Maybe I'm doing too much doom scrolling but it seems gunshots are all the rage lately.

I'm not a trained medic in any other way than some very dated combat first aid we all got in the army. I have tried to pay attention to various podcasts that purport to discuss current first aid practice and contemplated acquiring an IFAK for personal carry.

Not just gunshots as the missus found herself on the side of the road a few years back crafting an improvised tourniquet on a motorcycle wreck victim that had a foot hanging by a thread. So I know it can hit the fan anywhere anytime. She's more medical trained than I but not trauma trained.

What advice can you give for someone wanting to get prepared for the worse?

The high end IFAK kits are great, but you need to know how to use the components.

Direct pressure over a wound with a stack of gauze, you can control most bleeding, along with holding on pressure points. Tourniquets for amputations or near amputations. For gunshot wounds, knowing how to seal a sucking chest wound is critical.

I was an EMT for 17 years, no longer certified. But I still remember.

That's part of the issue, there's a ton of different ones on the market most full of stuff. I feel like I should seek some sort of training even if I feel I got some understanding of it. I don't know if a well equipped pack should have so many of this or so much of that or what's above my paygrade like airway stuff. I'm more interested in some guy, hopefully not me, not bleeding out while I can do nothing but look confused.

I do recall the sucking chest wound training and see that IFAKs now include big adhesive patches. Back in the day we were told to use an mre pack and 100mph tape to make a seal.

I just, within the last few weeks, made up 2 IFAK/trauma kits, one for the house and one for my vehicle. I didn't buy a premade one, I bought individual components. Each has a tourniquet, 2 chest seals, sciossor, a SAM splint, an ace bandage (for use with the splint mostly), a compression bandage (NAR's version of the isreali bandage), narcan, and bleed-stop powder. The kids also have a friend with type 1 diabetes who occasionally has issues with sudden low blood sugar, so I have glucose gel packs on order from Amazon, just for that purpose.

In my case, with 5 active kids, the SAM splint for a broken bone and possibly glucose gel for diabetic purposes will hopefully be the only thing that ever actually sees use.

In the car I have separate small "boo'boo" kit with bandaids, triple antibiotic, etc, and regular first aid kit at home too.

I assume two chest seals for possible entrance/exit?

a good idea for those with kids in the house...

https://lifevac.net/pages/lifevac-training

Yes. They come in a two-pack from North American Rescue.

North American Rescue Chest Seals

Go take a "Stop the Bleed" training. They are available everywhere.

I wouldn't say you are doing too much scrolling, its just the world we live in. When it comes to things to carry I always break it down into two main categories of whats going to kill them right here right now, that is "stop the bleed and start the breathe" as others have said TQ's, chest seals and some packing gauze will stave off what is going to kill someone right now that you can do anything about. If there is large bleeding anywhere deal with that first, even if they are having trouble breathing the bleed will kill quicker once that is dealt with roll them on their side. Any holes from the belly button to the collar bone gets a chest seal. Extremities get TQ's and pits and valley wounds(arm pits, groin ect) get packed. Lots of things can be controlled with direct pressure if it is in the right spot and hard enough but dont be afraid of a TQ, you wont lose limbs like used to be taught. Carry gloves, germs are gross and I spend my entire life covered and surrounded in them. If any one has any questions please feel free to reach out!

-Flight Paramedic

I was trained how to treat a Sucking chest wound in the Army. Apply a tourniquet, yes. One reason I wear a wide belt. I'm good on a pressure dressing as well. Now, all that training was over 30 years ago, but just pray it's not you I try to treat?!?!