Having a portable first aid kit in your home is essential for treating common burns, sprains and scrapes. Here are 13 items every emergency kit needs.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Burns, gashes, sprains and falls can all happen in your home, suddenly and without warning. That’s why a proper first aid kit is essential in every healthy home.
You can build your own kit pretty easily. The key is to keep it portable. I like a small fishing tackle box or even a re-sealable plastic bag. Pick a central location like the kitchen to store it. And make sure that all of your family members know right where it is.
Now, you’re going to need items for cuts, and burns and other skin injuries.
You want to start with sterile gauze pads in three sizes. There’s 3×3, there’s the 4×4, and then the larger 5 inches by 9 inches. This is more of a compress size. You want to put those in first.
Don’t forget adhesive bandages in all sizes. And it’s important to have the little cartoon characters for crying children.
You’ll also need adhesive cloth tape, 10 yards long by 1 inches wide. It’s great for holding gauze in place, and you can also splint a broken bone with this stuff.
And also don’t forget the little things like antiseptic wipes and antibiotic ointment. Throw in some hydrocortisone cream, which really helps with the itchy skin.
And toss in some aspirin. 325 milligrams is best for heart emergencies, but not at all good for children.
Every family has a member that’s either athletic or accident-prone. So it’s a good thing to have an instant cold compress on hand. It’s great for sprains and also for bumps. And an elastic bandage. It’s good to support a sprain and it reduces swelling.
And then there are a few essential tools of the trade that you’ll be needing.
Scissors. A plastic, non-mercury oral thermometer. And tweezers. They’re great for pulling out splinters, ticks or debris. Throw in an emergency guide, too, because it’s always nice to have a little help.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to go through your kit every two or three months just to check for expiration dates or to restock. And keep your poison control numbers and your emergency medical responders posted where everyone can see them.