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Asthma Boy

David Beckham’s Diet Plays A Key Role In His Asthma Management

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Heading into the FIFA World Cup in 2010, football great David Beckham sent shockwaves through the sporting world when he was snapped using an inhaler on the sideline for LA Galaxy. His health was immediately brought into question by England fans, forcing the star to reveal he had been playing with asthma throughout his entire career.

“I’ve got a slight case of asthma which I’ve had for years,’ he told ITV News at the time. ‘It’s never came out (until now) because I’ve had no reason to talk about it, but that’s just me.”

Beckham’s revelation was an instant inspiration for those dealing with the respiratory condition. The fact that one of the greatest athletes of his generation could reach such sporting peaks, while living with asthma, was an incredible feat. And only now, almost 10 years later, do we have clarity on what may have assisted DB to deal with the effects.

New research from Paris University published in the European Respiratory Journalsuggests that a healthy diet is directly linked to a reduction in asthma symptoms and asthma control.

“Our findings suggest that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber is more likely to lower asthma symptoms,” says lead researcher Roland Andrianasolo of the Paris University Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team.

Asthma is a respiratory condition affecting 1 in 9 Australians. During an asthma attack, often induced by exercise, an asthmatic’s airways become inflamed and narrow, producing extra mucus and making it hard to breathe. It’s currently widely managed through the use of prescription inhalers, however this new research may provide further management strategies.

“From a public-health perspective, our results encourage people to promote healthy diet behavior rather than eating specific foods or nutrients,” he says.

The study goes on to suggest that diets high in salt and meat may have an opposite effect, exaggerating the symptoms of asthma in those affected.

According to The Daily Meal, Beckham’s high level of performance and minimal asthma symptoms may be a direct result of his diet. The site reports that Becks eats a diet of lean meats, high in leafy vegetables, beans and cauliflower, sourcing his fats from yogurt and olive oil; a diet very much in line with the recent findings.

The study, and accompanying evidence unintentionally provided by Beckham, provides asthmatics with a potentially great non-pharmaceutical option to control the symptoms associated with the condition.

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CPR

A first in first aid course awards

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A NEW awards program will honour unsung heroes who have saved lives or helped people in time of emergency by using first aid skills.

St John Ambulance Victoria is asking people to nominate family, friends, work colleagues or classmates who have helped others as first aid responders.

Frankston resident Brodie Harper, Nine Network Postcards TV show presenter, says being properly trained in first aid is a vital skill to learn.

“If you know somebody who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, the First Aid Champion Awards is the ideal way to honour them,” she said.

“Being a mother and working a job that requires me to wear different hats has shown me that First Aid training is vital for everyday living. You never know what’s going to happen and I always want to be prepared, especially when I have to travel a lot for work.”

There are five awards nomination categories in the inaugural First Aid Champion Awards — Junior First Aid Champion (Under 12), Youth First Aid Champion (under 18), School First Aid Champion, Community First Aid Champion and Workplace First Aid Champion.

St John Ambulance Victoria CEO Gordon Botwright said the awards will emphasise how important it is for people to learn first aid course skills.

“First Aid training is always such an important skill to have, no matter what age you are, and we hope to acknowledge all age groups, workplaces, schools, community groups and of course our volunteers, without whom our work wouldn’t be possible,” Mr Botwright said.

“Last year alone we trained over 187,901 Victorian school children and reached over 313,337 people across Victoria.

“It only takes one person to save a life. We think it is important these unsung heroes are acknowledged for their extraordinary acts of service”.

Nominations close on 22 August. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony, honouring Victorians incredible acts of First Aid ahead of World First Aid day on 7 September.

The Award winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, with one entrant taking home the overall Victorian First Aid Champion of the Year Award.

See stjohnvic.com.au/champions or call 8588 8590 to nominate.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 24 July 2018

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Kit

Plan to teach all children first aid

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Schoolchildren in England will have to learn first aid under proposals put forward by the government.

Draft legislation says primary school children will be taught basic first aid, such as dealing with head injuries and calling emergency services.

Secondary school children will learn life-saving skills such as CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.

The British Heart Foundation said the move would improve “shockingly low survival rates from cardiac arrests”.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said he wanted to give young people “the tools they need to be ready to thrive when they leave school”.

The plan was announced as part of new guidelines on relationships and health education in schools.

The BHF said that fewer than one in 10 people survive cardiac arrests suffered outside of hospital, with 10,000 people in the UK dying each year as a result.

Survival rates in countries that teach first aid in school are up to three times higher, the BHF said.

‘Vital’ skills

Research by the British Red Cross, which also campaigns on the issue, found that 95% of British adults would not be able to provide aid in “three of the most life-threatening first aid emergencies”.

Mike Adamson, the charity’s chief executive, said teaching children “simple yet vital first aid skills” would save lives.

The government’s decision comes after Lord Kerslake’s inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 found members of the public tried to help the injured and dying but lacked the requisite skills.

The report into the blast, which killed 22 people, praised the public response.

But the inquiry raised concerns that people on the scene were “trying their very best in genuinely harrowing circumstances” but “did not appear familiar with first aid principles”.

The draft legislation also outlines plans to let 15-year-olds overrule their parents’ wishes and opt-in to sex education lessons they have previously been withdrawn from.

Mr Hinds said children should be able to request sex education in at least one of the three terms before their 16th birthday.

Until then, parents will retain the right to withdraw their children.

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Burn

Out-of-date hot water bottle bursts, scalding 4yo son

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A Queensland mum is warning others to regularly replace their hot water bottles after one split and burned her four-year-old son, narrowly missing his genitals.

Harmony Arrowsmith had filled the hot water bottle for her son to help keep him warm on what was a brisk Sunday morning in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

She filled it with hot, not boiling, water from the kettle and tightly fastened the lid.

“I had put it on his lap and he started crying,” Ms Arrowsmith said.

“He was like ‘ow, ow’ so I pulled it off and thought it was leaking.

The bottom of the water bottle had split.

“I pulled his pants down and we just went straight to the shower and I had him in the cold shower.”

Ms Arrowsmith and her father drove the boy to the local hospital but later went to the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital (LCCH) in Brisbane where the wounds were further assessed and dressed.

“[He’s got] second-degree burns on his right upper thigh all over the top, and some on the groin as well … and a few others on his left leg,” she said.

“We’re very, very lucky that it missed the worst spot that it could get. It would’ve gotten a lot more complicated if those bits got burnt.

“That’s why they sent us down to Lady Cilento to make sure that it was all going to be okay.” Lucky we completed a first aid training course recently.

Hot water bottles have a date stamp

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) up to 200 people are hospitalised in Australia annually as a result of burns from water bottles.

ACCC commissioner and deputy chair, Delia Rickard, said injury from a hot water bottle could lead to third-degree burns and skin grafts.

“The skin of younger and older people is often thinner and more delicate and vulnerable to more serious burns,” Ms Rickard said.

“Diabetics are prone to burns to their hands and feet while using a hot water bottle.”

There are mandatory standards for hot water bottles sold in Australia including that they must be manufactured from rubber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Consumers are also advised to replace them annually based on the date of manufacture which is shown on the daisy wheel or date stamp on the hot water bottle.

The daisy wheel below shows it was manufactured in the third week of February, 2008.

Ms Arrowsmith realised in hindsight that the water bottle she used was actually three years old and she was not aware of the need to regularly replace it.

She took to social media to warn other parents after hospital staff advised that these types of burns happened regularly

“It never crossed my mind to check the wear and tear of these water bottles,” Ms Arrowsmith said.

“I had the [bladder] wrapped in a fluffy case and I’d never take it out to check.

“I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Ms Arrowsmith said it has been heartening to know that in speaking out she has helped others.

“A lot of people have said that they would have had no idea to look … they’ve checked their hot water bottles and are either throwing them out or changing to other heating alternatives.”

The Australian and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) has made several safety recommendation to prevent burns from hot water bottles, including not sleeping with a hot water bottle, and not using boiling water to fill a hot water bottle.

First aid and recovery

Hot water bottle first aid training:

  1. Remove clothing and jewellery
  2. Put burn under cool running for at least 20 minutes
  3. Cover with clean cloth, keep patient warm
  4. Seek medical advice for burns bigger than a 20c piece or with blisters
  5. DO NOT apply ice, butter, creams, etc.

Source: ANZBA

 

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Burn

Queensland team discovers new bandy-bandy snake

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SCIENTISTS searching for sea snakes never expected to stumble across this find.

In a chance discovery, a team of biologists were returning from a sea snake research mission when they found a new venomous species for Australia.

The team, led The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Bryan Fry, uncovered a new species of bandy-bandy snake at Weipa on the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula in the far north of the country.

Prof Fry said bandy-bandies were burrowing snakes so they were surprised they when found it on a concrete block by the sea, after coming in from a night of sea snake spotting.

“We later discovered that the snake had slithered over from a pile of bauxite rubble waiting to be loaded onto a ship,” he said.

“On examination by my student Chantelle Derez, the bandy-bandy turned out to be a new species, visually and genetically distinct from those found on the Australian East coast and parts of the interior.”

The new species is already under threat because of mining. Picture: Bryan Fry

The new species is already under threat because of mining. Picture: Bryan FrySource:Supplied

The team found another specimen in its natural habitat near Weipa, and another killed by a car close to the mine.

Two more of the snakes were found in museum collections and a photo was found of another, contributing to a total of six observations in the same small area.

But Prof Fry said he feared the new species could already be in trouble and in danger of extinction due to mining.

“Bauxite mining is a major economic activity in the region, and it may be reshaping the environment to the detriment of native plants and animals,” he said.

“The importance of such discoveries goes beyond simply documenting what is out there, as venoms are rich sources of compounds that can be used to develop new medications.

“Every species is precious and we need to protect them all, since we can’t predict where the next wonder-drug will come from.

“The discovery of this enigmatic little snake is symptomatic of the much more fundamental problem of how little we know about our biodiversity and how much may be lost before we even discover it.”

Associate Professor Bryan Fry searching for snakes near Weipa, Queensland.

Associate Professor Bryan Fry searching for snakes near Weipa, Queensland.Source:Supplied

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Asthma – best exercise to lower your risk of asthma attacks


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ASTHMA symptoms affect more than five million people in the UK. Patients could lower their risk of a deadly asthma attack by exercising, said charity Asthma UK. This is one of the best ways to prevent signs of the lung condition.

Asthma warning: What to do if you think you’re getting ill

Almost 1,500 people die from asthma every year, revealed charity Asthma UK.

The condition’s symptoms are caused by inflamed and sensitive airways, that become clogged up with sticky mucus, said the NHS.

One of the best ways to lower patients’ risk of a deadly asthma attack is to keep fit.

Cricket is a great, asthma-friendly sport, the charity said.

It gives patients time to rest and catch their breath before another burst of activity, it said.

Team sports in general are a good idea to control asthma symptoms.

If cricket isn’t your thing, try taking up netball or rounders, said Asthma UK.

“The key message is that as long as you’re looking after your asthma well, and your symptoms are under control, you can enjoy any type of exercise, whether you choose to go for a brisk walk every day, join an exercise class, or even sign up for a marathon,” it added.

“And by giving your lungs a regular workout you’ll also cut your risk of asthma symptoms.

“If your asthma is well controlled and you’re feeling fit and well there’s no reason to limit your choice of exercise.

asthma uk exercise symptoms attack cricket nhs ukGETTY Images

Asthma UK: Lower asthma attack symptoms risk with cricket exercise

Asthma UK: Symptoms include breathlessness and feeling tight-chested

“But if your asthma’s not so good at the moment, you’re new to exercise or haven’t done any for a while you might find that moderate intensity aerobic activities suit you better.”

Regular exercise could reduce asthma symptoms by improving how well the lungs work.

It could also boost patients’ immune system, so asthma is likely likely to be triggered by coughs or colds.

Exercising could also lower patients’ risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, and some types of cancer.

Everyone should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, said the NHS.

asthma uk exercise symptoms attack cricket nhs ukGETTY Images

Asthma UK: Cricket is a great exercise for asthmatics

Uncontrolled asthma can lead to a deadly asthma attack.

Asthma attacks kill around three people everyday in the UK, but every 10 seconds someone has a potentially fatal attack.

Signs of an asthma attack include extreme breathlessness, coughing, a tummy or chest ache, and rapid breathing.

Call 999 for an ambulance if your blue, reliever inhaler isn’t working, or if you don’t have your inhaler with you when you have an attack.

The NHS spends about £1bn a year treating and caring for asthma patients.

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Slip And Fall

Capitals to shiver their way though coldest temperatures

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VAST parts of Australia woke up to the coldest day of the year, with the temperature dropping to just 1.2C in Sydney.

Sydney had its coldest morning of the year with Sydney Olympic Park a frosty 1.2C at 6.30am, while Brisbane dropped to 5.2C for its coldest morning too.

Spare a thought for Glen Innes residents where it dropped to minus 9C for its coldest morning in four years. And Cessnock in NSW dropped to minus 4C – it’s coldest morning in 16 years.

Most of the cold weather is affecting eastern NSW and southeast Queensland.

It is set to reach 18C in Sydney today, with Brisbane to get to 21C.

Canberra will be 11C, Adelaide 17C, Perth 18C, Hobart 12C and Melbourne 13C.

Queensland will once again shiver through a cold and frosty morning as a cold snap continues to grip the state’s southern half.

Overnight temperatures are expected to remain well below July averages for the second night in a row after a chilly start to Saturday.

Forecasters are predicting areas such as the Granite Belt and Darling Downs will once again be up to five or six degrees Celsius below zero.

Wellcamp Airport, just west of Toowoomba, posted the lowest temperature of the day on Saturday with minus 6.4C at 6.42am.

Nearby Oakey recorded a low of minus 6.3C just before 7am.

The cold weather pushed well up into Queensland with the outback town of Blackall dropping to 1.2C while Lochington, near Emerald, was just 0.5C at 7.11am.

Even Rockhampton, up on the state’s central coast, dropped to a low of 6.5C just before 7am.

Brisbane is once again expected to have temperatures around six degrees on Sunday morning with forecasters expecting conditions to remain below average until Tuesday or Wednesday.

“We’re definitely not through the cold snap as yet, you couldn’t say that,” Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonti Hall told AAP. “It’ll gradually get a bit milder through the overnight period – particularly over most of eastern Queensland – from Tuesday, Wednesday, next week.” Daytime temperatures are once again expected to be stable around 20C throughout the southeast.

Brisbane and other southeast coastal areas will also be hit by king tides on Sunday evening.

A forecast peak of 2.74m was expected on Saturday night at 10.52pm in Brisbane with a slightly lower peak forecast for Sunday night at 2.68m. Brisbane City Council is warning minor localised flooding could be experienced in bayside, riverside and low-lying nearby suburbs.

Council is warning residents in those areas to avoid parking their cars on the street during the high tides.

There is also an icy cold commute to look forward to on Monday.

Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe said now was the time to pull out that really big woolly scarf your nan knitted you which you shoved, unceremoniously, to the back of the wardrobe. “It’s going to be the longest run of cold mornings we’ve seen this winter.”

Just about the whole of central and eastern Australia should get ready for mitten weather and frost on car windscreens, he told news.com.au.

‘Coldest temperatures so far this winter’: Chilly weather forecast for Australia’s east. Picture: Sky News

‘Coldest temperatures so far this winter’: Chilly weather forecast for Australia’s east. Picture: Sky NewsSource:Supplied

“The widespread cold mornings are due to a strong low pressure system as well as a cold and dry air mass that’s leading to crisp and frosty nights and mornings from Friday until Monday.”

When the sun goes down below the horizon is when the cold will really make its presence felt, the relatively clear skies letting the day’s heat quickly escape.

In some areas, the chill has already been felt. A bracing Ballarat was warmer at 4.30am on Wednesday, when it hit 4.5C, than it was at 4.30pm the same day when it could only manage 3.8C.

“Ballarat had its coldest July day in 24 years on Wednesday and with a max of 6.9C, Bendigo had its coldest day in 22 years,” Mr Sharpe said.

Records will fall in the capitals too, he predicted. Sydney’s average CBD minimum in July is 8C; this winter has already seen a low of 6.3C but on Saturday and Sunday morning it could sink further to just 5C. Head just a few kilometres west and the suburb of Penrith, which has already seen just 1.5C this year, could see -1C on both mornings.

“We’ll see the coldest temperatures so far this winter over the next few mornings over much of eastern NSW.”

Snowy conditions at Mt Baw Baw earlier this week.

Snowy conditions at Mt Baw Baw earlier this week.Source:Facebook

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Aed

10 life-saving first aid hacks everyone should know

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Would you be able to keep a cool head if you or someone you know needed first aid? It can be difficult to be prepared for every sort of emergency situation, but having some basicknowledge is always helpful.

Learn these quick tips to help save a life or to help keep you and your loved ones more prepared in case of emergency.

View As: One Page Slides

Download a first aid app.

Download a first aid app.

In most emergency situations, you’ll probably have your phone with you.Scott Morgan/Reuters

There’s really an app for everything. From cuts to CPR to broken bones, these apps have what you need for assistance in many emergency situations. A few of the most popular first aid phone apps available for iOS and Android are First Aid by the American Red Cross (there’s even a pet version!), Army First Aid, and Pocket First Aid & CPR.

These apps aren’t just for show, either. With the help of a first aid app, a man survived being under rubble for over 60 hours after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

And if you’d like to help those in need or more easily find a trained bystander, you can also download Pulsepoint, an app which connects CPR-trained individuals to nearby emergencies.

Remove splinters with glue.

Remove splinters with glue.

It’s a lot easier than using tweezers.Wikimedia Commons

A splinter might not seem like the most life-threatening condition, but unremoved splinters may embed themselves deeper in the skin and cause infection. Instead of resorting to the dreaded tweezers, simply place a thin layer of craft glue on the area of skin with the splinter, let dry, peel off, and voilà. The splinter will be easily lifted from the skin.

Learn hands-only CPR.

Learn hands-only CPR.

It’s a great skill to have.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can be performed in many situations, including cardiac arrest or drowning. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), even knowing the basics of hands-only CPR (no mouth-to-mouth or defibrillator use) can save a life.

“If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of any tune that is 100 to 120 beats per minute,” The AHA website states. That’s about the tempo of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees or “Yeah!” by Usher. Also according to the AHA: immediate hands-only CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

Getting fully certified in CPR is a great idea, too. To find a CPR certification course near you, check out the AHA’s course finder.

 

Burn

Man rescued from sinkhole in sand at Hervey Bay beach

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FOR almost two hours a 29-year-old man was buried in sand up to his chin, unable to move and only able to scream for help.

His fate seemed grim until passers-by heard his faint calls for help and stumbled across the man in the sand dunes at a Urangan Beach about 11am Thursday, the Fraser Coast Chronicle reports.

He would be there for nearly four more hours as emergency services desperately worked to free him in a delicate operation with Fraser Coast Regional Council workers.

Emergency services work to free the man stuck in the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Emergency services work to free the man stuck in the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police ServiceSource:Supplied

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the man had been looking for animals in the sand dunes between the Urangan Pier and Dayman Park when the ground suddenly collapsed.

Emergency personnel used shovels and buckets to remove the sand from around his chest while some used their bare hands to avoid injuring the man.

About 1.15pm, council workers attended the scene and set up a 30m exclusion zone before bringing in two excavators.

Emergency services work to free the man stuck in the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Emergency services work to free the man stuck in the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police ServiceSource:Supplied

Torquay Fire station officer and commander Scott Castree said the excavator was needed to remove bulk sand and ensure there was adequate room to put a rescue strop around the man.

“We had to do a delicate balance of trying to remove the casualty but also expect possible injuries to him and make every effort to minimise further damage to the casualty,” he said.

“We couldn’t rush it and if we had done, it could have ended differently.”

It’s not the first time a sinkhole has sucked an unsuspecting person inside, with a tourist couple experiencing a similar ordeal in April 2017.

The married couple were walking on Torquay Beach around 6.45pm when they began to rapidly sink into the sand up to their necks.

Luckily, they were able to free themselves.

Emergency services had to take extreme caution to remove the man from the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Emergency services had to take extreme caution to remove the man from the sinkhole. Picture: Queensland Police ServiceSource:Supplied

Mr Castree said despite the situation he was in, the man remained in high spirits throughout the ordeal.

“Earlier on there were times he seemed to be fading away but we were able to keep chatting to him and reassure him and keep him updated,” he said.

About 10 Council crews and 20 emergency personnel attended the scene while dozens of onlookers watched the situation unfold.

In the distance, yells of pain and discomfort could be heard coming from the man.

At 2.45pm, emergency workers were seen carrying the man out of the hole on a stretcher before taking him to a waiting ambulance.

The scene of the incident.

The scene of the incident.Source:Fraser Coast Chronicle

Mr Castree said it was important for beach goers to be vigilant and be aware of where they were walking.

“This is incredible that he was found in a timely manner,” Mr Castree said.

“If no one heard his cries for help, it would have definitely been a different outcome.”

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the man had no obvious injuries but was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Council workers have since filled the hole.

Originally published as Man swallowed by sand dune

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First aid kits

Sandwich-bag first-aid kit

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By JOHN McCOY

HD Media

HUNTINGTON – Dr. Chuck Clements likes to be prepared. Clements, who teaches wilderness first aid to students at the Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, believes in carrying first-aid kits suited to specific outdoor activities: backpacking, bicycling, whitewater rafting, skiing, etc.

“If possible, you should build a first-aid kit based on what you intend to be doing,” Clements said. “But there’s a basic first-aid kit everyone can, and should, carry. It weighs just a few ounces, and it fits into a large sandwich bag. With it, you can handle just about any wound or fracture – and wounds and fractures are 80 percent of what you’ll encounter in the field.”

Most of the items in Clements’ basic kit are used to stop bleeding.

“The most common injuries are scrapes, scratches and cuts,” he said. “The items in this kit will stop bleeding even if there’s major trauma, or even an [accidental] amputation.”

He said bleeding from most wounds can be stanched with a simple 4-by-4-inch gauze pad.

“If the cut is above the waist, you can simply put pressure on the wound with the pad and hold it in place while you seek help,” he continued.

If the wound is on a leg, he said the pad should be held in place with some sort of wrap, either gauze or elastic.

For deeper wounds with major bleeding, Clements packs a secret weapon – a pad impregnated with a product called QuikClot.

“If there’s a significant bleed, QuikClot will stop it,” he said. “You apply it, and the bleeding stops just like that. Once the bleeding is stopped, you can wrap over the pad to hold it in place.” The pads cost about $10, and are widely available online.

Clements said there’s also a QuikClot product called a Trauma Pak, which costs about $20.

“It’s just about everything you need to stop bleeding, and it will fit into a hip pocket,” he said.

Even though he doesn’t consider it something that’s likely to be used, Clements’ basic kit also includes a CAT Tourniquet.

“CAT stands for Combat Application Tourniquet,” he explained. “It’s designed to be applied easily, using only one hand.”

As he said that, Clements unfurled the tourniquet, slipped it onto his left arm and tightened it in about 5 seconds.

“You really wouldn’t need a tourniquet unless there was major arterial bleeding or an amputation, but since a CAT tourniquet takes up very little space and only weighs a couple of ounces, so why not put it in your kit just in case?”

The brand-name CAT Tourniquet costs about $25, but Clements said knock-offs are available for as little as $10.

Clements’ kit also includes a handful of surgical gloves.

“Your hands might be dirty, so why not take some gloves so you can be as clean as possible while treating a wound?” he asked.

As hard as it might be to believe, the product Clements uses to treat fractures also fits into his sandwich-bag-sized kit. It’s called a SAM splint. SAM stands for Structural Aluminum Malleable, and that pretty succinctly describes what it is and how it works.

The splint incorporates a thin sheet of aircraft aluminum sandwiched between two layers of lightweight closed-cell foam. Fully extended, it measures 36 inches long by 51/2 inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick. It’s designed to be molded around the broken limb and wrapped in place using gauze or an elastic bandage.

“It can be bent and folded to splint just about any fracture you’ll encounter, and you can also fold it down so it fits nicely into that sandwich bag,” Clements said. “Each splint costs about $10, but you can get knock-offs for as little as $3 apiece.”

Other summertime hazards include sunburn, exposure to poison ivy and bee stings.

“With those in mind, it wouldn’t hurt to tuck a small tube of SPF-30-or-higher sun block into your kit, as well as some Bendadryl tablets,” Clements said.

Using two fingers, he grabbed his sandwich-bag kit by one corner and held it up.

“I’m all for smaller and lighter,” he said. “This doesn’t take up much space, and it weighs almost nothing. It’s good insurance to have if you’re going to be outdoors.”

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