Hi peter, I tried to return your email but it got chucked back at me (AOL always does from hotmail) so I have listed everything here in the hopes you will find it.

for the benefit of everyone else, this list is a product of my years working in acute health care, military and civillian, the last 3 of which have been in the emergency department. Even if you don't know how to use the stuff, take it because someone else might, and it might be on you. A doctor, nurse or paramedic on his holidays on his motorbike won't have a lot of kit on him! of course this is for carrying on a car or truck, on a bike your going to have to condense it a bit, but at least carry sringes, needles, venflons, plasters, and a couple of bandages and dressings.

Assorted needles and syringes, 2,5,10, and 20ml. orange, blue and green needles. include a couple of 50mm bladder syringes (I needed one for repacking my hubs with grease!)

Assorted venflons, pack small and large, large is best, small is better than nothing on a dehydrated or shocked patient.
plasters
Eye patch (you don't need eyewash, use bottled water or normal saline from contact lense or intravenous use)
large capacity absorbant wound dressings, military shell dressings are good if you can get hold of them.
Sterile saline sachets for irrigation
Saline for iv use (as a flush)
water for iv administration
sterile antiseptic solution
assorted crepe bandages
assorted conforming bandages
Adhesive bandage
triangular bandages
nurses scissors
sterile sutures, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 ethilon 2 of each
steristrips
non adherant dressings (monolin, inadine, mepitel, jelonet)
intravenous hartmans 2x500ml bags
intravenous saline 2x500ml bags
blood administration sets x2
iv administration sets x2
12 gauge urinary catheter x2
catheter bag
clinical thermometer
iodine antiseptic spray
suture set (containing needle holders, clamps, scissors etc)
wound dressing packx2
artery forceps (spencer wells)
inlatable splints
Gauze swabs
emergency chest drain set
disposable scalpels
Guedel airways
various types of tape
sterile gloves
disposable gloves


DRUGS
ibuprofen
codydramol
paracetamol (Oral and PR - for heat exhaustion)
diclofenac (oral and PR)
immodium
chlorpheniramine (Pirito) IV/IM and oral
Augmentin
Erythromycin
Trimethoprin
Benzypenicillin
Flucloxacillin
Hydrocortisone/prednisolone
Adrenalin auto-injector
Lignocaine gel
lignocaine 1% (for suturing)

cool box for temperature sensitive items

A copy of the BNF may be handy, it also has an excellent table of what antibiotics to give for what conditions.
Be aware that some countries (notably the middle east) get very sniffy about people bringing drugs in, especially codeine based preparations. I have a home office drugs license


typically what you need you won't have! I needed chlopheniramine but didn't have any so I have added it to the list. If your wife is a nurse she can probably procure most of the stuff from work! any questions though don't hesitate to ask.

good luck, and if you fancy a read to whet your appetite check out www.plymouth-dakar.com , it's the website of my book. It also includes a little on vehicle prep, medical stuff and driving.

Andy

Hi Andy, Very many thanks for that amazingly comprehensive list of medical eqpt .... and for your kind offer to act as oracle. Looking forward to reading yr book. All the best, Peter.