Are “Advanced” IFAKS Worth It?
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- NPAs, Decompression Needles, and Hemostatic gauze are the three upgrades that most often make an IFAK “advanced”, and they come with a price tag. Are these products worth your hard earned money?
My wife is a paramedic. She didn’t know that I bought a big bag of medical gear (up to 6 people). When she went through all the advanced gear in it she laughed at me. She said what do you plan on doing with all this. I said it was for a just incase moment or if we had to get out of town in an emergency. Again she laughed she said all the items are for helping someone but still would require a hospital visit in a short period of time. Could help stabilize someone but still that is not enough. She had a good point . Kinda a waste of money on my part if I was alone.
I thought stabilizing someone until help arrived was the point.
Arent ALL ifaks/trauma kita/med kits just "stabilize until you can get professional treatment" anyways?
Like, if I need a CAT, I need a doctor, too. Trauma dressing like an OLAES/ETD, you probably need someone capable of giving you stitches, too...
Stabilization definitely is the point, but we often over estimate our ability to perform certain interventions without proper knowlage and training. Things like surgical crics and NCDs have notoriously high failure rates when done by trained professionals, let alone a layperson.
@PrepMedic besids the only other option is a bunch of plasters and bandages which is definetly not going to help anymore than the IFAK having a way to stop bleeding till the ambulance arrives is great
Noob
Excellent point sir. The absolute very best item in an emergency kit is knowledge/training. Top of the line tools don't mean a thing if you don't know how to use them.
As a former medic, this video has some decent advise. The bottom line is that as a lay person with access to these items, you don’t typically need them +90% of the time! The reality is that most people live in an average size or larger urban area and because of typical EMS response times, advanced interventions are usually needed. I would say save your money. Thanks for the video!!
I seriously hope that my chances of ever needing hemostatic gauze, an NPA and a decompression needle are significantly lower then 10% 🤣 At a 10% chance I would put them everywhere haha
I find it interesting how many people will focus soley on having an IFAK with all kinds of trauma gear, but fail to have things like a sam splint, cravat, band aids, etc. Stuff the the more common and less "traumatic" cases. I respond to crashes all day, everyday for the past 5 years on I-70. I can count on one hand how many times CPR was needed, how many times on another where a tourniquet was needed. Yet i don't have enough toes and fingers to count how often band aids and cause pads where needed for more minor cuts and scraps. I think most people who prep get blinded by all the shiny gizmos and forget what really is needed. 9 out of 10 crashes i have worked, a cutting tool to remove air bags from the door and a minor johnson and johnson first aid kit was all that was needed. Do people sprain joints? Break bones? Suffer traumatic bleeding in car crashes, sure. But thats not the normal case.
Great video, Sam. It all boils down to two things. Training and how you view the use of an IFAK. A lot of this debate is situation dependent. I would never advocate an untrained person attempting a needle decompression (it's not like TV or the movies and could end badly). However, carrying one is not the worst idea, use case dependent (long distance hunters, isolated outdoor adventures, mountain biking, isolated skiing, civilian/police ops in remote areas, SHTF). Someone doing these activities in the above situations should be trained. There are also a lot of prior military people floating around that have been trained. It does take a bit of time for a tension pneumothorax to present, and in urban areas with good evac/response times, it is not a major issue. However, in remote areas with delayed evac, it could be an issue. I saw this in Afghanistan.
USMC IFAKs come with an ARS needle, and not all Marines are trained on needle decompression. However, the understanding is that a trained Hospital Corpsman or Combat Lifesaver is near by to use it if needed, and the IFAK is for use on that wounded Marine. This concept does not perfectly translate over to the civilian side. The issue is that most civilians buy an IFAK with the intent to use it to treat others and not themselves. This creates a lot of the issues you are talking about. The NPA is a good example. I know I'm not a 28 F, so why would I carry that in an IFAK for me? However, most people don't go down the rabbit hole that far. As a Corpsman, I carry multiple sizes of NPAs because not even all Marines fit a 28 F. Like a needle decompression, people should not use an NPA unless trained. Airway positioning can solve a lot of issues and doesn't require the same level of training or gear. If you are trained carry multiple NPA sizes to treat others. If the IFAK is for you make sure the NPA fits you.
For most people focusing on stopping the bleeding, airway positioning, and sealing the chest, will do the trick and buy enough time for professional help to arrive. This is where most people should focus their time and money. More training is always better and the general public needs more medical training across the board. We really fail at this in our current education system. Everyone coming out of high school should have CPR and Stop the Bleed training in my opinion. Like you said don't go broke to buy cool stuff you don’t know how to use and probably won't use. Focus on the basics. Stop the bleeding, clear the airway and seal the chest. So I agree with you on recommending Quick Clot as a key upgrade every thought regular gauze will work too. Wow this was long, Lol! 😂😅
Ive just recently found the channel! I am huge 2A advocate but i believe this is a huge part of 2A responsibilities! Its been extremely educational. Thank you so much!
Always keep in mind that if you conduct invasive procedures such as needle decompression you are now liable. Nobody is coming after you for using combat gauze improperly, but they will come after you for improper use of that needle. Even if you aren't charged criminally, don't think that family won't attempt civil charges, regardless of your intentions. Food for thought.
Exactly. High liability, low effectiveness.
Also bear in mind that haemostatic dressings usually need to be surgically removed. Whilst there are good samaritan laws to protect first responders in many countries, legal protections usually only extend as far as your scope of training.
Family will sue regardless of your actions. Nowadays, they want their free money, and they will try with any given opportunity.
@ Well, nobody can prove that you as an "untrained" individual didn't provide enough pressure on the wound, but they can easily prove you stuck a 3.25 inch needle into the heart. Unless you are operating under a medical director it's best to avoid invasive procedures and easily mitigate unnecessary litigation. This is a low frequency procedure for anybody let alone a well meaning civilian.
Bravo. Very well articulated!
Thank you!
You have just set a record on timely videos. Yesterday, I was talking to my wife about first aid training and told her I wanted to learn how to insert an ARS Needle. She thought it was a bad idea for me to learn that. You just solved the issue. Not needed. Thanks.
Nothing wrong with learning it, but you do need to have an understanding of the seriousness of the procedure and how much can go wrong. 99% of the time I would say it doesn’t make sense to attempt it without formal training and experience
All the big shooting gear companies that sell NPAs, needle ds etc make me lol What the heck is anyone going to do with an npa with no bvm or oxygen.
Also you’re the first person to ever address this on RUclips. There are wayyy too many companies selling this stuff for the heck of it.
Great info!
Btw, if you’re not prepared/trained to use the needle or nasal equipment, it can still be good to have it in case a professional is in the area and if it’s a mass event than they could be low on their own equipment.
Thank you so much for this. I respect your content so much. I appreciate the real world information.
Great video, I have minimal first aid training . Thank You for the information, I'll not worry about the advanced stuff.
Good video. Keep it simple, what you know how to use and what the people with you know how to use.
I agree on both the needle and the npa, the hemostatic gauze is a really usefull item, you can use it to woundpack yes, but you can use it also to keep direct pressure on a wound that i can't woundpack (we used it last week on a massive bleed that we couldnt wounpack) also for self application i really doubt an individual could self woundpack his own wound but using hemostatic to keep direct pressure on a wound can help a lot by buying himself some time before first responders can arrive on the scene
You are so asoweme on of the reasons i am starting my paramedic training much love and respeckt to you ❤❤❤
Good luck!
@@PrepMedic thank you so much
I consider myself the average "first aid/prepper" i've taken all the basic classes and stop the bleed. I watch all the first aid/prepper youtube videos on howtos and EMS gear. I've never added the decompression needle as i know my limitations.l, no amount of youtube videos would help me be comfortable with using one. The others i have in my kit for the reasons you described. Maybe ill never need to use them, (statistics and all say i wont) but hey, when i was 5 i got hit by a car riding my bike and had a compound fracture on my femur. Im not sure how close i was to dying. Thanks for the videos Sam ive watched most of them.
Knowing the pitfalls and your own limitations is key. Scary situation with the car though, glad you came out of it ok.
Outstanding content.
My two cents are that money would be better put towards a couple of overdone stop the bleed style kit you make or gradually build yourself in whatever current cool pouch of the day you like. Leave one in your car. One at home etc. Lots of compressed gauze for wound packing, a couple of tourniquets, regular gauze, a few Israeli bandages, blast bandages, triangular bandages, emergency blankets, tape, shears, gloves. The two expensive items would be tourniquets and chest seals... That sort of idea. A lot of that can fit in a medium-ish kit based on something the size of a Condor Rip-Away EMT Pouch, or Molle'd to the outside. The Condor is one of my kits. Also carry a small on body stop the bleed kit for yourself.
Would love to see your thoughts on building an ifak for hunters. Bowhunters and riflehunters both for those more extreme mountain hunts. I definitely have an overkill one and would love to par it down. I have some medical training as a medical student to recognize most of those red flag scenarios that would warrant using it.
Hey Sam great video as always. You’re 100% right with everything you’ve said. Absolutely no reason for anyone not trained in needle decompression having access to the kit to do it because eventually it will lead to a bystander attempting the procedure and that’s a terrible rabbit hole to go down. Have you had any experiences in any role with a patient that’s stuck with you and how you dealt with that??
I really appreciate your opinion as I am planning to build an IFAK myself. I agree with most of what you said. However, in my opinion, as easy as the NPA is to use, as easy it is to replace it with simple maneuvers like Esmarch/Chin lift and recovery position, right? That's why it wouldn't be in my top 10.
I agree with that in a lot of circumstances. The NPA does facilitate those procedures though.
Don't pay more for someone else to assemble your IFAK. You can usually assemble your own for cheaper. And remember, even if you don't have the training, you might be able to supply someone who does.
The argument is that for many who do this through the lens of “prepping”, someone like yourself will take the role of “village medic” and we cannot expect you to stockpile enough advanced supplies for an entire village over an extended amount of time .
If each individual stockpiles the equipment for themselves and family, then yup as the trained personnel would have an abundant supply.
Additionally, maybe an idea for a video would be what we could stockpile as a village which would enable you if we found you roaming the wasteland without supplies ?
Good info, much appreciated.
These items are typically included in tactical FAKs. And even with those we have taken out the decompression needles
Where is that shirt from? Also great video, was just having a conversation with a co-worker about what a good sized IFAK looks like.
Good stuff Thank you for sharing
Great video topic and presentation. I would only add that many people have various levels of first aid/medical kits that have been bouncing around in the trunk of their car that have never been used. It can be a lot of money for some to have a non-used item. Please don’t get me wrong. Everyone, if they can reasonably afford to, should have both basic first aid training and a basic kit. As ‘SkinnyMedic’ recites: “You never know when you will be the first responder!”
For many…probably never.
Terrific vdieo. Thanks!!
good advice
I carry quickclot because when the shit hits the fan we can use all the help we can get.
Oh, absolutely. If you can afford it it is absolutely the gold standard
Great......... thank you..........
In my opinion as long as you are trained on how to use and item then go right ahead but again you need to find a balanced of just carrying anything for that "once in a lifettime moment" and be realistic of what you are gonna actually meet in the field
I've got two comments. First, I bought an IFAK. I added the quick-clot gauze and some clotting powder and an extra tourniquet. But I don't have the training. 😢
Second, waiting for "trained" help is no guarantee. My Dad had a persistent case of poor blood circulation and infections on his shins. At one point we called ems. They didn't even think he needed to go to the hospital. We insisted. The hospital had him on a helicopter to Seattle ASAP.
I'll add that with the state of the world right now, I think assuming that getting trained help at all might become impossible. I live in the Cascadia subduction zone. Which means earthquakes and volcanos. Not going to get an ambulance after a big quake. I lived here when Mt Saint Helens erupted and I lived in Guatemala for a while. Lots of earthquakes and 27 active volcanos there. Pacaya erupted black sand across the whole country 3 days before I got back. Just in time for a tropical storm that took out all of the bridges. Traveling is fun. It also sucks. 😮
So I tend to think more about disasters even more than regular trauma events.
Four things I found that works well to help assist healing more quickly open wounds on lower legs with poor circulation are getting Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine Boosters as frequently as possible, if unable to get them more taken once in 10 years due to state Vaccine records being cited, opting out of State Immunization Records is the solution to getting Tdap Boosters at least every year with slow healing wounds, possibly needed more frequently that depends on observation of effectiveness.
Second is Doxycycline oral antibiotic as best antibiotic when any needed, it helps fibers stick and grow together and counteract the dissolving of the binding glue substances by bacterial infection toxins, better than other antibiotics.
Third is use of Bacitracin antibiotic ointment liberally applied for a day or two after any wounds are initially opened needing Tetanus Booster and oral Doxycycline antibiotic.
Then, fourth is the daily use of diluted white vinegar to quarter strength to apply liberally multiple times daily until wounds are fully closed.
This regiment I learned by experience and a few helpful nurses and doctors.
When I break open skin in my lower leg, straight to an Urgent Care as a Walk in patient for oral antibiotics and Tetanus Booster, after applying liberal amounts of Bacitracin ointment, then weeks of diluted white vinegar multiple times daily until fully healed.
Worked several times over last several years.
Hey great vid, was wondering what of a bug out scenario, should the decompression needle npa and chest seal be brought if there is little to no future hospital attendance? And what could one do after packing and bandaging a punctual wound, again with no future hospital care.
I wish you had addressed chest seals, like the HyVent, these strike me as high value, low risk interventions, especially as most bullet wounds are going to be torso hits(hence body armor)not limbs. Traffic accidents etc definatelyfavor tourniquets, but if you are worried about gunshot wounds I think you should carry a chest seal. What do you think?
Hey Sam do you recommend QuikClot Gauze or Celox™ Z-Fold Gauze,
Which one has a better shelflife?
Which one can I get more bang for my buck thanks Sam !!!
I carry all three and then some with me.
For those with a bit of training, where do you see those butterfly ultrasounds having a spot on trucks or home kits? Talking medic/pa/physician
POCUS is a very interesting topic. Long story short, ultrasound definitely has a place pre-hospital, but we don’t fully know what that place is yet. The training and continuous repetitions required to gain and maintain competency is difficult and in an emergency pre-hospital setting, almost everything an US can tell you, can be gained from a good clinical assessment.
I have a question: Can you cut NPAs? I just thought that they are just a rubber tube and couldn't you just cut them to size.
As a Non American, want to ask sth might be not relating to the topic and really hope to have answers!
Are RhinoRescue’s some low tech products like compress gauze reliable? Won’t purchase their tourniquets or knockoff quikclot for sure. But it’s really hard to get a decent certified compress gauze in my country, could I throw their compress gauze in my pack with my genuine cat tourniquets? Or all their products are trash?
I hear alot of people in ukraine are switching to finger thoracostomies and having much more success rates over decompression needles its just a more dramatic looking procedure, theres even rumors of SAM making a product specifically for emergency thoracostsomies called the thorasite
Yeah, we do finger thors as well. There is still a place for NcDs but it’s reduced
A downside to hemostatic gauze is that is has an expiration date.
As always great video. Know your limitations folks. Don’t like your limitations? Go get legit training, then continue to train it because life saving skills are highly perishable
It is better to do something then doing nothing - Life over comfort (I’m not sure, that the last one is correctly translated) 🤔
Sam always presents good material. But, the simple fact is without training all the equipment in the world is useless. Invest in training......the equipment that lies between your ears outweighs what you might carry around. The term Cluster $%&( is what happens when someone without basic training tries to provide care. The stories I can tell will curl your toes! Do yourself and family a favor. Get some training if it is only Stop The Bleed.
Is there a way that I can contact you directly?
DM on insta is probably best
Comment to help the algorithm
I carry a fairly complete trauma kit so a qualified person can use it.
Soo its probably better just to boost and tune my car to get to the hospital faster ok thanks i got it 👍 😂
If you can use it, want to use it, and can easily afford it, then buy it. If you fail any of those 3 conditions, then don't buy it.
this seems to be really bad advice, "you may not know how to use it so you dont need it", okay most people who buy the IFAK dont actually have training on how to use all the parts of it so they dont really need it at all, having something and not needing it is always better than needing it and not having it especially when it comes to medical gear, and its not like you cant find how to use it on youtube within seconds to figure it out. also hes assuming you will have access to emergency services, sorry but I dont carry what I carry because I rely on some government entity to come help me right away. what happens when an event happens and the medical services run out of a needed basic item that you could have had on yourself to help you and now your going to die? an IFAK is FOR YOUR USE and ONLY your USE, its not to be used on someone else, so not having the right sizes of things doesn't matter if they work on you. hes talking about these as if the IFAK is to be used on all you buddy's and while I would care about them, their failure to have there own IFAK doesn't mean I will sacrifice mine for them, when I might need it later. this all being said the Truth is that you should buy the best you can afford, you can always add to the kit later.
If you can do an NPA a needle decompression or wound packing on yourself… you needed none of these interventions. Sure your buddy could, if he knows where your kit is and has training in it but I’ll tell you from experience that isn’t a high likelihood. Buying a kit and not knowing how to use it is peak Dunning Kruger. If you are that guy or you know that guy, fix yourself and go get training before you waste money on supplies you have no ability to use. It’s roughly equivalent to never training in your life and somehow believing that you could win any fight as long as you got mad enough. Also, literally every item in an IFAK will still require definitive care in the form of a vascular or trauma surgeon. You don’t do an NCD and magically fix the underlying pathology. Lastly, when the intervention in question is a needle that has a pretty high % of being stuck directly into the heart on accident… it’s probably better to just not have it if you are not trained. “First, do no harm”.
Most of the time all of your kit will expire. Go budget
I really hope lay people do not buy these items without specific training.
Wait a day and then read through this comment section.😅👍🏻
They absolutely do. Same goes for anything that requires training. You'd sht yourself if you knew how many people owning guns don't do any fckn training at all. Welcome to modern world.
@@shadoww914 I watched that MASH episode 35 years ago where Hawkeye does a cric with a pen and a pocket knife. I EDC both and now sit around at the mall, waiting to spring into action if I see someone who I think looks a little short of breath. I also have a stethoscope i got at Wal Mart that I'll start using as soon as I figure out when end goes in my ears.
@ oh, I think it’s a giant disservice to own a gun and not get training. But those ifaks with advanced tools require advanced training. Especially when we have doctors that barely know how to use those tools. Not to mention the legality around using some of those tools because I doubt they are covered under Good Samaritan laws.
Good video. Keep it simple, what you know how to use and what the people with you know how to use.