If you own a gun, these six medical products are essential for your trauma kit or range bag.

1. Tourniquet

A tourniquet is the single most important piece of life-saving equipment in the event of penetrating trauma to an extremity, such as a gunshot wound, and is probably the best investment in medical gear for any gun owner.

Battlefield lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated tourniquets have a significant survival benefit, especially when applied prior to the onset of shock. As a result, law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies adapted tourniquet application as standard procedure.

Windlass-driven tourniquets such as the CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet) and the SOFTT-W are most popular in military and law enforcement, while wrap-style tourniquets such as the SWAT-T may be more intuitive and faster to apply for the layperson. Both types are effective at stopping arterial blood loss. Windlass types are generally easier to self apply, while wrap styles are preferred for children, as they work better on smaller diameter limbs.

2. Hemostatic Gauze

Packing a wound with hemostatic gauze can significantly reduce the time direct pressure must be applied to an arterial bleed. This is especially important in the event of a mass casualty incident. For people with minimal training in wound-packing techniques, hemostatic gauze can make their efforts to stem bleeding more effective.

Agencies and professionals in EMS, military, and law enforcement are including hemostatic gauze in individual first aid kits (IFAKs) and everyday carry trauma kits at a higher rate than in past years, despite the significantly higher cost of the hemostatic gauze.

When hemostatic gauze is not available, the next best thing for wound packing is compressed gauze or bandages. The gauze is stuffed into the wound, using as much as possible to create pressure on the damaged blood vessels and slow the blood flow. After the wound is packed with either gauze or a hemostatic gauze, a wrap is applied to hold the wound packing gauze in place and maintain pressure on the wound.

3. Trauma Dressings

The purpose of pressure dressings or trauma dressings, as they are sometimes called, is to tightly wrap a wound after it has been packed with hemostatic or conventional gauze to maintain pressure on the injury.

The battle-tested Israeli Bandage consolidates multiple first-aid devices—primary dressing (if wound-packing gauze is not available), pressure applicator, secondary dressing wrap (like an ace bandage), and a foolproof closure apparatus—to secure the bandage in place and hold the pressure. The ability to apply direct pressure to a wound site and to cover/protect the wound is critical to stop the bleed. These bandages restrict blood flow from a penetrating wound by keeping pressure on the wound, even after hands are taken off.

4. Chest Seals

When a lung is punctured by penetrating injury, air builds up in the pleural cavity between the lung and chest wall. The resulting pressure forces the lung to collapse, a life-threatening condition called a tension pneumothorax. A vented chest seal placed over the wound allows air to escape from the chest during exhalation without allowing air back in during inhalation, preventing air from building up and collapsing the lung.

If a person with a chest injury is having trouble breathing, it’s an indication of a punctured lung. While other airtight dressings can be improvised for immediate relief, complications develop if they are left in place too long. A purpose-built vented chest seal will perform more reliably under a broader range of conditions and can be applied in seconds. Be sure to check for entry and exit wounds, placing chest seals over both.

5. Medical Shears

While shears may seem like a frivolous add-on to those who routinely carry a knife, they are safer for the patient and make it much easier for the first responder to cut away clothing and equipment straps to obtain access to a wound. This small investment can save precious time when it counts.

6. Nitrile Gloves

If you have a trauma kit and it’s needed in an emergency situation, you will either be treating a patient or yourself, or someone else could be using it to treat you. In any instance, the first responder should take precautions to limit exposure to bloodborne pathogens. For the small cost, a pair of nitrile gloves is an excellent investment.

There is an increase in the use of black gloves to be more “tactical”, but a green, purle or white glove is preferred during a trauma situation. The lighter colours work great for detecting blood and other potentially hazardous materials.

The Reality of Today's World

It is a hard reality that we are all at risk, regardless of our professions, lifestyles or recreational preferences. While public access and education efforts such as the national Stop The Bleed initiative are gaining traction, this does not guarantee life-saving bleeding control gear is available whenever and wherever needed. That responsibility rests with us—the general public. Being a gun owner means an even higher level of responsibility for preparedness.

Store the kits where you spend the most time and in the most easily accessed places in the event of an emergency. Common places include in your vehicle, home, boat, cabin, camping or weekend getaway area. If you do carry a firearm on your person, mini-IFAKs and ankle holsters are good options to explore. Hemostatics do have an expiration date, usually five years.

We can’t understate the importance of knowing how to use the products mentioned in this article. Instructional videos and training are available online, and many gun ranges, gun retailers and fire/EMS agencies offer basic courses or know where to take one.