First Aid Friday: First Aid Kit

First Aid Friday: Today I will just cover what a basic first aid kit usually contains or should contain.

Whether the first aid kit is for your car or your home, it should contain the following items:

First Aid booklet/pamphlet--something that simply explains how to care for certain illnesses and physical dangers (like snakebites or burns).  It can be a commercially made booklet or one you put together yourself as long as the information is correct and medically sound (no putting vaseline on ticks for instance).  Not all first aid kits come with directions, but in times of stress sometimes our brains do this freezing thing and it is nice to have something written down on how to care for the patient.

Now on to the other basic supplies:  various sizes of bandages, gauze pads & band-aids.  Bandanas or something else to use as slings, scissors, tweezers (I’d encourage pointed tip ones for removal of ticks and other things), thermometer, soap & antiseptic, sunscreen, chapstick, small containers of pain reliever (and if children are in the home, children doses), Ipecac syrup, anti-diarrhea medicine, hypoallergenic adhesive tape, safety pins, vaseline, latex/non-latex gloves, moistened towelettes, anti-histamine medication.

There are other things that can be added to a first aid kit, based on individual needs, things like prescription meds, something to help with dehydration, etc.

Whether you buy a first aid kit or make one up yourself, you want to think about the types of emergencies you might face in your area or where you go and add anything else that may be specific to your area.  Learn basic first aid skills like identifying certain illnesses (like dehydration), bites & stings, rashes & other allergic reactions (like poison ivy) and how to treat them at least on a basic level until medical care is available.  Learn how to properly use the items in your first aid kit and when to use them.