MOUNTAINEERING INFORMATION ARTICLES

First Aid and Medical Kits

You cannot possibly cover every situation while you are trekking or Climbing, but you should equip yourself with First Aid and Medical Kits to cope with minor accidents and illnesses. The type and extent of medication depends on how many days before getting professional help you are likely to be.

First Aid Supplies

Your First Aid Kit should contain the following items:

Adhesive Tape - it is used to apply the gauze to the skin
Bandages - are used in splints to support broken bones
Elasticated Support Bandage - are used to support sprained knees or ankles
Gauze Swabs - are used to dress the wound
Non-adhesive Dressings - used to dress the wound
Safety Pins - can be used in bandages
Small Pair of Scissors - can be used to cut the gauze in smaller pieces
Sterile Alcohol Wipes - used to clean the wound
Steri-strips - protects the wound from infection
Sutures - used to close an open wound
Syringes and Needles - these are needed when a medication needs to be applied intravenously
Thermometer - is needed to check a person's temperature
Tweezers - are used to remove splinters embedded on the skin
Space blanket - is used to keep a person warm

Medications

The following is a list of Medical Kit contents for a high altitude expedition.

ITEM	USE
Diphenhydramine	Allergies, Sleep
Promethazine	Nausea, vomiting
Ibuprofen	Headache, muscle aches & pains, burns, frostbite, sunburn
Codeine	Painkiller, cough suppressant
Dexamethasone (Decadron)	Severe AMS or HACE
Acetazolamide (Diamox)	To speed acclimatization, treat mild AMS
Metronidazole or Tinidazole	Antibiotic
Antibiotic Cream	For infected wounds
Labiosan (or similar)	Lip protection
Immodium (or similar)	Diarrhea
Antibiotic ointment	Skin infections and prevention
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)	Headache, pain killer, fever
Sun Block	Sunburn prevention
Throat Lozenges	Sore throat
Betadine solution	For minor cuts and abrasions
Multi Vitamins	Especially on trips where dietary vitamin intake may be inadequate.
Oral Rehydration Salts	For treatment of severe diarrhea

Those are the important things that should come with all your Mountaineering Gear. First Aid and Medical Kits should always be inside your pack and in a place where you can easily get them when you need them. In connection to that, it is also important to know about First Aid for Mountaineering so that you would know how to respond to an emergency situation.