Medstim
From Reach
A medstim kit is a common name for a specific type of first aid kit from the colony ship. It was stocked in large quantities before launch, so they are still relatively common despite the fact that they cannot be manufactured.
A medstim kit contains a number of useful first aid tools:
- 22 feet of gauze
- 1 splint kit
- 1 small bottle concentrated antibiotics
- 1 can burn spray
- 2 cans fake skin (spray on band aid + antibiotic)
- 1 medstim needle
The medstim needle is the reason for the name of the med kit and also the reason that they are traded like a commodity. The medstim needle is designed to keep a hurt colonist running until more serious medical attention can be called. A high dose of adrenaline combined with a blood clotter make the user of the medstim feel invicible. This leads to abuse, as some use the medstim needle like a drug, craving the high it provides.
Due to the popularity of the needle, medstim kits are often purchased solely for the medstim drug, and the rest is thrown away.
Other things of note in the kit include the fake skin and the antibiotics kit. The fake skin is a spray on patch that will cover a wound and form a seal to prevent further infection. In addition, it contains a low power antibiotic to kill any any parasites or bacterium that may be in the wound. The antibiotics kit, however, is usually avoided. Due to the danger of creating antibiotic resistant alien bacterium, the concetrated antibiotics are incredibly powerful: They will kill most bacteria in the body, including the non-hostile ones, to make sure that no alien strains remain. As such, they are nicknamed "Pukers" because the user will often vomit/suffer diarhea as the bacterium of the stomach and intestine are killed. After taking a "Puker" the user must generally remain in isolation for a period of several days while the body recovers and rebuilds its immune system.
