This is a suggested list of BASIC supplies for a medical provider seeing patients on a medical mission.
Personal
- Stethoscope
- Otoscope / Ophthalmoscope
- + specula
- Hammer
- Tongue depressor
Diagnostics
- Urine dipsticks
- BGM
- Fecal occult blood card
- developer
- jelly
- kleenex
Non-medical Supplies
- Alcohol Hand sanitizer
- Clipboard – to hold paper
- Pens – ballpoint better than ink or gel pens (smears when wet)
- Small trash bags
- Ziplock bags – comes in handy!
- Ruler / tape measure
Therapeutic
Note: pack all liquids in zip locks & padding; label bags for quick ID
- Kenalog IM
- Steroid creams – itchy rashes/ insect bites
- Lidocaine +/- epi
- Ceftriaxone IM
- 3cc syringe with needle
- TB syringes – initial anesthesia
- Alcohol swabs
- 2×2 gauze
- Bandaids
- Blades – #11 and / or #15
- 50cc syringe for irrigation
- Elastic wrap w Velcro – 2” and/or 4”
- Epipen for Peds and Adults
Wound Care
- Gauze: 2×2, 4×4, rolls
- Tape
- Non stick gauze / Mepitel
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Silver Sulfadiazine
- Antibiotic ointment
- Dermabond and / or
- Steri strips & Tincture of Benzoin
- Band aids
- Gloves
- Suture kit & sutures
Medications for Team Needs During Travel (if you are the team’s ‘doc’)
- Antibiotics
- Antihistamines
- Inhalers – steroid and bronchodilator
- Meclizine
- Nsaids / ASA
- Prednisone tabs
- Topicals – steroid, fungal, antibiotic
Additional Supplies to Consider
- Urine Pregnancy
- Nebulizer with face masks / cords / nebules
- KT tape
- Scale to obtain children’s weights