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CHRISSYPOPS GUIDE TO FIRST AID KITSJul 12 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line You can sort out minor incidents but if you go without one you could be up for a stressful holiday
Did you know you should have at least 3 basic first aid kits? One in the house, second in the car and the third in the shed or garage if you have one. Most people are lucky enough to have a few plasters in a cupboard somewhere but they are essential to family life, whether you have a family or not. As this opinion will be posted in the travel section, I will talk about basic first aid kits and some handy extras. All those either going on holiday abroad by plane, cruise or car should have a basic first aid kit packed in their luggage. This for a few reasons. One most obviously if something happens to yourself or someone else you can do basic first aid until the paramedics arrive. The other is that if yourself or others need certain items.. i.e plasters you dont have to go out and buy any. You will be surprised that if you do go and see a GP in a foreign country, they will charge you for little things like plasters, painkillers and bandages. These are not covered under your insurance or the E111 either. So its well worth while stocking up on those essentials, just for peace of mind. You can either buy a basic kit or make up your own. Look out in supermarkets for ready made up kits as they can be quite cheap compared to chemist ones. All basic first aid kits SHOULD contain the following. Plasters... varying sizes. Be aware that some people are allergic, so if in doubt use a cotton dressing instead. Latex Gloves... This are for the prevention. As some diseases like HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis are caught by contaminated blood or body fluids its essential to use latex gloves. Painkillers for adults and children... A basic painkiller that is effective but low dose is Paracetomol. You can get tablet form for adults and liquid form in handy 5 ml sachets for children. A Thermometer ...This to check the temperature of a fever or a suspected one. Remember body temperature is 37c degrees so anything higher than 38c is a fever and should be brought down. Anything lower than 36c is hyperthemia and you should try and get the body temp up. Tweezers... These are handy things to use to take out stings from bees or wasps, or remove ticks, thorns and splinters. Sterilising tablets.... These are for cleaning water that is otherwise unsafe to drink. You can also use them to sterilise fruit and vegetables, babies bottles (check instructions) An anti-diarrhoea medication... .Most common is dyorite and its a powder you mix with water to replace lost fluids and essential body salts. If you haven't got any of this at hand, a pint of water with 2 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of salt works just as well. An antihistamine cream... This is a antiseptic cream which reduces swelling, redness and itchiness caused by bits, stings and other skin irritations. A syringe ..You can buy these at any chemist with a stopper. These syringes are really handy in administrating medicines to babies and children. An anti spasmodic( for muscle pain) ...This is to help reduce the pain and swelling to muscles that have been strained. A good one is Deep-heat. Mosquito repellent... Mosquitoes are reasonable for Malaria, which can be very nasty. Even in non Malaria countries Mosquitoes bits are sore, itchy and can swell badly. Be aware that some you can not use on children or even if you are pregnant so read the instructions carefully. Sunscreen and Aftersun .... Sunburn is one of the most common spoilers for holiday. Take sunscreen that appropriate for you skin, and don't use a sun factor lower than 8 Mediterranean or 15 in the Caribbean. If your skin is repeatedly damaged by sunburn you are running a high risk of getting serious skin cancer called Melanoma. Aftersun is also very important, this re hydrates the skin, keeping it soft. f you don't use it you could end up like a brown, leathery crocodile. Anti septic cream.... This is just to make sure that the wound is free from bacteria, so infection is less likely. A triangular bandage... If you or anyone breaks an arm you can use this to strap it up until you can seek medical help. Failing that you could use a sarong, or any material that you can fold into a triangular shape so you can give the arm support. Crepe bandage ...This is just a long, slim, stretchy bandage. This can be used to support stained ankles, wrists and hands, until you can seek medical advice. Lint (non fluff) ...Lint is like cotton wool. Its absorbent and helps cushion cuts, pack noses( nosebleeds) and helps protect against infection. Make sure your lint is fluff free otherwise the fibres will get caught in the wound, making it open to infection or once the lint is removed take the scab with it, and opening the wound. A sterile eye dressing.. This a sterile dressing to protect the eye from further damage from an injury. This can be placed over the eye until it can be seen by a doctor. Change for telephone call... If you haven't got access to a mobile, you can make a call to next of kin or friends. Safety pins.. Handy for bandages, ripped clothes, hems or broken zips. A pocket sized First Aid book... This basic book you can refer back to for MINOR ailments. Sounds a lot doesn't it, but it isn't. All this equipment is just so you can give basic and maybe life saving first aid. The principles of first aid is too; Preserve Life To limit worsening of a condition To promote Recovery Having a basic first aid certificate is also really handy to have too, but as long as you know basic first aid, its not a necessity. HANDY EXTRAS If you have a basic first aid kit, you should make sure that every time you use something it should be replaced. You should also have at least 2 of everything like different sized plasters, eye pads, painkillers and so on. I have a small dropper in my first aid kit, just in case I need to administer any drops by mouth, nose or eyes. I got this from my local chemist and I do believe it was about 30 p. Steri strips are another handy item in my kit. I brought these from boots while my eldest was having a stage of falling over and cutting her head. Steri strips are very fine strips which seal a small but deep wound. This helps the wound to seal and stop bleeding. As anyone who has had or seen a cut to the head, it bleeds very badly, even if its a small cut. Also as if the cut is very close to the bone, stitches are not possible, steri strips are usually used. A Forehead thermometer is a strip of heat sensitive plastic which tell you the core body temperature of a human. I know I've mentioned thermometer but I find these sorts more practical, as you can use these on the whole family, easy and safe to use and of course non breakable. A sewing kit.... Just a small selection of coloured thread, a needle and a few plain buttons just in case any clothes need repairing. Contraceptives...Whatever is your contraceptive, please take it!! If you are single or out for a good time, remember to pack plenty of condoms. As well as risking yourself to any diseases, condoms the you buy abroad may not be safe. If you do buy an condoms please look for the British kite mark as this means its been tested for duribility, reliablility and are the best about. Go to a chemist rather than buy them from a vending machine as again, you might not find good ones at the local "night" spot. Sanitary products..For the ladies, if you suspect that you are going to have a period, even if it is as you come back, take your sanitary products. You know how this things tend to crop up early. Don't forget the G-string panty liners..about time they brought them out eh? Last but not least I have a few Homeopathic and Aromotherapy remedies which come in handy all the time New Era teething Tablets... These are available from chemists and health shops and work a treat for babies who are teething. Arnica cream... This cream is brilliant for reducing swelling, bringing out bruising and soothing any knocks and bangs. Safe for adults and children. Tea Tree oil..One of the only oils you can put on your skin neat. Tea Tree is excellent for bits, skins, sunburn and decondesting if you have a cold. Remember as long as you have a basic First Aid kit you can deal with most minor incidences. You can personalised, if that's the right word, your first aid kit by putting in what your family uses most. You can get plastic containers from chemists which you can pour medicines to take away with you. Make sure they are very clearly marked and keep out of reach of children. Also check with the airline or your travel agency on what medication can go in and out of the country in which you are travelling too. If you do buy any medication abroad, buy only brands you recognise from your country. Make sure you can bring them out of the country you are staying at, and that they are safe to bring them back into your home country. Hopefully you will never see your first aid kit on holiday so just enjoy yourself !!  |
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