What Should Be Inside a First Aid Kit

A complete first aid kit that’s kept within convenient reach is a requirement in all homes. Getting the supplies together in advance will help one deal with an emergency at instant notice. One must keep at least one first aid kit inside the house and one in every car. It is also important to ensure that a first aid kit is brought during family vacations.

Select a container for the kit that’s durable, roomy, handy, and easy to open. Containers for art supplies and plastic tackle boxes are ideal, because they are lightweight, provide lots of room, and have handles. So what should be included in first aid kits? Here are some of the useful items that every first aid kit must have

The Basic Supplies

The most common supplies that a first aid kit must contain include adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, aluminum “finger splints”, towelettes or antiseptic solution, bandages, instant “cold packs”, cotton-tipped swabs and cotton balls, synthetic gloves or disposable gloves, roller gauze, and gauze pads.

It must also contain eye goggles, lubricant or petroleum jelly, plastic bags for disposing of contaminated materials, safety pins, scissors, needle and tweezers, Save-A-Tooth storage item with salt solution and travel case, hand sanitizer or soap, thermometer, sterile eyewash, triangular bandage, and turkey baster or other types of bulb suction tool to flush out wounds.

Medications

The first aid kit must have necessary medications including activated charcoal, over-the-counter “oral” antihistamine, anti-diarrhea medicine, calamine lotion, personal medications, and over-the-counter “hydrocortisone” cream, syringe, medicine spoon or cup, and your prescription drugs for treating allergy attacks.

Emergency items

Besides the basic supplies that a first aid kit requires, are emergency items that include a cell phone and charger that uses your car’s accessory plug, emergency telephone numbers, a small and waterproof flashlight with extra batteries, matches and candles, “Mylar” emergency blanket, and sunscreen.

A kit checkup

It is important to regularly give your first aid kit a checkup, which can be at least once every three months. Be sure to check flashlight batteries, and see if they still work or need replacing. Check supplies that might have expired.

Additionally, take a “first-aid course” in order to equip yourself with helpful knowledge just in case medical emergencies arise. Ensure that the course will cover CPR and how an automated external defibrillator or AED is used. Renew the CPR certification after two years if possible.

First aid is among the most useful and essential life-saving knowledge that one can have. Likewise, a complete first aid kit will be very helpful for medical emergencies, so be sure to have one at home, in the car, and when traveling.