Written by: Dr. James Kelley
As an emergency physician, I am a bit of a critic on the idea of a store bought first aid kit. I have reviewed a number of these kits and can honestly say that in most cases more money went into the design of the case than the contents of the kit. In most cases, too, the contents represent a pathetic attempt at emergency preparedness. However, with a little thought and planning you can design a first aid kit that is both generally effective and meets the specific needs of your family and friends.
The contents of any kit should consider a few factors: General preparedness, situations you might encounter and the specific needs of your family or friends. A kit should allow for general preparedness, reflect your lifestyle and the situations in which you are most likely to use its contents. Case and point: If you are an asthmatic or have an asthmatic in the family you should probably be prepared for an asthma attack. If you have a family member or friend with severe allergies then you should anticipate that such a problem could surface at some point during your time together. Additionally, your kit should provide for some level of general preparedness with certain indispensable staple items such as tape, scissors, and gauze. I have assembled a list of both general and specific items to include and have indicated the rationale for each below.
First Aid Kit
General Preparedness
•Bandages - 4×4 inch Gauze pads and 2×2 inch gauze pads. (Control of bleeding requires direct pressure and lots of gauze )
•Gloves - non latex variety. (For your safety, a barrier to blood and body fluids)
•Adhesive Cloth Tape - 1 inch wide. (The universal bandaid. Can hold wound edges together like stitches and hold gauze in place)
•Scissors - (a pair of trauma shears can cut through clothing, shoes, etc. easily)
•Emergency Thermal Blanket - (Nice to have when environmental conditions are poor or the patient is wet.)
•Large Zip Lock Bags - (Can act as an ice pack and serve to contain the contents of the first aid kit.)
•Small Flashlight - (Adequate lighting is always a must)
Specific situations
•Allergy (The mainstays of therapy are antihistamines like Benadryl, and epinephrine if the reaction is severe)
o Benadryl Capsules (25 mg ) or chewable Benadryl for kids (12.5 mg)
o Epinephrine pen or “Epi-pen” (Particularly important if you are likely to encounter an individual with or prone to a severe allergic reation. Shelf life is roughly one year.)
•Asthma - Albuterol Inhaler ( a rescue inhaler and a spacer in preparation for unanticipated asthma flair. Observe expiration date on the product)
•Nosebleed - a large clothes pin or a swimmer’s nose clip can be helpful in providing several minutes of direct pressure to help quell bleeding.
•Splinters or foreign objects in skin - Tweezers (Pick a set that allows you to manipulate and grasp small objects)
•Pain - Tylenol or Ibuprofen tablets
•Wound irrigation or foreign material in the eye - Sterile saline- a small container of sterile saline (observe expiration date) can serve both to irrigate a wound and flush an affected eye.
•Hypoglycemia - Energy gels (e.g. GU, pronounced “goo”) a prepackaged sugary gel often used by distance runners and sold at sporting goods and running stores. These have a lengthy shelf life and may provide quick relief from symptomatic hypoglycemia in a patient with Diabetes Mellitus.
Hopefully this list helps you to create an effective and custom first aid kit.