A first aid kit is a piece of equipment that must be available anytime and anywhere. This box contains various types of items needed for initial treatment in the event of an injury or illness. So, what are the items that must be in the first aid kit?
First aid aims to provide emergency care and life support to people who are injured or injured and prevent further complications. Therefore, a first aid kit (first aid in an accident) is very necessary, whether at home, at work, or in private vehicles.
The contents of the first aid kit can be adjusted according to the storage location and designation. However, the types of equipment that need to be prepared are generally not much different.
Fill in the first aid kit at home
Home first aid kits are usually used to treat minor injuries or injuries, such as cuts, scrapes, insect stings, sprains, and minor burns. The following are a few items that should be in a first aid kit at home:
- Bandage
- Gauze roll and sterile
- Pin
- latex gloves
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Povidone-iodine solution for wound disinfection
- Alcohol-free cleaning wipes
- Liquids to clean foreign objects in the wound, such as saline solution or sterile water
- Antiseptic cream or ointment
- Burn ointment
- Wound plaster
- Reducing itching due to insect bites or allergies
- Painkillers, such as paracetamol. This medicine can also be used as a fever reliever
- Cold and cough medicine
- Eye drops
- Emergency medicine if a family member suffers from a certain disease, for example inhaler for asthmatics
- Thermometer
Fill in the first aid kit while traveling
Not only at home, a first aid kit also needs to be available when you travel, either alone or with your family. Moreover, if the intended location is far enough or has a fairly heavy terrain, such as a mountain. The following are the first aid kits that need to be prepared:
- sterile gauze
- Antiseptic liquid or gel
- latex gloves
- Pin
- Thermometer
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Wound plaster
- Personal medicines that are being consumed according to the illness
- Medicine for ulcers, diarrhea, and allergies
- Cough and flu medicine
- Pain medication, such as paracetamol
- Aloe vera cream or gel, if the skin is sunburned
- Match
- small flashlight
- Small folding knife
- Notes contain important phone numbers
- Reusable clear plastic bag (plastic clip)
- Pocket mask for CPR (artificial respiration)
If you and your partner have a baby, you also need to prepare a special first aid kit that must be available at home or when traveling. This is because babies are susceptible to illness or injury.
There are several medicines and equipment that you can put in a special first aid kit for babies, namely:
- Ordinary bandage
- Plasters of various sizes
- Sterile gauze, scissors and small tweezers
- Antiseptic liquid
- Thermometer
- Pain relievers and fever reducers, such as paracetamol, and complete with a measuring spoon
- Anti-allergic ointment, to relieve itching and pain if exposed to insect stings or bites and reduce swelling
- Lotion calamine, to relieve rashes on the skin due to sunburn or itching due to irritation
Tips for Filling the First Aid Box
Here are some tips regarding the first aid kit that you can follow:
- Use a waterproof box to store first aid kits. You can use a plastic bag with adhesive to separate the medicine from other equipment.
- Place the first aid kit in an easily accessible place, such as the kitchen, because small accidents often occur when doing activities in the kitchen.
- Avoid placing the first aid kit in the bathroom, because humid air conditions can damage medicines.
- Make sure you can use all the equipment in the first aid kit and understand the use of the stored medicines.
- Teach other family members to use the equipment.
If you are still confused about which medicines to put in the first aid kit according to your health condition and that of your family, consult your doctor to get the right advice. In addition, always check the expiration date of the medicines you store in the first aid kit periodically.