First Aid Kit vs Trauma Kit

First aid kit versus trauma kit…what’s the difference? And why does it matter?

These two items are an important part of personal security, and require minimal effort to own and use. Let’s take a moment and first look at the difference between the two.

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First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is designed to do exactly that – provide the first aid to a medical issue.

Primarily, a first aid kit is focused on mild injuries: cuts, burns, sprains, splinters, etc. A properly stocked first aid kit should be a staple of every home. It’s also easy to put together a mini version to keep on your person or in the car while traveling.

Having a first aid kit provides many benefits. It allows you to treat minor injuries in the moment without requiring outside help. It also helps relieve discomfort and pain. And, perhaps most importantly, it can prevent a mild injury from becoming more severe through infection.

Contents:

A well-stocked first aid kit will typically contain the following items. More can be added to personalize it your needs, skills, and medical considerations.

First aid kits are readily available in a pre-made fashion in many pharmacies and big box stores. Of course, you can also order them online. If you get really into it, you can build your own personal kit by purchasing all the items individually. While this can usually be more expensive at the start, it is important to be able to buy the individual items later as you begin to use up what comes in the original kit.

Trauma Kit

A trauma kit differs from a first aid kit in its ability to address severe and potentially life-threating injuries when professional medical care is not yet available. While the items contained in a trauma kit do require some skill and foreknowledge, this training is readily available through online and in-person classes.

A trauma kit in the right hands literally has the potential to save a life in an emergency scenario.

Contents:

Because a trauma kit is focused on trauma, and professional medical assistance is anticipated ASAP, it typically won’t contain items like band-aids and ice-packs for minor injuries. Some kits may be a combination first aid/trauma kit, but we’ll leave it up to you how to set up your own. A basic trauma kit should contain the following items.

Additional items may include: triangular bandage, permanent marker, Mylar survival blanket, airway management device, and splints. Like first aid kits, trauma kits can be ordered online with ease. Due to the contents, they are noticeably more expensive – but they are also much more valuable in a crisis. Just be sure to check the listed contents before purchasing one. I have seen some for sale that are missing critical pieces, such as a tourniquet.

Summary

Both these kits are important and have their place for the security minded individual.

First aid kits are excellent resources at home, the office, or while traveling. Because their contents are inexpensive, easily available, and fairly small, a person should be able to always have one nearby. This could be a big box kit at home, a travel kit in the car, and/or just a few band-aids in your wallet or bag.

Trauma kits, while hopefully used less, can be vital under certain situations. A trained individual with a trauma kit can save a life during a car accident or stop major bleeding from an injury while hiking or camping.

I highly recommend that if you don’t have one or both of these kits in your life, that you take steps to gather the materials and training so that you can be prepared to offer this kind of security for yourself and others.