Four Items to Put in Your EMS Bag

Emergency medical services are responsible for saving thousands of lives every day. However, because these trained professionals have to make quick calls on-site, the contents of an EMS team’s medical kit can literally mean life or death. The wrong or insufficient medical supplies can lead to loss of limb, trauma, and other irreparable injuries. Here are four EMS supplies that should be found in every EMS bag:

PPE

PPE stands for personal protective equipment and includes gloves, face masks, and other items that protect the medical care provider as they perform necessary life-saving procedures. In addition to face and hand protection, PPEs may also include protective hearing aids, respirators, and full bodysuits. The latter, however, is usually for medical professionals who are tasked with handling hazardous materials.

Patient Assessment Tools

In order to gather baseline patient information, medical professionals arriving on-site must have the proper tools stowed away in their EMS bag. Some common patient assessment tools include a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, portable pulse oximeter, thermometer, and a CO2 monitoring device. 

Trauma Kit

If not stopped immediately, some injuries can turn into permanent life-disabling complications. Trauma supplies are a category of tools designed specifically to stop bleeding and/or seal off penetration wounds. Supplies include hemostatic dressings in different sizes and applications, bandage wraps, multi-purpose grip tape, tourniquets, and open-chest injury adhesive seals, i.e., HyFin and Bolin.

OTC Medication

While most EMS responders are not legally able to administer over-the-counter medication, making these supplies available to staff is becoming an increasingly common and accepted practice. Over-the-counter medication that today’s EMS teams carry are usually designed to provide temporary relief and inhibit ailments or injuries from worsening further, at least until the patient can be transported to the main treatment facility.

EMS bags and kits can contain a varied assortment of supplies, depending on your specific role and the extent of your responsibilities. Such EMS supplies and equipment are provided by companies like Coast Biomedical Equipment.