12 Things That Should Be Included In Every First Aid Kit

Band-Aids

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When you think about first-aid kits, band-aids are probably one of the first things that pop into your mind and they are definitely something that you should have within one. They are essential in ensuring that any small cuts or grazes can be covered in order to stop them from being infected! You should make sure to have a whole assortment of sizes within your kit too to cover all basis'.Original content sourced from Quizzable.com

Gauze Pads

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You might end up using gauze pads alongside your band-aids depending on the situation at hand. Just like the prior section in this list, gauze pads are great for ensuring that infection is prevented whilst also absorbing any blood flow or other liquids from pouring. They have to be sterile too in order to help the wound clear itself naturally and avoid any further complications arising.

Trauma Pad

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Trauma pads are a piece of equipment that no first-aider will ever want to have to pull out their kit, but one that could be the difference in life and death depending on the situation at hand. They are vital in managing severe bleeding from traumatic injuries, they help to minimize any blood loss whilst also helping to stabilize any patients before any other help can arrive on the scene.

Adhesive Tape

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Although it might seem so important within a first-aid kit, adhesive tape is always a necessity to carry around with you. You use the tape alongside your gauze or any bandages and dressings in order to keep them in place over any wound they might be covering. Without the tape, you might risk the wound becoming infected which can only be a negative in the long run.

Antiseptic Wipes

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As you'll come to notice quickly, a lot of what you find within a first-aid kit is there in order to help prevent infection in smaller wounds than anything serious. Prior to putting any band-aids or gauze pads on to a wound, you have to make sure that the wound is disinfected. These antiseptic wipes can do that or at least reduce any risk of further complications appearing.

Antiseptic Solution

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If you're unable to get your hands on any antiseptic wipes then the next best option you have is to keep a bottle of antiseptic solution within your first-aid kit instead. It obviously works in the exact same way as the wipes except that you have to pour the solution on to a piece of cloth or other item that can be used to wipe on any wounds you need to clean.

Tweezers

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Tweezers are probably something that we all have a pair of in our home, with many of us using them for superficial reasons like sorting out our eyebrows or pulling out ingrown hairs. But they are also an important feature of a first-aid kit. They are extremely useful for removing objects from the body that shouldn't be there like splinters or ticks and also allow the skin to remain as healthy as it can.

Scissors

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You won't get very far once opening your first-aid kit if you don't have a pair of scissors within it; they're pretty much indispensable to helping all the processes tick over. Scissors will be used in order to help cut any tape or gauze roll you have as well as being able to cut through clothes to allow quick access to some of the more difficult injuries to reach. Never leave these behind.

Disposable Gloves

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Disposable gloves are another essential piece of equipment that MUST be kept within your first-aid kit! Whenever you're handling anything covered in blood or bodily fluids you should wear gloves to keep yourself safe from any danger, whilst it's also important you don't touch anyone's wound with your bare hands. This is a possible contamination risk that could lead to infection.

Cotton Balls

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Cotton balls, or even cotton swabs depending on the size of the injury, are an example of a piece of equipment that you might douse in antiseptic solution in order to apply it to a wound. They're great for this as they can absorb the liquid quickly whilst also allowing for the first-aider to efficiently and, importantly, gently clean wounds and apply medication.

Instant Cold Packs

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You're perhaps more likely to see something like an instant cold pack in a first-aid kit with regards to children or within sports activities, but that doesn't mean that they're a useful thing to add. They can allow for some immediate cold therapy to reduce swelling or pain when it comes to people that have injuries like a sprain or they've rolled an ankle. Fast relief is always useful!

CPR Face Shield

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If you're ever required to give CPR (god forbid) then you'll want to have ensured that there is a a CPR face shield within your first-aid kit. You might think it looks a little weird, but they actually help with the avoidance of transmitting infections between the person attempting to rescue the injured. It's more for the responder's safety, but if you don't have one, you MUST still administer CPR.

Thermometer

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Often, the temperature of a person, in the extreme highs or lows can be one of the first signs that shows someone may be becoming ill. Therefore, having a thermometer within a first-aid kit can help mitigate against things like flu's or fevers being transmitted across groups, especially in places like schools. They should be able to get suitable medical help after their temperature is taken if necessary too.

Non-Prescription Painkillers

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Let's be honest, we all have at least a pack or tub of non-prescription painkillers somewhere in our homes, so make sure that your first-aid kit always has some in too. We all know the supposed benefits of the little tablets, they can help provide some immediate relief to things like small aches, headaches and some minor injuries. Make sure to follow the packet instructions for use though!

Heat Packs

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Just as you might want to introduce instant cold packs for sports injuries, you might want the opposite, in the way of heat packs too. They are great for helping soothe injuries like muscle aches and cramps, as well as promoting some blood flow around the body. The fact that they are portable is great as heat therapy can often provide some instant relief against specific pains until they can get any more medical help.

Burn Ointment

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If somone burns themselves it can be some of the most excruciatingly painful things that they can go through; even if the burn is minor it can cause someone to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Using burn ointment can help soothe and cool the burn whilst hopefully assisting the swelling going down. Burn victims should always be checked by a doctor as well though, just to make sure!

Eye Wash Solution

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I'm sure that all of us would like to protect our sights at all costs, and we also all know that foreign objects or anything getting in to our eyes is very uncomfortable. Eye wash solution is quite awkward to get in to your eyes but it can prevent any damage occurring to your eyes by rinsing them out. I would also recommend that if the symptoms don't disappear quickly after use you get some more urgent medical help.

Elastic Bandage

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Elastic bandages are another piece of equipment that you might associate with sports stars, particularly fighters in promotions like the UFC. They can help providing support to small injuries like sprains and strains by stabilizing them and stopping (or slowing) the possibility of swelling. Many fighters and athletes will wear these throughout training and their actual events for some additional support.

First Aid Manuals

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This one might seem a little bizarre, especially as you'd hope that the first-aider wouldn't need the use of manuals to assist them with their medical care of an injured person. However, there may come a time when something uncommon occurs OR someone unqualified has to try and administer care. Keeping first aid manuals within the kit is always the safe option here.

Deep Relief

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This is another item of the first-aid kit that can be beneficial to athletes, especially those taking part in contact sports like soccer and football. The spray itself goes straight on to the affected area with the hopes that it can offer some instant pain relief to impact injuries as well as sore muscles or joint pains. Just a heads up though, it does feel a little weird as your body part numbs!

Antihistamines

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For those of you who unfortunately suffer from allergies, either regularly or seasonally, you'll understand why it's so important to have these little guys as part of your first-aid kit. They can quicky help alleviate against allergic reactions and discomfort brought on by the reactions themselves. Don't forget these people when you're building your kit, they're more common than you might think.

Hydrocortisone Cream

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Another way to tackle allergic reactions in people around you, is to use this hydrocortisone cream; which offers similar abilities to the antihistamine tablets. Instead of swallowing, this time you will rub the cream on the areas of the body that are feeling itchy or coming up in rashes. Hopefully, the cream will then be able to offer some instant relief to the sufferer.

Resealable Plastic Bags

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This is another piece of equipment that you might look at and question initially, but they are extremely useful. This is because certain pieces of equipment need to be isolated once they've been contaminated as a safety precaution. Not only that, but you can also use them to store other pieces of equipment within the kit to make sure that they aren't moving around inside.

Space Blanket

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If you didn't already know what these handy blankets were, then you should definitely get to know them and then purchase one for your first-aid kit! Space blankets, or survival blankets can be crucial in ensuring that someone keeps their heat; they are used as a way to provide an injured person from the cold, shock or any form of exposure that might be harming them.

Safety Pins

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Safety Pins can be used in a similar way to the adhesive tape I mentioned earlier, as they are great for ensuring that bandages remain secure around an injury as well as securing clothing to make sure the injured person remains comfortable. They might not offer a huge medical benefit, but they can offer a different way to go about things and enable some effective help.

Triangle Bandage

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You might not have known that these were called triangle bandages, but you have definitely seen them in use somewhere at some point in your life. These are the types of bandages that are typically used to create slings in order to help immobilize limbs that are suffering from an injury. They support fractures or dislocations in order to avoid any further injury risks.

Sterile Eye Pad

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It's extremely important that the eye pads kept within your first-aid kit are sterile as if not it might end up causing more harm than good! Eye pads, as you might expect, are used in order to shield someone's eye from any light or debris as a way to allow an eye injuries to heal or at least mitigate against any additional problems until the injured person can receive some proper medical help.

Gel Blister Band-Aids

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It's quite obvious really isn't it? As to why blister plasters should be part of your first-aid kit? Most of the ones available in stores offer some actual relief as they contain hydrocortisone within the gel. This is supposed to help restore the skin to the area that has blistered. What's the harm in adding these to your kit? We all know how frustrating it is to try and get about with blisters on our feet!

Sweet Treats

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This might confuse you a little bit when you first think about it, but keeping some sweets in your first-aid kit might be useful, especially if your working or looking after hypoglycaemics. Anything that contains glucose can be useful as it will assist the person from fainting, feeling dizzy or getting confused in case they end up suffering from a diabetic emergency. Just don't eat them yourself!

Water

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Okay, maybe you won't actually be carrying the water bottles inside the actual first-aid kit, but it wouldn't do you or anyone involved any harm to make sure that some water was being carried alongside the kit. We all know how important it is to keep hydrated these days, and just a bottle of water might be the difference in avoiding a medical emergency of sorts or not.