Do you keep a "med kit" in your car? What's in it?

[np2b]

Hi everyone! Ok, here's my story: I'm driving home from visiting with some nursing-school friends when the van in front of me hits a 12 year old riding his bicycle, and hits him hard: bad enough to throw the kid into the other lane of traffic and to damage the front-end of the van such that radiator fluid is leaking from under the hood. (By the way, that slow-motion stuff really does happen! I could see the entire thing coming and it was painful to watch.)

Now, I'm a brand-new emergency room nurse (out of school in May), which means that I know diddly squat about what I should do, but I do manage to get to the kid, check ABCs (relatively easy, given that he was conscious and talking, and there was no obvious major bleeding), keep him calm (and try to keep him from moving), call 911, and generally hold down the fort until the medics arrive (which, thank God, was very quick). From what I saw, the kid is going to be fine, but holy cow...what a scare!

Anyhow, I was talking it over with my Dad (former EMT) and he felt that I now have a "moral obligation" to keep some tools with me in the car, in the event that this kind of thing happens again, and in a more remote location. Personally, I agree, but I was wondering how many of you do the same? And if so, what do you keep in your kit?

[RNFROG3, BSN, RN]

I'm w Craig b and P RN. I was a emt first, now an RN. I've stopped at many an accident and attempted to help. If there was more qualified people there than I took direction from them. I carry a fully stocked aid bag that I had in the Army. I don't do IV's but I have a mask and bandages and splints and a universal c-collar. I did cpr w/ a MD from Tulane on a highway in TN during a blizzard when a car rolled over in the median. The lady probably had a broken neck but we used all the skills we had to try. Her too friends walked away w/ scratches. They were extremely grateful we kept trying since it was almost 1/2 before the ambulance could reach us. I would never operate out of my scope of practice but I also don't worry about a lawsuit. I think most families are grateful that any one even tries to help.

I'm also the team nurse for my kids soccer teams. Parents aren't unhappy that I give their kids ice and ace until they can be taken to a MD which is what I always recommend. I feel obligated to stop and at least offer aid. Noone has ever done anything but be grateful.