Many parents have a first aid kit in their house that is little more than a box of bandaids and some antibiotic cream. But if an emergency or disaster were to strike where you couldn’t easily make a trip down to the drug store, would you be able to treat an array of minor injuries? Changes are you probably would not, so here is a handy list of what you should have on hand.
- First aid guide
- Information of emergency numbers including:
- Nearest hospital
- Nearest clinic
- family physician
- poison control
- nurse’s hotline (if available)
- Information on each family member such as date of birth, allergies, medications
- Bandaids / adhesive bandages with large assortment of sizes
- Smaller box of latex-free bandages (in case someone has a latex allergy)
- Gauze pads
- Adhesive tape
- Antibiotic cream (such as Polysporin)
- Individually wrapped alcohol wipes (often with diabetic supplies)
- Ace bandage
- Bottles of Advil/Tylenol, in both adult and appropriate child formulas
- Antihistimine, in both adult and child
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Cotton balls or pads
- Q-tips
- Gloves
- Hand sanitizer
- Rubbing alcohol
- Calamine lotion
- Hydrocortisone cream
You may also need to add items based on your family’s needs. If someone as a severe allergy, an epi pen is a good item to add. If someone wears contacts, a bottle of contact lens solution and eye drops should be added.
If it sounds a bit daunting, you may be able to purchase one of the deluxe first aid kits, but it is much cheaper to do it yourself.
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