Dyna Med Modular Bag (Video Review)

[Chief1C]

Just have your supplier send along the large, bar coded expiration stickers that usually come in a box of supplies. I use them on bottles of stuff, or bag packages. (on the ambo). I don't carry anything liquid personally, it would freeze. And there is nothing worse than having all yer shit ruined by a ruptured bottle of NaCl..which will in fact freeze. You wouldn't think salt water would, but...

[MikeEMT]

Mike, I think you and many others would benefit from reading this article. Just because it's past its expiration date doesn't mean it's not good.

ETA: There are also programs out there that will take expired medications and send them to charitable medical organizations for use in third world countries. Again, just because it's expired doesn't mean it's not good.

I have heard that before. When it comes to medication I can't take justify "expired" meds. Maybe its the terminology, maybe its my fear that once I introduce it into my system or a family members system I can't take it back.

Will anything bad happen, I don't know. Am I willing to risk it, no I'm not. Most expiration dates are long enough that it is a non issue, though I don't take anything prescription.

When it comes to life saving drugs, specifically epinepherine, I won't risk it either. Epi may not become toxic on a specific day. If a person is in anaphalaxys I don't want to give them something that may not be at full strength. I have already given an epi pen to a patient and seen how quickly he deteriorated before the pen.

I agree fully with you and the article, I just can't do it though.

[island emt]

Since you bring up EPI: studies have shown that it remains viable and safe for up to several years past it's labeled expiration date unless exposed to extreme heat conditions. The study was done by the US army research group at Ft Sam Houston ,If I remember correctly. It was about ten years ago.

[Arctickat]

Do meds actually become toxic as they age? My understanding is that one of two things happen, they either become less potent or, since no sterilisation process is 100%, the bacteria in the solution increases to a state whereby the drug is no longer sterile...and at that point you can see a visible discolouration.

[Richard B the EMT]

The last "expired" meds I handled were at my final FDNY training session. Although we injected into training dummies, it was live Autoinjectors from expired 2-Pam from the "Disaster Kits".