What Should You Keep in a First Aid Kit?

We all have one – that old box or biscuit tin in the top kitchen cupboard or under the bathroom sink, overflowing with messy old bandages and expired ointments.To get more news about ifak pouch, you can visit rusuntacmed.com official website.

You go and grab it in a first aid situation, and it never has the thing you need, does it?

Rummaging around the box, you’ll find eye patches the kids have used for ‘dress up as a pirate day’, safety pins used for clothing emergencies, ointments for conditions you can’t remember having, medications you keep for ‘just in case’ and various lotions and potions that expired when Malcolm Fraser was still the Australian Prime Minister.
A box of miscellaneous junk accumulated over the years isn’t very helpful when you quickly need to stop the blood oozing from a deep cut in your finger after an accident in the kitchen.

And while ripping into that one last oversized pack of swabs covered in brown betadine throat wash solution, you think to yourself: “I must update this first aid kit”! But then you forget. Again.

So let’s do something about that. What should you have in your first aid kit? Well, there are some common basics, but for the rest it really depends what you intend to use the kit for.For first aid kits in the workplace, you should refer to the First Aid in the Workplace Model Code of Practice (2012) by Safe Work Australia.

Having a first aid kit at home is a must for anyone, especially if you have children (or a husband!). Further down this page are some good reasons to keep a well-stocked first aid kit in your home.

There are many items you may like to have available in your kit (a good deal more than 10 for sure), but here is our top 10 of useful things to keep in your first aid kit at home:
1 – Splinter Probes
Whoever invented these little things should be knighted. I can’t tell you how many times a year I have used these on my kids. They are great for digging out splinters from hands and feet. Single use and sterile, they’re often sold in packs of 5 and will cost you no more than a couple of dollars. Oh, and ladies, these are great for getting out ingrown hairs from hubby’s face as well.

2 – HydoGel (Burn Gel)
The standard treatment for all types of burns, which should always be the first thing you try, is 20 minutes of cool running water. This helps take the heat out of the burn. But you don’t always have immediate access to cool running water for 20 minutes. Hydrogel is fantastic for minor burns. It comes in dressings, tubes, sachets and sprays and is great for pain relief from burns, scalds and sunburn. We all know that feeling when you didn’t fold the tea towel over enough when getting the roast chook out of the oven. But fear not… burn gel is your friend!

3 – Triangular Bandage (Sling)
The sling is one of the oldest, simplest and most versatile pieces of first aid equipment available. Everyone has seen one of these at some point in their life. The triangular bandage can be used to control heavy bleeding, support a broken arm, immobilise legs, apply pressure to a wound or even clean windows (apparently). No first aid kit is complete without at least one of these little beauties. When given the choice between calico and non-woven fabric, always choose the calico. Trust me. It may cost a dollar or two more, but the calico sling is much easier to use.

4 – Elasticated Bandage (Heavy Crepe)
Sprained ankle? Snake bite? Bleeding out? Fear not. Your trusty heavy crepe bandage can help. This elasticated bandage is designed to apply firm pressure to limbs. You can use it for support following ice treatment of a sprain or strain, to reduce the spread of venom following a snake bite, or to help stop a major bleed once a dressing has been applied. They come in widths of 5cm, 7.5cm, 10cm and 15cm. I tend to go for the 7.5 and 10cm bandages. These are the most commonly used and are easy to store. Don’t confuse heavy crepe elasticated bandages with medium crepe bandages. The (cream coloured) medium crepe bandage doesn’t apply as much pressure.

5 – Fabric Strips (Band-Aids)
An oldie but a goldie! The trusty adhesive bandage (Band-Aid) has seen us through our childhood days of learning to ride a bike, trying out scissors for the first time, unloading the dishwasher cutlery tray and finding out what happens when you jump off the see-saw before your friend does. I always go for the fabric strips rather than plastic. Fabric strips stay on much better and provide an extra bit of padding. For people sensitive to fabric, there’s an alternative: the hypo-allergenic strip (your local pharmacy will stock them). For children, I strongly suggest you get some fun character strips. It’s amazing how quickly little ones recover when they see a picture of ‘Olaf’ strapped to their knee.