What first-aid items should always be at home?

Alcohol

band-aids

cotton swabs

hydrogen peroxide

pain relievers

Betadine®

A First aid kit is a must for every house and every vehicle.

Here is the list of the general first aid kit items-

The contents of a first aid kit should be optimized for local conditions. For example, a kit for hikers in snake country should have a snakebite kit. A kit aboard a boat should have medications for seasickness.

One list of items for a first aid kit are as follows:

Dressings (Sterile, applied directly to wound)

Adhesive bandages are one of the most commonly used items in a first aid kit

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Adhesive bandages are one of the most commonly used items in a first aid kit

* Dressing pads:

o Sterile eye pads

o Sterile gauze pads

o Sterile nonadherent pads

o Burn dressing (sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel)

* Occlussive dressing (airtight dressing, can be used to treat a 'sucking chest wound', in which air is sucked into the chest cavity, collapsing the lung(pneumothorax). For this use, occlussive dressings should be taped on 3 sides only, to create a 'one-way valve')

o petroleum gauze (also used as non-adherent dressing)

o Half of any gauze wrapper can be used, since the inside is sterile and air-tight

Bandages (sterility is not necessary, used to secure a dressing)

*

o Gauze Roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic

o Elastic bandages- used for sprains, and pressure bandages

o Adhesive, elastic roller bandages -Very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging

o Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses

Sometimes dressings and bandages are combined, in which case it must be sterile.

* Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters)

o straight adhesive bandages

o Butterfly (knuckle)bandages

Disposable gloves should be provided in a first aid kit

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Disposable gloves should be provided in a first aid kit

Instruments

* Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic

* Scissors:

o "Trauma Shears", for cutting clothing and general use

* Tweezers

* Bulb syringe

* Irrigation syringe, for cleaning wounds

* rubber suction bulb, for clearing the airway of an unconscious patient

Equipment

A flashlight is a useful addition to a first aid kit, especially one placed in a vehicle

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A flashlight is a useful addition to a first aid kit, especially one placed in a vehicle

* Splint(s)

o SAM Splint - Versatile splint made of malleable aluminum covered with foam

o Air splints - Easy to apply, can also help control bleeding, but bulkier and more expensive

o Wire ladder splint

* Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)

o Gloves, disposable non-latex

o Apron, disposable

o CPR face shield or other breathing barrier

* Batteries for radio and flashlight

* Eye cup or small plastic cup

* Flashlight

* Instant-acting chemical cold packs

* Paper cups

* Radio, battery powered

* Space blanket (lightweight plastic foil blanket)

* Sterile eye wash (commonly saline)

o Sterile saline may also be used for cleaning wounds where clean tap water is not available.

* Swabs, sterile non-woven

* Thermometer

* Penlight

Medication (single use packets of medications, ointments, and antiseptics will prolong shelf life, decrease contamination risk, reduce risk of leakage(usually), and save space(for small quantities). If large amounts of a medication are needed, a multi-use container can be used in addition, but keep single-use packets as a backup. For general household use(not in first aid kits), single use packets can be wasteful and bad for the environment

* Antiseptics/antimicrobial

o Povidone iodine wipes - very effective and painless, but messy. Can also be used to purify water

o Benzalkonium Chloride - painless, effective, often includes anesthetic (Bactine brand)

o Alcohol pads - not for use on deep cuts, causes tissue damage and delays healing.

o Antibiotic ointment - single, double, or triple antibiotic ointment in petroleum jelly base(i.e. Neosporin, Polysporin)

* Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment or spray

* Calamine/antihistamine lotion

* Painkillers, fever reducers(Since moderate fevers are beneficial, avoid unless necessary)

o Acetaminophen/Paracetamol

o Ibuprofin - anti-inflammatory, often more effective that acetaminophen

o naproxin - similar to ibuprofin, but stronger and longer lasting

o Aspirin - one 300mg Aspirin tablet may be given to a patient suffering a heart attack, to be chewed slowly.

* Poison treatments

o Activated charcoal - to be used when directed by poison control.

o Syrup of ipecac - to be used when directed by poison control.

Note that regulations some jurisdictions prohibit the provision of "medication" in a workplace first aid kit. As well, many first-aid organizations explicitly prohibit the use of medication by a non-medical professional, as their can be serious legal reprocussions. (See Good Samaritan Law).

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Improvisation

First aid can be performed without a first aid kit. Any cloth (preferably as clean as possible) can be used as a bandage. Duct tape could also be used to secure a dressing. Common household items such as a magazine or even sticks can be used for splints. Direct pressure to stop bleeding can be applied with a hand if nothing else presents itself. Obviously it is better to have proper equipment, but improvised equipment has saved many lives.