You never know when a first aid kit might come in handy. You might need one for something as simple as a scrape or cut. But you’ll rely on one for a more severe injury to hold you over until you can get medical care, which is why the contents of your first aid kit matter.
Today’s blog talks about first aid kits–what they are and what items you should always have in yours. There are at least 25 items you need in your first aid kit.
What Is A First Aid Kit?
A first aid kit is a box full of first-aid supplies that you can use to treat anything from a paper cut to a serious wound. In most cases, your kit should contain everything you need to treat your injury effectively and move on with your day.
But sometimes, you’ll use your supplies to keep your injury under control until you can access medical treatment. In either situation, having a first aid kit on hand can make a big difference.
Where Should I Keep My First Aid Kit?
Ideally, you’ll want to keep first aid kits in several places, including your home, car, office, and wherever you spend time. You never know when or where you’ll need first aid supplies, whether for yourself or someone else.
Maintaining Your First Aid Kit
Hopefully, you won’t have to use your first aid kit very often, but be sure to replace what you use when you do. It’s also a good idea to check the expiration dates on everything inside your kit to ensure that everything will be effective when it’s needed.
Expired medications might still work to an extent, but they’ll lose some of their potency after expiring. Other drugs will stop working altogether.
What You Need In Your Kit
Emergency Contacts
We recommend including emergency contacts with their names and phone numbers for first aid kits kept in your home, car, and office. That way, an important contact who knows you well can be reached on your behalf.
Medications
It’s important to keep medications in your first aid kit. You should include little bottles of over-the-counter drugs and any prescription medications. We recommend putting at least one week’s worth of pills of each prescription medication in a plastic bag and labeling it with the medication name, dosage, and patient for whom it’s prescribed.
Include the following in your first aid kit:
- Ibuprofen
- Acetaminophen
- Antihistamines
- Throat lozenges
- Cold medication
- Bismuth tablets
- Laxatives
- Loperamide
Supplies
The American Red Cross recommends the following supplies for your first aid kit. The recommended quantities are for a family of four, so you can adjust your amount based on how big or small your family is.
- Two absorbent compress dressings (5×9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- One adhesive cloth tape
- Five antibiotic ointment packets or one small tube of antibiotic ointment
- Five antiseptic wipe packets
- Two packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- One emergency blanket
- One breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- One instant cold compress
- Instant heat and cold packs
- Two pairs of large, nonlatex gloves
- Two hydrocortisone ointment packets
- 1 3 in. gauze roll bandage
- One roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- Five sterile gauze pads (4×4 inches)
- Oral thermometer
- Two triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- Emergency First Aid guide
- Water and non-perishable foods
- A handheld radio
- Flashlight
- Phone charger
Instant Heat or Cold Packs
Instant heat or cold packs are essential if you hit your head or trip and fall. Having instant packs in your first aid kit will bypass needing the microwave or freezer to activate the heat or cold if the power is out.
Handheld Radio
You could easily lose a cell phone signal or run out of battery while there’s no power. That’s why having handheld radios are a great idea. You can purchase radios that run on batteries, so they won’t require power to operate.
Purchase a radio for each member of your family so you can remain in contact with them if you’re separated. This can provide peace and comfort even if you’re just in different rooms.
Breathing Barrier
A breathing barrier will come in handy if you need to perform CPR, especially on someone you don’t know. While mouth-to-mouth might be necessary to save someone’s life, coming in direct contact with their mouth could get you sick.
Breathing barriers go in between your mouth and the mouth of the person you’re administering CPR to. They prevent infections like HIV and hepatitis from spreading. Breathing barriers are important since these viruses are spread through blood and bodily fluids, and some people don’t even know they’re carrying these viruses.
Now, you won’t need a barrier for your two-year-old daughter. But if you’re performing CPR on a co-worker until help arrives, you’ll definitely want to use one.
Emergency Blanket
You might be thinking of the flannel blanket on your bed and wondering how that will fit in your first aid kit. But an emergency blanket is different. An emergency blanket looks like a large, thin sheet of aluminum foil.
These blankets are made with material from NASA technology designed to regulate your body temperature, which can be essential if the heat goes out for a long time, during a natural disaster, or for some injuries.
Black Diamond Restoration
Dealing with an emergency is never any fun. But by planning ahead with a first aid kit and calling for restoration help right away, you can get on top of your emergency and get back to your routine.
Having a first aid kit ready to go will give you peace of mind if there’s an emergency. If your home has been affected by a crisis, such as a flood, fire, or mold, we can help. Black Diamond Restoration has years of experience helping individuals just like you.
Get started today! You can call us at 801.512.4194 or contact us through our website. Black Diamond Restoration is here for you!
