First Aid Kit

FIRST AID KIT, three words for a great idea.

You have probably all seen a first aid kit. At home, in school, in the car, in large department stores…
A first aid kit is very useful for special and/or emergency situations.

What is a first-aid-kit?

A first aid kit can be a box, drawer or case containing medicines and necessary health care materials (bandages, cotton, scissors, etc.) to treat discomfort, heal small wounds or cure minor accidents (fainting, falls, cuts, etc.).

In any case, our first aid kit should be correctly identified.

 

Where should it be?

The first aid kit should be kept or stored in a place that is neither too hot nor too humid, and protected from light.

In both schools and at home the kit should be kept out of the reach of children.

IMPORTANT: The first aid kit should always be closed, but should be easy to open. The adults and teachers should know how to open the kit. If the first aid kit is locked, the key should be at hand for rapid opening in case of an emergency.

What should a first aid kit contain?

There can be many kinds of first aid kits. At home and in school the first aid kits are not the same as those found in hospitals or in the locker room of a sports club, though there should be a little of everything at hand in the kit.

What should a school first aid kit contain?

A first aid kit in school, or in summer camp, or for going on excursions, among others, should contain:

• Medicines
• Health care materials
• List of emergency telephone numbers

MEDICINES Analgesics (aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain) Antifever medication Antidiarrheic drugs Cough medicine (syrup or tablets for cough) Antiallergic medicines Mucolytic formulations and expectorants Pharyngeal antiseptics (for sore throat) Antiseptic eye drops Ointment (for sores without open wounds) Antiseptic solution In the case of summer camp first aid kits, it is very useful to also include: Insect repellants Sunscreens Products for water treatment THE MEDICINES SHOULD BE STORED IN THEIR CORRESPONDING CONTAINER, AND EXPIRED MEDICINES SHOULD BE DISCARDED.

HEALTH CARE MATERIAL Alcohol Hydrogen peroxide Sterile gauze compresses Gauze bandages (of different sizes) Elastic bandages Tape Band aids Thermometer Tweezers Round-tipped scissors

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS Emergency Service of the nearest hospital Ambulance service Toxicological information Fire brigade Local Police Civil Guard National police

A first aid kit should NEVER contain:

• Expired medicines
• Poorly preserved or identified medicines (broken cap, without a name, without the corresponding insert, etc.).
• A thermometer that doesn’t work
• Rusty scissors or tweezers

Remember

YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK YOUR PHARMACIST IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

A first aid kit is very useful for minor discomfort or small accidents. The kit should be well identified and orderly. The medicines should be revised periodically. The health care materials should be clean and ready for use when required. IN CASE OF DOUBT, CONSULT YOUR PHARMACIST. A first aid kit is a serious matter, though here we have a game for you. It will help you learn WHAT THE KIT SHOULD CONTAIN and not forget it.

 

Carme Capdevila and Mercè Estrada. Pharmacists