First Aid

Requirement of first-aid kit

First-aid kit is very useful. Every home should have a first-aid kit which may provide initial treatment for any emergency. That is why a well-stocked first-aid kit is the basic requirement of every household. The first-aid kit should be kept at a convenient place so that everyone can reach it very easily. One should keep a first-aid kit at home as well as in the car. Whenever you plan to go on holidays, always keep a first-aid kit with you.

What should a first-kit contain?

You should select a container to store your first-aid items which is roomy, durable, easy to carry, and simple to open. Plastic boxes or containers are very suitable for storing first-aid kit. You should always keep one first-aid kit in every car you own. Do not forget to carry a first-aid kit whenever you go on vacations.

Listed below are basic items of a first-aid kit. You can find most of these items at local pharmacy or supermarket.

Bandages and dressings:

• Assorted sizes and shapes of Band-Aids
• Keep band-aids of various sizes and shapes.
• Keep sterilized pads and adhesive tapes.
• Keep some ACE bandage for wrapping wrist, ankle, knee, and elbow injuries
• Keep some triangular bandage for wrapping injuries and making an arm sling
• Keep few aluminum finger splints.
• Keep some eye shield, pads, and bandages.

Home health equipment:

• Keep a thermometer.
• Keep one each of syringe, medicine cup, or medicine spoon for giving specific doses of medicine
• Keep disposable, instant ice bags.
• Keep a tweezers, to remove ticks and small splinters
• Keep a sharp scissors.
• Keep sterile cotton balls.
• Keep sterile cotton-tipped swabs.
• Keep blue “baby bulb” or “turkey baster” suction device.
• Keep a Save-A-Tooth storage device in case a tooth is broken or knocked out; contains a travel case and salt solution.
• Keep some safety pins.
• Keep a First-aid manual.

Medicine for cuts and injuries:

• Keep some antiseptic solution, such as hydrogen peroxide or wipes.
• Keep some kind of antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin, polysporin, or mupirocin.
• Keep sterile eyewash, such as contact lens saline solution.
• Keep calamine lotion for stings or poison ivy.
• Keep hydrocortisone cream, ointment, or lotion for itching.
• Keep ibuprofen for pain.
• Keep extra prescription medications.
• Keep anti-diarrhea medication.
• Keep antacid (for upset stomach).
• Keep laxative.

Some Miscellaneous items of first-aid kit:

• Keep some plastic gloves.
• Keep a flashlight.
• Keep some extra batteries.
• Keep a mouthpiece for administering CPR.
• Keep a list of emergency phone numbers.
• Keep a blanket.
• Keep dried food.
• Keep canned goods.
• Keep can opener.
• Keep prescription glasses.
• Keep eye wash solution.
• Keep bottled water.

You should do a routine check-up of your kit at regular intervals. If required you should replace the items which are exhausted or expired.