The difference between a first aid kit and a trauma kit
The main difference between a basic first aid kit and a trauma kit is the severity of the injuries they are used to treat. Even a well-stocked first aid kit can only treat very basic, superficial wounds and injuries, such as stings, sprains, strains, insect bites, minor burns, cuts and scrapes. Such injuries are usually not life-threatening and do not require extensive medical training to deal with.
Some of the items you can find in a basic first aid kit include bandages, gauze, medical tape, antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer, alcohol swabs or wipes and basic ointments or medications for a variety of common health problems. Even with very little medical knowledge or experience, a person will still be able to use these items when the need arises. First aid kits are used to prevent a small injury or infection from becoming a much bigger health problem. (Related: These are the items that you need in your first-aid kit if you just want to carry the bare minimum.)
A trauma kit, on the other hand, is used to deal with major, life-threatening injuries that require immediate medical assistance. Its components are designed to keep a severely injured person alive so he or she can reach a hospital and receive proper medical treatment. A properly stocked trauma kit is intended to quickly stop massive blood loss, assist in breathing complications, help maintain a patent airway and treat other critical injuries that may otherwise cause permanent damage.
The items you will find in a trauma kit include tourniquets, hemostatic agents for blood clotting, nasopharyngeal airways (NPA) and other life-saving medical equipment. It is important to note that these items require extensive medical training to use, so make sure that you receive the necessary training to be able to perform the required medical procedures properly. Even a complete trauma kit will be useless if you don't know how to use it.
Why you need a first aid kit and a trauma kit
For a true prepper, one survival kit will never be enough. In order to be truly prepared, you need to equip yourself with the proper tools to deal with all kinds of scenarios. Your survival kits should therefore contain items that fall under three categories: prevention, action and recovery. Prevention items help prevent an injury; action items help treat an injury; and recovery items help stabilize the injury and speed up recovery.
First aid kits and trauma kits are meant to deal with vastly different medical scenarios. That's why it's important to have both kinds of survival kits on hand. The situations you might find yourself in may differ from everyone else's; for instance, you and your family might be more prone to certain injuries or medical emergencies. To prepare for those situations, customize your first aid and trauma kits to suit your family's, as well as your own, specific health needs: There is no rule that says you need to rely only on standard survival kits that you can purchase at your local pharmacy.
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