Previous columns
current column
CPR in the Home
Autumn's Web
Too Hot To Trot
One Good Reason Is All It Takes
Rescue. Resource. Response.
Advanced Care. Advanced Caring.
Things UNseen
First Things First
Water Within
Control the Flow
R.I.C.E those Sprains and Strains
Move RIGHT for Siren and Lights
Baby, it's cold inside
Care in the Air
Hands-only CPR saving lives
Falls in the Spring
Strokes
|
First Things First
posted 06/13/2008
Summer activity brings bumps and bruises. With a little effort, you can put together an effective and reasonably priced first aid kit. Most commercially available kists are filled with many items that you never use and are usually fairly expensive. Here is how you can begin to compile a kit that will be effective and flexible.
First: Find a water tight container such as an old Tupperware bowl with a lid. You can also use a gallon-size Ziploc-style storage bag. Make the kit unique to your family and situation. Think of what first aid supplies you have used in the past. Place existing first aid supplies inside the container that you may already have on hand.
Next: Consider the following items in light of your potential needs.
- Small plastic sandwich-size bags for use as ice packs, gloves for your hands or containers for other items.
- Clean wide strips of cotton cloth to use as a tourniquet or bandages to hold guaze pads onto a wound.
- Clean (preferably sterile) guaze pads. Feminine napkins are excellent for this.
- Cotton swabs for cleaning wounds or removing foreign objects.
- Tweezers to remove splinters.
- Neosporin antibiotic cream for wounds.
- Aluminum foil folded up several times. Can be used for finger splints or sealing a wound.
- Aloe for sunburns.
- Aspirin for heart attacks.
- Pain reliever for minor pain.
- Moist towelettes for cleaning wounds.
-
Plastic garbage bag for emergency blanket
- Small bar of soap and hand sanitizer
- Glass thermometer in a rigid carry case
- Benadryl for allergic reaction
- Small bandage strips for small wounds
- A written medical history and emergency contact information
- A small bottle of clean drinking water to irrigate wounds or boil to sterilize a safety pin.
- A few places of hard candy or packet of sugar based Kool-Aid for diabetic emergencies.
<PREVIOUS
NEXT>
Chief Jim Cole from San Juan Island EMS has been a Nationally Registered Paramedic for more than 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Health and a Master of Art Degree in Higher Education. He is currently enrolled in the Health Sciences Master Degree Program in Emergency Services Management through George Washington University. Prior to coming to San Juan, he was the Director of the School of EMS for the Cleveland Clinic Health System. Suggestions for future topics can be sent to chief@sanjuanems.org.
|
