/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Medical Doctor in ER here.

All you guys really need is painkillers and antibiotics.

Everything else should be handled by us.
The amount of instruments I see in BOBs that I'm sure the owner cannot use is astounding.

What you really need is a nurse on your team, and have them stock what they know how to use. It's a technical job. A youtube tutorial unfortunately cannot replace decades of experience.

I for one am more interested in getting to know technical people (mechanics, gun enthusiasts etc) than making a mess trying to do everything myself.

Just so nobody says I'm not being helpful, I'll say that you don't really need to find a vein for administering fluids. Just jab the needle anywhere under the skin, ideally the back, and get the fluids going. It's slower, but it can save your life. You can do more than one if you're concerned.

As for oxygen, why the hell would you want that? If they're sick enough to need oxygen, non-medics will not be able to save their life. Remember that oxygen tanks are used up pretty quickly.

The only protective equipment I recommend is gloves. Masks aren't very helpful. I wouldn't touch an Ebola patient even if I were wearing full protective equipment. Are you really going to wear protective equipment all day?