A Well Stocked First Aid Kit: What Absolutely Every Home Should Have

Keeping your family safe and healthy is perhaps one of the most important things that you can do for your family. No matter whether or not you have children running in and out of your house, or it is just you and your spouse, being able to handle the small first aid emergencies that arise is a necessity. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to have a well stocked first aid kit, and one that is easily accessible. Here is a brief description of the various items that every home first aid kit should have.

The first thing to consider when creating your home first aid kit is to make sure it's in a convenient place. In an emergency, the last thing that you need is to be looking frantically for those little store-brought boxes of bandages in your medicine or kitchen cabinet. Therefore, it's a good idea to have your first aid kit in plain site, such as hanging on the wall in your bathroom. Also, make sure that it's clearly marked; there might be a time when someone else will need to get the first aid materials on your behalf.

One of the most important things that should be in any first aid kit is antiseptic or other ways to clean a wound. Many times these can exist as moistened wipes, or even a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. The important part is that the wounds can be cleaned effectively before bandaging.

Perhaps one of the most common things found in any first aid kit for your home is the self adhesive bandages. They're sold under a number of different brand names, and are made from a few different types of materials. There are a few characteristics that you should look for, however. The first is to make sure that each bandage is individually wrapped in sterile packaging. Next, make sure that the portion of the self adhesive that is applied to the wound is absorbent, and yet non-stick. There is nothing worse that peeling the scab off a cut because it has stuck to the bandage. And third, make sure there is a wide variety of sizes and shapes to better suit your needs at the time.

There will be times, however, when a simple self adhesive bandage will not do. It could be that the cut is too large, too deep, or perhaps in an area that an adhesive bandage simple can't deal with. If this is the case, then you need to use larger gauze pads, rolled gauze and medical tape. Because of this, it is a good idea to have at least one roll of gauze, one roll of medical tape, and at least five individually wrapped gauze pads.

Unfortunately, injuries that can happen around the home don't always include just cuts and scrapes. Strains, sprains or twists are also common occurrences, especially when working around the home. Because of this, it's a very good idea to keep a cold compress and an ace bandage in your home first aid kit. Both are easily found in your neighborhood pharmacy, and there are a number of chemically based cold compresses that are not activated until the chemicals are mixed together. Because of this, you don't have to worry about the compress making the other materials too cold to work correctly.

Another common injury that occurs around the home is a burn. While serious burns, such as third degree burns or ones with serious complications such as shock or other injuries should be treated at a hospital, simple sunburns or first degree burns can be treated temporarily with the help of cool water and your first aid kit. Initially you want to treat the burn with cool water, but the sting of the burn can be alleviated with such things as a cooling aloe gel. Also, if aloe gel causes irritation to you and your family, there are a number of over the counter burn creams and ointments that can both cool the burn and offer minor pain relief.

Another class of materials that should be found in any first aid kit for your home is medication. While no prescription medicines should be kept in the first aid kit because of the chance of accidental misuse, over the counter fever reducers such as aspirin, or Tylenol ™. It should be noted, however, that aspirin should not be given to children because of Rhy's Syndrome, which can be deadly to young children.

Of course, besides the bandages, antiseptic pads, cold compresses, and pain relief creams, every first aid kit should have the tools necessary for a person to perform first aid. These include such things as a pair of latex or nitrile gloves, a pair of tweezers, and a surgical dust mask. While these items don't seem to belong in a place of equipment and materials to help people, but it should be remembered that these things offer protection for both you and the victim. In today's world of blood borne diseases, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

One of the most important parts of a first aid kit however is the inventory list. By keeping an inventory list of what should be in the kit, you can quickly and easily restock with exactly what you need. Of course, it is essential that the first aid kit is checked on a routine basis, and expired or damaged materials should be disposed of and replaced.

Having a first aid kit is perhaps one of the most useful, and important items that you can have in your home. No matter whether or not you have a bustling family, or if you're flying solo in your apartment, having a well stocked first aid kit can be a godsend in times of emergency.