Beacon Chest Seal [2 Pack] - Vented Chest Seal for Open Chest Wound Care 6 Inch Round Chest Wound Seal with Patented Venting System, Trauma Wound Dressing Designed for The Field

Seems great from the outside of the package. I put it in the car to complete our med kit.

Showed up fast not a bad price for something I hope I never have to use stuck them in my first aid kit

Seems like it would work in a pinch

High quality I can trust for my med bag!

I've had first aid courses for a very long time. They were a requirement in the service, and I stayed in long enough to watch the training change with technology and experience. During the long Global War on Terror, one of the few benefits was a massive leap forward in trauma care. A set-piece of my original "Buddy First Aid" courses in my early career was the treatment of a sucking chest wound or a penetrating wound to the chest. The problem with a sucking chest wound is that it sucks fluids and foreign substances into the injured lung, as opposed to the oxygen your body needs to survive. What you want to do with such a wound is to dress it so that when the wounded person inhales, nothing is sucked into the lung, but when they exhale, the lung can push out trapped fluids through the wound. This requires an occlusive bandage that allows no air in but, at the same time, will bellow out when the victim exhales. We were taught to use either a plastic ID (not ideal) to seal the wound, or plastic cling wrap, secured on three sides with medical tape. Why three sides? The fluids and trapped air can escape from the fourth, open, side. At some point, people decided there had to be a better way. Enter the Beacon Chest Seal kit, an occlusive dressing that does as I've described. It seals when the victim breathes in, and then allows trapped crud to escape when the victim breathes out. This thing is genius. I unwrapped one of the sealed packings to show you what this looks like. I used gloves because I mean to throw the seal back into my household trauma kit. Yes, it is no longer sterile. However, I'd argue that it's not that important; the purpose of this seal is an immediate lifesaver. The wound will be badly contaminated, anyhow, and the surgical team will have to debride and run an antibiotic IV. An opened seal, carefully handled, doesn't mean much. However, I'd always recommend leaving it sealed. I opened it and checked it out for this review. To use the seal, expose the wound on all sides. If it is a sucking chest wound, you'll know it. There will be bubbles. Ideally, you'll clean the area with sterile wipes. The cleaner, the better. Peel the backing from the seal. The seal has aggressive gel adhesive. See my picture. Center the seal over the wound and press into place. Ensure both the entrance and exit wounds are treated. Summon help. The sooner, the better. This is a first-rate product. Recommend.

Because this is a medical device, I can't review it's suitability to treat any specific medical condition. I can however review the design of the outer protective package, and the design features that make it easy to use. The protective packaging is thick and should hold up for long time in a first aid or trauma kit. The most obvious helpful feature is that the tabs to open the packaging are clearly marked with black arrows, and the package can be opened from the top or the bottom. Presumably this is so that in a high-stress situation, it's easy to see the tabs and tear it open. There are instructions on the packaging, but you should really be trained in how to use this before stocking it in your first aid kit. If you're ever in a situation where this is needed, you should not be planning to read the instructions. It might be helpful if you're panicking and need a reminder, but these are simple enough that simple training should get you ready to use it. This is a two pack, but it's better to stock at least two seals per first aid kit. Chest wounds often have both an entrance and exit wound, so you want to have a minimum of two seals. Extras are great in case of extra wounds or if one seal gets damaged, but two is the minimum I would have. This is one of the two brands I keep in my first aid kits in my cars. I have not had to use one and I hope I never do, but I'm happy to have these just in case.

Firstly, in a dire situation, I feel a person will make the correct decision for themselves. That being said, please be aware of the importance of the rules around treatment of humans in emergency situations in your jurisdiction and have a plan in place before something happens, if it happens. Chest seals are typically adhesive patches that provide an air-tight seal on a puncture wound. This is to prevent a developing pneumothorax, or air entering the chest cavity not through the intended paths to the lungs, from occurring or expanding, causing additional complications that compound from the original acute trauma. This can be a critical event that has dire consequences and is easily resolved by a device like this. Simple, but well designed: Thick layer of adhesive, suitable for application even with contaminants and debris. Easy to peel backing (this is underappreciated until you really need to get it off in a stressful situation). One way airflow valve integrated into the device to allow trapped pressure release. Anyone that is in a first responder capacity, is exposed to areas of high likelihood of traumas, or otherwise just wants to be prepared for an unexpected event should and almost always do have these devices in their medbag, as their importance in the field is invaluable. No one ever wants to have to use these kinds of devices, but having them can make a lifetime of a difference if the time comes.