FIRST AID KITS
The Young Family and Young Couple Guide to First Aid Kits
 





 
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 - Only use information from the internet as a guide. Get medical advice from qualified medical practitioners -
 
As with a host of many other things, home first aid kits come last in the draw. Things you don’t think of until you need it … and by then, it’s too late.
 
There are several ways of putting together a decent home first aid kit. You should also have a first aid kit in your car and office as medical emergencies can happen anywhere, to anyone.
 
The quickest and easiest way to get up and running is to get a ready-made first aid kit from your local pharmacy. This first aid kit should cover the basics.

You could also sit down with your pharmacist and build up a list of items from scratch. A highly customised home first aid kit would definitely be of more use than an off the shelf version. It would cost you more money and time in putting it together, not to mention a headache from all the available options … thinking about all those options already gives me a headache ... now where were those painkillers?
 
However, customising your home first aid kit may be worth serious consideration especially if you have specific ailments or are susceptible to certain conditions. Think of it as a mini-pharmacy at home which may reduce your trips to the clinic or hospital. Taking appropriate medication when symptoms first appear may also help shorten your sickness … it normally does for me.

 
 
 
 
 

A more practical and cost effective way of putting together a complete home first aid kit is to buy a ready-made first aid kit (the cool first aid box with the red cross comes in handy) and add on items as recommended by your pharmacist. Just keep in mind that the pharmacist is running a business. Choose a pharmacist you are comfortable with and with whom you do not feel pressured into buying your supplies.
 
If you have children, make sure you have the adult-equivalent medication and other medical supplies for them to use. Types of medicine and dosages may be different. Your pharmacist should be able to advise you on what to purchase, but if in doubt consult your child’s paediatrician.
 
Self medication is questionable and perhaps not the best way to live to 113. However, for over the counter (“OTC”) medicines such as cough syrup, cold tablets, pain medication and the likes, it may be a good idea to keep some on hand. If nothing else, for the times that you just know that your family doctor would just prescribe the same medication.
 
Be sure that you know exactly what medicine you have and what it should be used for. Always keep OTC medicine instructions and check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any doubts.
 
Also, keep unused or unfinished medicine from your trips to the family doctor or hospital. Be sure that these medicines can be safely re-used and are properly labelled; including issue date, medicine name and purpose. Dispose of these leftover medicines after six months, or upon the printed expiry date – at least that’s what I’ve been told.
 
Check with your doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health provider on the recommended storage procedures and periods for those medicines.


Now that you have your home first aid kit ready, find a suitable place to keep it. As with storage of all medicines, keep them safely away from children. A good place to keep it is on a high shelf or cabinet. Make sure the storage area is cool and dry but most importantly that it is easily accessible. Imagine yourself sneezing and coughing every three seconds … can you reach the first aid kit easily enough? Avoid keeping it in areas where you keep household cleaners or other potentially poisonous items.
 
Routinely sort through and examine your medical emergency supplies. Dispose of medication past their expiry dates and replace with a new batch. Often home first aid boxes remain unopened for months at a time, only for the owner to find that his medicine had expired or otherwise gone bad when the need to use it arises.

Here is a list of items that may be found in a first aid kit:
    •  Activated charcoal and Antacid
    • Adhesive bandages
    • Asthma inhaler
    • Calamine lotion
    • Cough lozenges
    • Cotton balls
    • Emergency phone numbers
    • Decongestants
    • Diarrhea medication
    • Elastic bandages
    • Flashlight
    • Flu medication
    • Insect sting swabs
    • Matches
    • Pain medication
    • Thermometer
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