It is advisable to always have a first aid kit available at home, because small and large emergencies can always happen. You can buy a ready-made one, or you can make your own with the help of this article.
Steps
Step 1. Choose a large enough container
It must be large enough to hold everything you need, but also light, portable, and possibly waterproof (although you can use plastic bags to protect the contents).
Step 2. Separate the container into two compartments
One should contain all the main and common things, such as bandages or plasters and ointments, while the other will contain medicines needed by your family members.
Step 3. Fill with sterile or new items
Here is the necessary:
- Patches of various shapes and sizes, from regular Band-Aids to small and large squares
- Small but sharp scissors.
- A pack of gauze. If they are large, you can cut them to the required size.
- Surgical adhesive tape.
- Cotton balls, large and small.
- Disinfectant wipes to clean wounds externally (i.e. to clean unopened wounds, or to disinfect a surface).
- Antibiotic cream for cuts and scrapes.
- A thermometer.
- Tweezers and a sewing needle to remove thorns or splinters of wood.
- Latex-free gloves, to be used in case there is blood or other body fluids, or hazardous waste. At least two pairs.
- A bee sting kit.
- Insect repellent.
- Sterile gauze.
- Bandages (2.5 to 10cm).
- Triangular bandages.
- Saline solution.
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Oxygen mask
Image CPR breathing mask
- Safety pins and bandage clips.
- Disposable instant ice bags.
Step 4. Keep the container in the house in an accessible place
Let your children and the people who frequent your home know where it is.
Advice
- If in the family there are people with diabetes, celiac disease, or allergic to common things such as peanuts or lactose, or someone who has cystic fibrosis or another chronic disease, make sure that there is the necessary such as the epinephrine auto-injector or the 'insulin.
- Check everything every six months to verify that nothing is missing and that there are no expired products, and buy or replace them when necessary.
- Knowledge of resuscitation techniques and basic first aid can save a life. The Red Cross and many first aid charities can teach you this, so you know how to best use the material if needed.
- You can use a kit you purchased and add other items such as denatured alcohol and hydrogen peroxide (known as hydrogen peroxide), cotton balls, other bandages, and a thermometer.
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If you don't have the specific stuff, in an emergency you can also use:
- Sticks for making splints in case of fractures
- Fabric to stop bleeding or to make a shoulder strap
- Water to clean wounds or wash eyes.
- An antibiotic ointment that does not burn on the wound is Neosporin.
Warnings
- Don't let articles be missing or there are few! Also check that there are no expired items to be sure they are effective if you have to use them.
- Do not keep medicines in the container, as they may have a short expiration date and you risk forgetting about them. The epinephrine auto-injector, on the other hand, usually has a long shelf life.
- Make sure that the people in the house who may need to use these things are not allergic to any of the components.
- Do not use natural rubber latex (NRL) gloves. They can deteriorate over time, or worse, someone may be allergic to them.
- Wash the tweezers, scissors, and thermometer after use. Sterilize the tweezers and scissors over a flame for a few seconds for added safety.
- Keep a list of all the content so you can note what you are using and know if it needs to be replaced or replaced. Also mark any expiration dates and check from time to time.
