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History of the First-Aid Kit

History of the First-Aid Kit 0

While it seems commonplace to us, the first-aid kit is a relatively new innovation in medical care. Human injuries have been occurring for thousands upon thousands of years, but the first-aid kit recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. Surprisingly, the first man to realize the potential benefits of portable medical aid is a name that you’re probably familiar with: Robert Wood Johnson. You most likely know him as one of the famous Johnson & Johnson founders. While traveling along the Denver & Rio Grande Railway, Johnson realized that there was a lack of medical equipment and organization of treatment for those workers along the trail.

Robert Wood Johnson, an entrepreneurial spirit, saw this need and made sure that he had the materials available to him so that he could spring into action. By 1888, the very first first-aid kits were distributed to America’s workforce. The market for this new product quickly grew, and the size and specifications of the kit changed along with it.  In 1898, soldiers sent to the front lines of the Mexican-American war were each given pocket-sized kits. There was probably nothing as life-saving as what is in today’s kits, but they came in handy for those that actually saw combat.

Johnson & Johnson continued to develop these specialty kits, and created different kits for specific circumstances. Specialty kits were developed for the advances in transportation that were occurring, and even airplane and automobile kits were made available.  Even the famous Charles Lindbergh carried a Johnson & Johnson “Aerokit” with him on his historic transatlantic flight. In 1920, one of the most famous pieces of home medical care was released as an addition to the first-aid kit, the Band-Aid.

While first-aid kits have changed and become more advanced and technical over time, the original intent remains the same.  First-aid kits are a preventive measure in case the worst happens and someone is injured and needs treatment.  The problem with many first-aid kits is the lack of professional equipment available to those that are certified to use them. Provider Prepared is the newest innovation in professional first aid care since the Band-Aid. We pride ourselves on providing doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, dentists, veterinarians, and others with the ability to care for their loved ones on a professional level, even when they are away from the office. 

  • Dr. Nate Whittaker, MD Emergency Medicine Specialist
Medical Innovations That Changed The World

Medical Innovations That Changed The World 0

Hard-working healthcare professionals have the ability to access a number of amazing health innovations that have developed over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years.  From the first physician’s bag with basic medical supplies, to the more sophisticated supplies found in hospitals and offices, the world of a doctor is constantly being improved, due to the innovations of these brilliant men and women in the medical field. Here are our top 10 healthcare advances that helped to change the world (and save lives)!

Thermometers

While the history of the thermometer is unclear on whom the original inventor of the device was, the legacy of this invention has lasted hundreds of years.  Many trace early versions of the modern thermometer to the thermoscope that was invented by Galileo in the 1500s.  The first mercury thermometer was invented in 1714 by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, which is still in use today.  However, the emergence of the modern digital thermometer is phasing out the use of the mercury thermometer among medical professionals.

Hypodermic Needles

In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans used thin, hollow tools made out of wood to inject fluids into the body, a technique that they developed from observations of snakebites and poisoned weapons. In the late 1600s, Christopher Wren developed this idea, and used a goose quill as a crude, hypodermic needle to administer drugs intravenously to dogs.  The hypodermic needle as it is known now was invented in the 1800s, by Charles Pravaz and Alexander Wood. This innovation has allowed doctors to inject or extract fluids like medication and blood from patients, with minimal pain and contamination.

X-Rays

Before the x-ray, doctors could only rely on visible damage to the body to determine the extent or presence of damage or injury.  The initial work surrounding the discovery of x-rays was done by Roentgen in the 1800s. Surprisingly, the invention was not initially met with positive reception, and was thought of as an invasion of privacy rather than a medical tool. Today, the x-ray allows us to look inside the body and determine the exact cause, extent, and presence of injury and disease, and can be used in radiotherapy as treatment against certain types of cancer.

Hearing Aids

Many elderly people struggle with hearing, and often need tools to amplify sound.  This is why an innovation like the modern hearing aid has made the quality of life for those that have hearing difficulties so much better.  The precursor to today’s small and portable hearing aid was called the Akouphone. It was so large that it had to be placed on a table to be used! This makes the development of hearing aids today, which are wearable, concealable, and can reduce background noise, such an important advancement.

Prosthetic Limbs and Implants

The invention of prosthetics has opened up a world of mobility to those who would have otherwise been confined to a world of crutches and wheelchairs.  In addition, hip and knee replacements have allowed those with degenerative and arthritic joints to regain mobility. Innovations in the types of materials used for prosthetic limbs have also allowed for increased abilities of these limbs, and allowed those that depend on them to even run marathons.

Vaccines

One of the biggest killers in human history has been communicable disease, and fortunately, the development of vaccines has prevented these diseases from having the same widespread affects that they have had in the past.  Dr. Edward Jenner was the first to introduce vaccines into mainstream medical treatment when he prevented a child from getting smallpox.  Louis Pasteur, the discoverer of penicillin, was another innovator, and helped the development of vaccines that helped inoculate soldiers from diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, and typhus.

Organ Transplants

Probably one of the most complex health innovations, organ transplants have saved thousands of lives. A complicated and ethically significant surgery, organ transplants can be done by taking organs from living or deceased donors and implanting them into the bodies of those lacking the functioning organs.  The first liver transplant was done in 1967, with the first heart transplant happening in the year following.  Transplants are very technical and complicated surgeries, and there are very stringent measures that the donor organs must comply with to allow for a successful surgery. As a result, there are currently over 90,000 people on a waiting list for a transplant in the United States alone.

Pacemakers

A small, implantable device that allows us to regulate human hearts sounds like science fiction, but it has allowed doctors to save the lives of millions since its invention.  Originally designed by two Australian doctors as a portable device that was made of two poles, the modern pacemaker has come a long way.  Today, a pacemaker’s batteries allow it to run for 20 years, and can be recharged without surgery. Recharging is now done through the skin.

Insulin

Before the invention of synthetic insulin, those that had diabetes or a malfunctioning pancreas had nothing to control their blood sugar. The discovery of insulin and how to create it synthetically led to the ability to control blood sugar for those with diabetes.  This innovation has saved countless lives.

MRIs

While the function of this machine may sound similar to the function of an x-ray machine, the MRI (or Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine) uses different technology to see inside the body. Magnetism and radio waves are used, instead of x-rays that can be less harmful to the body.  It allows doctors to see inside the body without doing as much damage to your insides.

While sometimes it can be easy to take these innovations for granted, there is no denying that these innovations have saved lives.  So, next time you see a doctor on their way to perform a surgery or help a patient with a hearing aid, give thanks for the innovations that allow you and many others to be properly cared for.  Here at Provider Prepared, we want to thank all those doctors that have put their life’s work into helping keep all of us happy, healthy, and well cared for.
  • Dr. Nate Whittaker, MD Emergency Medicine Specialist
Partial Thumb Nail Avulsion

Partial Thumb Nail Avulsion 0

My nephew's thumb was accidentally shut in the tailgate of a pickup truck. Unfortunately, he was 2 hours away, so I couldn't help him. Fortunately, because he and his wife welcomed their first child earlier this year, they were maxed out on their deductible. X-ray was negative for fracture. Interestingly, Dermabond was used instead of sutures. 

With my Provider Prepared Laceration Repair Kit, I would have reduced the partially avulsed nail back under the cuticle and secured the nail down with 2-3 sutures. I know that recently this has been a hot topic of debate. Would any of you have removed the nail completely, looking for a nail bed laceration to repair? Would any of you have managed the wound differently? 

  • Nathan Whittaker
Peace of Mind in the Great Out Doors

Peace of Mind in the Great Out Doors 0

Autonomy. Integrity. Peace of Mind. Provider Prepared! 

Get your Laceration Repair Kit in time for your outdoor trip here: Get My Kit

I attended scout camp this week with my son in the Uintas, 2 hours away from home.  There were 28 knife wielding boys between the ages of 12 and 18 in my group, with over 200 in the camp. Having a Provider Prepared Laceration Repair Kit = Peace of Mind.

Dr. Brian Richardson was prepared with 50 others on a Father & Sons Camp Out this week as well. Fortunately, neither of us had to use it, just like having the right equipment out in the ER wards off evil spirits. 

Send us your photos of where you have taken and/or used your Provider Prepared Laceration Repair Kits! (support@providerprepared.com)

 

 

  • Nathan Whittaker
2 Year-Old Horror Scene On Two Legs Screaming Up The Stairs

2 Year-Old Horror Scene On Two Legs Screaming Up The Stairs 0

90 min. before my Sunday night shift, our 2 year- old, Titan, comes screaming up the stairs looking like a scene out of a slasher horror movie. His older sister sheepishly admitted to chasing him into the edge of a door frame. We created an ED bed on our kitchen counter and slipped a pillow case up his arms, behind him, with him laying on it, to help restrain him, telling him it was a super hero cape. I wanted to use Dermabond, but I couldn't get the wound edges to approximate like I wanted them to. If the wound was above the hairline, I could have used the stapler. Recruiting his 4 older siblings and my wife to help soothe him and hold him down, I anesthetized the wound with injectable 1% lidocaine, irrigated it with sterile saline, 60 cc syringe, and a splash guard, prepped it with drapes and betadine, and then closed it, using 6-0 Ethilon on a P-3 needle. He took it like a champ! It was nice not to have to take him in to the ER and it was a good experience for my family. I enjoyed showing them what I do as an ER doctor. I had everything I needed that I am used to using in the ER. The evening was saved. Time and money was saved. I maintained my autonomy, caring for my own child. I was affordably prepared, without swiping materials from the hospital, maintaining my integrity. It's good to be a Provider Prepared!

local anesthetic, lidocaine

wound irrigation, splash guard, sterile drape, sterile gloves

wound prep, betadine

suturing instruments, gauze, medical bag, laceration kit, laceration tray, stitches, sutures

sutures, facial laceration

 

  • Nathan Whittaker
Versatility of Provider Prepared Kits

Versatility of Provider Prepared Kits 0

The cervical para-spinal injections saved the day for my nephew, Cody. He is one tough dude, but his migraine headache was ruining his vacation. We were at a family reunion in Island Park, ID, vacationing for the week, 3 hours from home. The nearest clinic/hospital was 30-45 minutes away. Nothing he was taking was helping.

Fortunately, I had packed a bottle of 0.5% Bupivacaine and my Provider Prepared Complete Laceration Repair Kit, containing all the needles, syringes, prep-pads, and gloves I needed. Watch a demonstration of the procedure at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy1lggvxV9Y. He took the injections like a champ!

Twenty to thirty minutes later, he reported his headache completely resolved. Cody jumped right back into the activities and resumed his role as the life of the party. The day was saved! No time was wasted traveling to and from a clinic/hospital or waiting in a waiting room. Money was saved! And I had the privilege of relieving my nephew's pain. It's good to be a Provider Prepared!

  • Nathan Whittaker