Checking your First Aid Kit Contents

Accidents and emergencies can happen anywhere and anytime. You may not know it, but they can occur more frequently than you expect. Accidents may arise from burns, choking, falls, fire or poisoning.

That is why it is important to have your first aid kit ready and available to prepare you in case of emergency situations. It is also important for your first aid kit to be well and properly stocked so that you can be able to respond more quickly to accidents that may arise.

However, you may ask what makes up your first aid kit contents. Keep in mind that first aid kit contents are useless if you do not know how to use them, much less if you are not familiar with them. Make sure that you have a checklist of your first aid kit contents in order to administer first aid treatment properly.

Three are three important categories that should be present in your first aid kit contents namely antiseptics, instruments, and medicines. Antiseptics are used to cleanse and disinfect wounds and are ideal for cuts, insect bites, and scrapes. Examples of antiseptics are alcohol solution, antibacterial ointments, and hydrogen peroxide.

Meanwhile, there are different over-the-counter medicines for various conditions. For instance, analgesics can help provide pain relief, while antihistamines can relieve skin discomfort as well. Decongestants can clear clogged or running noses to boot.

On the other hand, examples of instruments that should be present in your first aid kit contents include good, quality bandages in adhesive, elastic, and triangular variants which come in different sizes to dress different types of wounds; gauze pads, adhesive tape, tweezers to remove splinters, non-latex or disposable latex gloves, soft-tipped scissors, breathing barrier when performing CPR, thermometer, eye patches, instant cold packs or ice bags, oral medicine syringe among others.

Moreover, make sure to update your first aid kit contents once a year to ensure that it is well stocked, the instruments are in good condition, and that medicines do not fall beyond the expiry date. Regularly note the items that you use so you can easily replace them as well as to keep items from running out.

In addition, store your first aid kit contents in a clean, dry plastic container or tote bag and put them in a safe yet accessible place, in which you and the others can easily locate them should they be needed.