A Basic First Aid Kit

It is useful for every household to have a first aid kit.  A first aid kit should contain the basic equipment needed to mange minor injuries.

As part of your First Aid Kit it is useful to have a first aid manual; however it is important to read this before you have an emergency, as you don’t want to be trying to find the page for how to deal with a deep leg gash while blood is spurting! A selection is available at Amazon.co.uk.

Better still, you could take a basic first aid course such as the type organised by the Red Cross or St John Ambulance. 

According to NHS Direct, a basic first aid kit should contain:

• Plasters, in a variety of different sizes and shapes.
• Small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings.
• At least two sterile eye dressings.
• Triangular bandages for supporting arms.
• Crêpe rolled bandages.
• Safety pins.
• Disposable sterile gloves.
• Tweezers.
• Scissors.
• Alcohol-free cleansing wipes.
• Sticky tape.
• Thermometer, preferably digital.
• Skin rash cream such as hydrocortisone or calendula.
• Cream or spray to relieve insect bites and stings.
• Antiseptic cream such as Savlon or Germolene.
• Painkillers such as paracetamol (or infant paracetamol for children), aspirin (not to be given to children under 16), or ibuprofen.
• Cough medicine.
• Decongestant tablets or nasal spray.
• Antihistamine tablets.
• Distilled water, for cleaning wounds and as an eye bath.

You can buy a ready-made first aid kit at Amazon.co.uk, The Red Cross or Mothercare, however none contain absolutely everything on his list, so you may wish to add items of your own.  It is also important to check that items such as creams and tablets are in date, and replace them as necessary.

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