stomach hold on to it for a while to digest it. If the victim is drinking this on an empty stomach they can absorb 1liter/hour.

MedSailor

PS Sutures are something I hate seeing in remote medical kits. Suturing is usually for cosmetic effect. It's almost always better to leave the wound open and let it heal without sutures, much less chance of infection that way. This is even done in hospitals with a very dirty wound. If you must close a wound to preserve function use 3M Steri-strips. If you can apply a bandaid, you can use them. Leave the sutures needles and other sharp stuff at home it often does more harm than good!


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Med-
I've used the UN rehydration recipe for years, and wanted to also mention it is dirt cheap, easily pre-mixed and carried so you just add water, and it beats the heck out of Gatoraide or anything else to keep you hydrated on a hot day. 
OTOH it always tastes like old socks, no matter how you try to flavor it, i.e. by adding lemonade powder instead of sugar. Which can be a good thing, because no one wants to borrow it.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

I found the pre-mixed sachets in small zip lock bags keep okay, but get chunky in humid environments. I never wanted to pre-mix a larger batch just in case the granules of different sizes separated out, altering the recipe. 

Gatorade is crap. If you look at the sodium and potassium content it's about 2% of your daily value. That's the same as NOTHING. The WHO recipe has over 50% of your daily value of sodium. 

V8 juice actually has nearly 10mEq of potassium and PLENTY of sodium, and chased with a glass of water would be better than gatorade. For serious rehydration, you want the WHO formula because V8 will delay gastric emptying, but gatorade is just expensive colored sugar water. 

MedSailor

PS I'll take the taste of old socks over a 14gauge needle in my arm any day!


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

MedSailor said:


> PS I'll take the taste of old socks ...


I tried this WHO recipe at one point and you know I didn't mind it. I guess I wouldn't call it good tasting, but it wasn't bad.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

wind_magic said:


> I tried this WHO recipe at one point and you know I didn't mind it. I guess I wouldn't call it good tasting, but it wasn't bad.


Actually I didn't mind it either. I've consumed gallons of the stuff backpacking. After all it has 2 of my 4 favorite food groups:

Sugar
Salt 
Caffeine
Fat

 MedSailor


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