Posted on : 2010-03-31
A suture kit for the general public is, in my opinion, not generally very useful. Suturing is not a lifesaving procedure that one would perform pre-hospital. Paramedics don't do it--why would you or I?

The people who do need to suture outside of the hospital are IDC's in the Navy, offshore medics, etc. because that way they can care for a wound without having to medevac someone. Other than that, it's just not necessary. Without any lidocaine, you're going to cause someone a fair bit of pain.

First aid kits should focus on immediate life threats--that means stopping the bleeding. If you're in a remote location and it may take a couple of days to get someone to the hospital, by all means do your best to clean and dress the wound to reduce the risk of infection. You don't need to be suturing someone yourself--just stop the bleeding and get them to a doctor. They may end up needing antibiotics anyway, which you don't have either. If you want to have some method of wound closure for a field medical kit, Steri-strips are a good, easy-to-use alternative and you won't do any harm with them.


Posted on : 2010-03-25
This kit is CRAP!

First, the suture material is too small for virtually any significant wound that really needs to be closed immediately. Second, there's nothing to drive the needle with. If they weren't going to include a needle holder, they would have been better off adding a Keith (straight) needle to the kit. And what's with the IV catheter? What's the use of an Iv catheter with no IV tubing and no IV fluids or meds? All this before we even enter the debate about the utility of administering IV fluids in the field versus rapid transport. rather than buying this kit, you would be better served buying something like QuikClot, some gauze sponges/bandages to apply pressure, and some reliable communications device to call for help.


Posted on : 2009-08-07
I admire the seller of this product for compiling a set of sterile medical supplies for the public, but I think they are doing a disservice by charging such a large mark-up for the very limited amount of goods provided.

I have built a similar kit piecemeal from other vendors, not for travel - simply to be prepared. My total out of pocket price was less than $7.00, and I actually got multiples of all of the items contained. The needles and syringes are available at almost any farm store, and are the same quality. Also, the needles included in this kit are far too long for most purposes, 1" or 3/4" would be preferable.

I'm not sure what the catheter would be used for in an emergency situation without an adapter plug or administration set, but I'm sure the intended customer can buy that along with a couple of liters of fluids in another kit from this vendor...

Comparable RETAIL prices, not wholesale - bulk prices are much better:
Sterile 3cc syringes, Google shopping = less than $14 per box of 100 with your choice of needles, $0.75 each blister packed with no needle.
Sterile 18G x 1" needles, farm supply store = $5.30 for a box of 100
Sterile 21G x 0.75" needles, farm supply store = $2.14 for a blister pack of 10
Sterile 25G x 0.75" needles, farm supply store = $2.38 for a blister pack of 10
Sterile 18G x 2" or 1.25" Terumo catheter, Google shopping = $0.94 each - $0.72 each in boxes of 50. Chinese medical supply manufacturers above typically send an assortment with their marketing materials if you ask for a quote - best deal around!
Sterile 1cc syringe with needle = Do you know someone with diabetes? Very likely they've got one to spare. Otherwise, it'll cost you about fifty cents.
Sterile gloves, Google shopping = $25 for 20 pairs, multiple varieties.
Sterile prep kit, army surplus = $1.29, includes 4oz bottle of povidone or chlorhexadine scrub, 20+ squares of sterile gauze, and a little plastic bucket for dilution.
Carbon neutral bag = What? This must be where the price comes from. I can recycle some other product packaging for free, but thanks anyway...

Suture is harder to come by for the non-medical public, but multiple Chinese OEM suture suppliers offer samples for potential customers to review for FREE. Also, 5-0 suture is pretty thin - in the unlikely event that I need to break out suture, I feel 3-0 would probably be a better all-around choice. Although, if you're traveling to a foreign country and need superficial repairs, 5-0 would probably be adequate.

As far as the actual repair instruments go, driving suture through skin without instruments is tough business, even for the tiny needle on this suture. In an emergency, a leatherman tool will work, but isn't really ideal. The good news is that you can pick up a decent minor surgery kit from most army surplus stores for less than $30.
Wraps for the pack can be constructed from linen or even a high quality pillowcase in a pinch. A pressure canner with a gauge can be used to steam sterilize the double-wrapped pack, or you can ask a friendly tattoo artist to run it through a cycle in their autoclave for a nominal fee.

Just my two cents - I really think you can do better than this if you need and know how to use these products. Including this extremely limited bundle of "medical supplies" in your luggage for travel to a third world country seems unlikely to improve the quality of medicine you would receive there, and will take up extra space that could be put to better use.




Posted on : 2009-01-16
This kit is excellent for several reasons.

First of all it can be used as advertised: travel to third world countries to make sure they use sterile needles on you should you need medical care.

Field medics might also appreciate this kit. It will enable you to administer drugs while in isolated locations. The kit is waterproof, so you can take it pretty much anywhere, even in extreme environments.

Nursing/medical students can use this kit to get ONE syringe and needles of several sizes to practice injecting. It is difficult to get syringes/needles, especially without prescription, but this kit has what you need to practice at home.

It also comes with an 18 gauge intravenous catheter for IV cannulation. Keep in mind this catheter is pretty big, and it is usually used for blood infusions and emergency infusions. However, it is just as good to practice inserting IV catheters if you're a student. (Keep in mind you'll still need a tourniquet).


Other than the syringes & IV, nothing else in the kit is of much value. It comes with a pair of gloves, and a few antiseptic wipes, but nothing much. For the price, I think the convenience of needles without the prescription are worth the price.


Posted on : 2007-12-27
2 things I wish this kit came with: Neosporin (or similar), and Needle Grips. But, both can be bought seperately and probably fit in the bag well enough.

Kit includes:
5-0 Nylon Suture w/Needle (nylon does not disolve)
1cc Syringe w/Needle
3cc Syringe
25ga x 5/8" Needle
21ga x 1.5" Needle
18ga x 1.5" Needle
18ga Intravenous Catheter
Antiviral Towlets (3)
Nitrile Barrier Gloves