Injuries in and around the home can occur at the most unexpected times.
Regardless of the injury, from minor to severe ailments, a first aid kit plays a crucial role in reducing the severity of the injury while preventing infection. A correctly stocked first aid kit also buys you time until you can rush yourself or a loved one to the hospital.
However, what should a first aid kit contain?
As a professional in the medical sector, Willem Rossouw of ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd, highlights various items that a person requires to ensure a functional first aid kit.
- One 100 ml bottle of wound cleanser/antiseptic.
- A packet of gauze swabs
- One 100g of cotton wool
- A pair of forceps (tweezers)
- A pair of scissors, a minimum size of 100mm
- Safety pins
- Four triangular bandages
- Four roller bandages, sized 75mm x 5m
- Four roller bandages, sized 100mm x 5m
- One roll of elastic adhesive, sized 25mm x 3m
- A non-allergic adhesive strip, with a width of 25mm
- A minimum of 10 adhesive strips
- First aid dressing, sized 75mm x 100mm
- First aid dressing, sized 150mm x 200mm
- Two pairs of straight splints
- Four pairs of disposable latex gloves, in large and small sizes
- Two pairs of CPR mouthpieces
Additionally, Rossouw says people can also add the following:
- Panado headache tablets and syrup
- Meds for stomach cramps
- Meds for diarrhoea
- Allergex
- Burn shield patches
Be sure to add the above to your shopping list, as it could mean the world of a difference in an emergency.