First Aid Kit Essentials
As we all know, accidents and injuries can happen anytime and anywhere, including within the home. Having a first aid kit at home is useful for handling minor accidents and injuries and can help you manage until medical help arrives if needed.
It’s important to keep your first aid kit well-stocked, within date and in a cool, dry place. It can also be useful to keep a basic first aid manual or instruction booklet with your first aid kit.
The NHS website gives advice about what to keep in your first aid kit and you can visit the website here - What Should I Keep in My First Aid Kit
Below, we have listed a bit more detail about some of those items.
1. Adhesive Dressings / Plasters - for covering small cuts and abrasions. Include a variety of sizes, and consider having specialised dressings such as those for butterfly closures and closing deeper cuts.
2. Sterile Gauze Pads - useful for cleaning and dressing larger wounds; they can absorb blood and help control bleeding. Individually wrapped sterile gauze pads are best to maintain cleanliness.
3. Medical tape – for securing dressings in place.
4. Antiseptic Solution or Wipes - for cleaning wounds and preventing infection. Include a bottle of antiseptic solution or individually wrapped antiseptic wipes.
5. Tweezers, Scissors and Safety Pins – tweezers are always handy for removing splinters, foreign objects, or insect stingers from the skin; tweezers with a fine tip are best to get hold of small objects. Blunt-ended scissors are useful for cutting tape, clothing, or trimming bandages, and safety pins can be used to secure bandages.
6. Disposable Gloves - essential for protecting yourself and the injured person from cross-contamination and reducing the risk of infection. Having a few pairs of gloves in your kit is useful, and opting for latex-free reduces the risk of allergic reactions.
7. Pain Relief - such as paracetamol / infant paracetamol, aspirin (not to be given to children under 16), or ibuprofen for managing minor aches, pains, and fever.
8. Antihistamine cream or tablets - used to relieve symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives, conjunctivitis and reactions to insect bites or stings.
9. Eye Wash & Eye Bath – for cleaning in the event of an eye injury or particles getting in the eye.
10. Creams - skin rash cream, such as hydrocortisone or calendula, cream or spray to relieve insect bites and stings and general antiseptic cream are all useful to include.
11. Digital thermometer - to check body temperature and monitor for signs of fever.
12. Instant Cold Packs - can help reduce swelling and relieve pain of bumps and bruises.
13. Personalised Items - Consider adding items specific to your family's needs, such as allergy medications, an EpiPen or asthma inhalers. You could also consider having a small supply of any vital prescription medication for family members with chronic conditions.
14. First Aid Manual and Emergency Contact Information – an easy to follow basic first aid guide, providing instructions for common injuries and emergencies, will be useful for people not familiar with providing first aid. Emergency contact information, such as local emergency services and personal doctors, could save time and worry.
By having these supplies readily available, it gives you chance to respond quicker and more efficiently to minor injuries in your home, however it may also be a good idea to consult with the first aid manual to get basic information on what to do with the supplies.
