Field Dressings : Is there any expiry?

[AJFitzpatrick]

Some time ago I bought some surplus field dressings, Now I am wondering if they ever "expire"?

 

[Donut]

The only reason any inert bandages or dressings have expiry dates is because the manufacturer won't guarantee sterility beyond a certain date...if they haven't gotten and stayed soaked, I wouldn't worry....there's millions of 1950 era dressings in civil defence stores across the country.

DF

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

Thanks, I'll still try to avoid needing them.

 

[Donut]

Good plan  ;D

 

[kratz]

Now there is a Question and Answer that is worth reading. Thank you.

 

[Armymedic]

The only reason any inert bandages or dressings have expiry dates is because the manufacturer won't guarantee sterility beyond a certain date...if they haven't gotten and stayed soaked, I wouldn't worry....there's millions of 1950 era dressings in civil defence stores across the country.

The older dressings were wrapped in paper. New dressing are entirely wrapped on plastics. So they should never "expire" if wrappers are intact. Double wrap plastic like the new Isreali emergency dressing should be good for life, if not exposed to repeated hot, humid-cold, dry cycles.

 

[Old Ranger]

The older dressings were wrapped in paper. New dressing are entirely wrapped on plastics. So they should never "expire" if wrappers are intact. Double wrap plastic like the new Isreali emergency dressing should be good for life, if not exposed to repeated hot, humid-cold, dry cycles.

Hey, what's the Weather like in Afganistan? ;D

Sorry end of night shift Cheekiness.

 

[PMed]

Hey, what's the Weather like in Afganistan? ;D

Sorry end of night shift Cheekiness.

LOL -  ;D  Thanks for the giggle..

 

[MediTech]

I found a shell dressing from 1953 in our unit pharmacy.  It was wrapped in a sort of glossy paper like material.  I don't think it was expired.

 

[DartmouthDave]

Hello,

The disaster/MCI lockers at the local hospital have boxes of 50ish field dressings and smelly wool blankets.  Opened one and it was fine.  In fact, no change from the current ones.

Hmmmmmmm...........I should repackage them in new fancy covers and sell them back to the CF!!  Dressing, Combat, MK III........LOL

David

 

[medicineman]

Don't laugh Dave - I saw it done recently.

MM

 

[kj_gully]

The disaster/MCI lockers at the local hospital have boxes of 50ish field dressings and smelly wool blankets.  Opened one and it was fine.  In fact, no change from the current ones.

David

Kinda sad, really, and speaks to inertia of our system. Sigh...maybe just maybe some day I will get a chitosan dressing.

 

[DartmouthDave]

Hello,

What are chitosan dressing??  They sound great!!

Anybody remember the Hampton Row Burn dressings?  Odd little foam thing to wrap burns?  I should repackage and sell them back to the CF as well.....lol

David

 

[medaid]

Hello,

What are chitosan dressing??  They sound great!!

Anybody remember the Hampton Row Burn dressings?  Odd little foam thing to wrap burns?  I should repackage and sell them back to the CF as well.....lol

David

*shudder* you mean those nice bubble wraps that one of my more learned colleauges said was good for nothing more then packaging? You should indeed sell those back, and call them 'Item, Individual, Fragile Wraps MkI'

As to MM's comment... ya talk about integrity eh?

 

[Armymedic]

Rohampton dressing had their purpose, and worked well for that sole purpose.

 

[medicineman]

As to MM's comment... ya talk about integrity eh?

They came out of Provincial Disaster Stores and were "redistributed" back to the CF due to a shortage.

MM

 

[kj_gully]

You are talking about them as if they are history... I have them in my kit. What burn dressing are you using now?

 

[Old Ranger]

What burn dressing are you using now?

Used to be Butter, but supplies were being consummed.

Our civi Burn Kits have 3 different supplies.

Gam Industries, USA, made in China.
Roehampton, made in NY
Protector Canada Inc, made in Downsview.

 

[DartmouthDave]

Hello,

Alas, I spelled Roehampton incorrectly.  :

We carry sterile drapes and sheets to cover burns.  They are inexpensive and they are easy to get.  We just grab them from the hospital!! LOL  Also, we use Life Blankets to wrap the patient.  This keeps them from getting to cold.


Lifeblankets are great. They are a disposable blue sheet that we wrap the patient in. They are strong enough to lift the patient from the cot to the stretcher.

David

 

[elder medic]

Very interesting point, in all seriousness. Last year I gave a shell dressing dated 1943 (Johnson and Johnson, I believe) to my GP's wife ( a nurse of course, what else?) for her collection. We used them in Korea and this one had been with me for the years since then obviously. She had previously had several from the same era tested and no reason to expect they were not as good as new. Came in a totally water tight cover which could also be used to protect the dressing from the rain. Once again this old mind is boggled at the goodies you guys have now. Sure beats going on a night patrol with a haversack of shell and field dressings and a few very accountable syrettes of morphine.