What's in a doctor's bag?
For those who do not work within the medical industry, there may be something of a mystery surrounding the famous 'doctor's bag'. Usually a large briefcase, the bag is carried by nearly every doctor wherever they go. The classic style is known as a Gladstone bag, although the modern equivalent is a brief case with sponge cut-outs, or even a tool box is favoured by some doctors.
So what could be in a doctor's bag? While there are some common items, it does depend on the doctor's speciality. Here's some of the most common items found in various doctor's bags:
Equipment
- Stethoscope
- Syphgmomanometer
- Thermometer & Covers (use a digital one - I shattered a glass one on a visit, lacerated my thumb and bled all over the floor!)
- Peak Flow meter
- Reflex hammer
- Torch (+ blue filter)
- Tongue Depressors
- Alcohol sterets
- Ophthalmoscope
- Fluorescein
- Auriscope
- Speculae; box for used ones and other grubby bits. How do you clean them? I use alcohol sterets
- Gloves and lubricating jelly
- Tape Measure
- ECG ruler
- Predicted Peak Flow Calculator
- Obstetric Calculator
- Urine bottles
- Urine Dip sticks
- Tourniquet
- Sharps box - if you can fit it in - safer for everyone
- Magnifying glass
Panic kit for the car
- Oropharyngeal airways
- Laerdal Pocketmask
Paperwork
- List of telephone numbers
- A small number of prescriptions
- Medical Certificates
- Headed Paper - practices or your own (without your home address)
- Envelopes
- Private Prescriptions - a few
- Spare male and female notes cards FP7/8
- A map of the area - better in the car than in your bag
- Dictating machine and tape - owning your own is quicker than looking for one and if you find it isn’t compatible with practice ones play the tape and record with theirs
- Post it pads
- Local pathology and x-ray forms
Oral
- An antacid
- An H2 blocker
- An NSAID
- Analgesia - Soluble paracetamol
- Another analgesic
- Antibiotic - a penicillin
- Antibiotic - not a penicillin
- Anti-histamine
- Aspirin
- Buccal prochlorperazine
- GTN spray (lasts longer than pills)
- Salbutamol inhaler
- Steroid tablets (equivalent to total of at least 100mg Prednisolone)
Parental Kit
- A butterfly for kids
- A venflon for adults
- Adrenaline
- Antiemetic injection
- Atropine
- Chlorpromazine/Haloperidol
- Diazemuls
- Diazepam (rectal "Stesolid")
- Frusemide/Bumetanide
- Glucagon
- Glucose
- Injection for Renal Colic (Pethidine 200mg or Diclofenac)
- Needles and Syringes
- Opiate: Diamorphine/Morphine/Cyclimorph equivalent of at least 20 mg Morphine
- Naloxone
- Penicillin G 1200mg
- Synto/Ergometrine
- Water and saline for injections
- Hydrocortisone