Do I need a Trauma Kit or a First-Aid Kit? That is the question I get asked a lot. It is always followed with the question of what’s the difference.

Well, let’s talk about the differences.

Trauma Kit vs. First-Aid Kit

I like to categorize injuries just like I would triage patients to begin treatment. 

With Triage we use tags or ribbon to sort and triage patients into priority. We will get more in depth in another article on triaging patients. I have 3 categories I put injuries into:

Immediate Life-Threatening – Red – Patients will die without immediate interventions.

Intermediate –Yellow – Non-life threatening initially but if not treated I have the risk of it becoming life-threatening.

Walking wounded– Green– basic injuries that need attention but they are common everyday injuries.

Trauma kits, if built right should contain everything for Trauma as well as First-Aid. That is what our kits cover.

First-Aid kits have nothing in them for Red patients. They are full of gauze and band-aids, usually cheap bandaids that will not stay on for a hand washing and we all know how important it is to wash our hands, especially when we have an
injury to keep clean and the surrounding tissue clean.

Trauma Kits should be able to take care of multiple injuries on the same patient or multiple patients with injuries. We should be able to treat the following types of emergencies.

Injury Type

1. Major Bleeding
2. Minor Bleeding
3. Airway problems
4. Sprains, Strains and Fractures
5. Eye Injuries
6. Comfort and Care
7. First-Aid, small injuries

Quality Item to Treat Injury

1. RATS Tourniquet, Quick Clot
2. Wound Seal, Antiseptic, Non-adherent pads, Coban
3. Chest Seal, CPR pocket mask, Airways
4. Fracture Fork, Instant Ice Wraps, Stat Splint
5. Foreign Object Removal Kit, Eye Cups, 2 types of eye wash
6. Ice Packs, Electrolytes, Bandaging, Slings, Splinter Tools
7. Assortment of Band-aids, Cleaning Products, Antiseptics, Sting Swabs

Now take a look in a First-Aid kit and ask yourself the question… What do I have in here for an arterial wound? Do I have something in this kit to take care of a breathing problem like an airway kit or CPR pocket mask? Do I have something that will diagnose a fracture, and a splint large enough to immobilize this fracture? Do I have multiple ice packs or an instant ice wrap to treat this sprain or strain or fracture? What do I have to save myself an ER visit for a laceration that may need stitches? Most first-aid kits are going to make the answer to all these questions a NO! That is why you need to have a good trauma kit that makes the answer to all of these questions a YES!

That is what you get when you purchase a TNT First-Aid trauma kit. You have everything you need to answer YES to these questions and then some. They are in well-made high quality and well-organized kits specifically made for medical situations. Nothing worse than not being able to find what you need in an emergency and with your adrenaline going. We also have waterproof crush resistant cases for all your water sports activities. Keeps your supplies dust free and dry for when you need them. Our kits are designed and built by medical professionals with many years in the business of treating injuries. There are no fillers to make it look cooler. It is all practical supplies that anyone can use with just a little bit of training or by using our phone app.

Virtual Medic can be downloaded to your phone and you have a medical professional walking you through how to use all the products easily found in your Trauma Kit, with realistic video to simulate the injury you are dealing with. The app downloads the content to your phone so that you always have it whether you have cell service or not. If you have power on your device, then you have the power to save a life. It is a one of a kind tool to help save lives and the first of its kind anywhere. Download the app Virtual Medic for only $2.99. You cannot buy the worst first-aid book on the market for that price. If you know someone hearing impaired download the Virtual Medic ASL app for the full app in sign language.

Now that you know the difference between a Trauma Kit and First-Aid kit you understand the cost difference a little bit better. What is a life worth to you and what do you want in an emergency? A Trauma Kit or a First-Aid kit?

Visit our website at www.tntfirstaid.com to see what trauma kit is right for your family and all of your recreational activities.