Peter is going through some medical & life adjustments the smart way.
I’m now going to equipment manufacturers’ Web sites whenever possible, and getting my information straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. I’m also buying what I need direct from them when I can, because even if it costs a few dollars more, I’m guaranteed to get what I paid for, rather than a cheap knock-off product. I’m building four emergency bleeding control kits, one for each vehicle, one for our home, and one to put in a small “to-go” duffel bag that will be permanently packed, ready for our not infrequent trips. I thought that sort of care was excessive until a few days ago, when a very small wound took hours (and four dressings) to stop bleeding. A bigger wound, such as in an auto accident, might kill me rather quickly unless I can control the bleeding at once. These anticoagulant medications are sure effective, but also very worrying!
Fraud and counterfeiting in medical supplies
When I took mom to the doctor recently for her regular check up, I asked if she could go into a lower dosage of blood thinner since she was bruising easily. I was told no way-no how and at least the doctor made mom understand that a bruise beats a stroke or a cardiac event. I have bored you to death in the past with the Oh Sh**! Kit in version 1.0 and version 2.0 and same as Peter, finding out that simple cuts are no longer a simple affair but scary warnings.
So, two things for today: Get your bleed control kit (For big and small cuts) and make sure you are buying quality stuff.
With you and Peter on the no-fakes stance.
Buying direct from companies can help, but even that is not a sure bet given how many companies outsource production and packaging. (In general, not just medical gear.) For life-critical gear it might be worth taking a further step and going only with companies that have their own manufacturing.
And make sure your bleed control kit contains a coagulant such as Celox or QuickClot. I know my doctor/surgeon brother hates the QuickClot because “They have to clean it out of the wound” but Celox does not.
Celox works to clot bleeds EVEN if you are on an anti-coagulant, and they have the studies to back it. Down side is that it does expire and it is more expensive.
Celox comes in multiple different formats, including a “tampon applicator” form which is a tube with plunger, stick the tube into a wound track, push the plunger and the celox is in the right place doing good things.
They have packages of powder you can pour into an open wound. They have gauze that is impregnated with it. The gauze with impregnated celox can also be used as a burn dressing by just adding a bit of water to the bandage.
Regardless, make sure your blowout/stop-the-bleed kit gives you the tools for stopping the different types of bleeders. That includes tourniquets. For the “anybody can use” there is a SWAT-T (IIRC) that is a super ace bandage. Pull it tight enough so that the ovals and rubics turn into circles and squares, warp it around a limb above the bleed, three or four turns, tuck the end under and the bleeding will stop. No windless, no trying to get a person that’s a bit unsure of themselves to make that tight enough, just wrap the stretchy bandage around the limb and magic, it works.
How do you tell you’re getting quality stuff? If it’s a device or the like that you can judge by eye, or by tools you have, great. But chemicals (like anticoagulants)? You’re dependent on the manufacturer doing it right. And on not getting stuff with forged labels.
The other day there was a news item about some NJ company selling “Made in USA” devices for some government application, security stuff perhaps or night vision? I don’t remember. Anyway, they were caught selling stuff made in China, where the Chinese manufacturer even put US flags and “Made in USA” stickers on their fakes. The perps (the US ones selling these fakes knowingly) were arrested.
If you’re getting chemicals from China, there’s no way to know if what you’re getting is real or not, and the fact it’s real today doesn’t mean it will be tomorrow. Remember the poisoned infant formula made (and sold) in China a couple of years ago, with the connivance of local bribed communist party officials. And by the way, that story revealed that making such poisons is legal in China, the only thing illegal was selling it in China. (Export would have been just peachy.)