Contents of a Basic First Aid Kit
During an emergency, one of the first things that people look for is a basic first aid kit. In times of emergency and disaster situations, a survival kit is essential to ensure that people have all they need to stay alive. The kit should contain medical supplies, ready-to-eat meal, water, and other survival gears and equipment. The medical kit will have things that can address wounds, injuries, illness, burns, stings and bites. It should be placed in an area that can be easily reached but not reachable enough for small kids. In this article are the vital parts a first aid kit should have.
The first aid kit should have adhesive bandages. These shall cover wounds or cuts so that they will not get infected after they are treated. You should remember to have different sizes of bandages as well.
An antiseptic cream is important in a first aid kit. This will help clean wounds and cuts. It will also help avoid infections.
Cold compresses are vital as they would help minimize pain, numbing and swelling. There are cold packs that can be bought and stored in the kit. These do not need freezing.
It is important for a first aid kit to have a gauze tape and bandages. They are useful in dressing scrapes and big cuts. In dressing such wounds, one should clean them first before wrapping gauze around it. Afterwards, this should be secured using an adhesive medical tape. It is also necessary to have scissors in the medical kit so as to cut the tape and bandage. One can also have a survival knife as this can also be used for cutting.
A first aid kit would not be complete without medications. These include medicines that can be bought over-the-counter such as antihistamine, paracetamol, pain relievers and aspirin. Sometimes people tend to have allergic reactions therefore antihistamine is important.
Non-latex gloves should also be included in a first aid kit. When treating injuries, it is important that the hands are clean so as not to infect the wounds and contaminate the affected area.
The first aid kit should also have a digital thermometer. This will show how high one’s temperature is. Having a high fever can be fatal thus a temperature is essential to ensure one’s survival.
Sometimes wounds and abrasions happen where splinters get inside. This can be very uncomfortable and painful. Tweezers will help take off such splinters. They will also help remove gravel or other such objects from an abrasion.
A first aid instructional manual is also important so that people would know how to conduct first aid in different incidents. This can avoid grave medical complications from happening and will minimize the chance of scarring.
It is also important to have a list of emergency contact numbers in a first aid kit. This should include numbers of a doctor, hospital, poison control department or any other emergency contact information. With a list, one would be able to immediately reach the right medical people.
A first aid kit with these contents will help ensure a patient’s survival.
by Jeff Jones
