Liquids For First Aid

[Jeepnik]

Let me start with a bit of background. Back in 1972 I read an article in an EMT journal. It was about the benefits of mild stimulants in emergency situations. It examined both the physiological and psychological effects of one of the most common mild stimulants. Coffee. The article mad good reading and more importantly good sense.

I picked up a large thermos and carried it on our rescue trunk. I'd change the coffee a few times a day to keep it hot and fresh. The first time I employed it was at a vehicle accident. A young girls 16 maybe 17 had been in an accident in her dad's car. Not her fault the other driver ran a stop. But she was not only upset and a bit shocky from the accident, she was worried about her dad getting angry.

We did the normal things, checked her for injuries, got her out of the car and into a seat in the rescue truck and wrapped her in a blanket (as much as I tease, a blankey can be a very good thing). I then gave her a cup of hot coffee. Watching her "come out of it" was nothing short of amazing. In just a couple of minutes and a few sips of coffee and she was pretty much back to normal.

By the way, when her dad showed up the only thing he cared about was if she was okay. It's what dads do.

I used it again when a mother called and said her son was stuck in a storm drain. Got her sat down and gave her a cup of coffee while we got him out. And again when a F-105 Wild Weasel failed to get airborne on takeoff. The pilot was fine, but his rear seater was pretty much in a daze. Coffee brought him right around.

These days I carry three types of liquids in my first aid kit. Canned coffee drink, Gatorade and bottled water. I can't do IV's anymore (well I can, just not legally) so oral liquids is the next best thing. Now these have to be replaced with some frequency, but the cost is minimal.

Just a little something to think about.

 

[blume357]

I'm wondering if it is not so much the chemicals in the coffee but just the act of drinking something ? As in resets one's system. I remember in the two days sheep dog seminar I took a few years back one of the suggestion when dealing with an agitated person was to hand them a bottle of water to drink. Many folks don't realize that when someone is having a heart attack and the heart is out of rhythm that defibing is not actually restarting the heart but stopping it..... then the body hopefully restarts it back right. Like hitting a reset button. The act of just drinking something may tell the body to get back in rhythm.

 

[Wvfarrier]

Hot coffe can help with mild asthma attacks. My youger sister had fairly severe allergy related asthma and my parents would use coffee to offset the mild attacks to reduce her reliance on inhalers. Tinctures made from steeped Mullein leaf and garlic worked better than albuterol.

 

[gunzo]

It's helping me become a human being right now.

All joking aside, good info. Thanks

 

[MaxMan]

Good advice. Any idea the medical reasonong behind it.

Hot coffe can help with mild asthma attacks. My youger sister had fairly severe allergy related asthma and my parents would use coffee to offset the mild attacks to reduce her reliance on inhalers. Tinctures made from steeped Mullein leaf and garlic worked better than albuterol.

I was born with a condition call chronic asthma. Had it all the time. Messed me up pretty bad. I remember my Grandmother would come an mix honey Lemon juice and whisky and spoon feed it too me until the doctor came out tot he house. Shot me up with adrenaline. Dad was in sales for a while and clients would give himr top shelf Liquor for holidays). Any way I think I was the only 6-year-old who had Crown Royal on a regular basis. It was bad the folks at the ER were on a first name bases with the folks.