Tips for Stocking and Using First Aid Kits
Scraped knees and other minor accidents are common in the spring and summer, making it important for families to have well stocked first-aid kits. The professionals at Georgia Regents Medical Center recommend the following tips for assembling and using these kits.
Include these items in your kits:
- First-aid manual
- Sterile gauze
- Adhesive tape and bandages
- Elastic bandages
- Antiseptic wipes
- Triple-antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic solution, such as hydrogen peroxide
- Hydrocortisone cream (1%)
- Benadryl
- Acetaminophen and ibuprofen
- Tweezers
- Sharp scissors
- Safety pins
- Disposable instant cold packs
- Calamine lotion
- Alcohol wipes
- Thermometer
- Plastic gloves
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- List of emergency phone numbers
The recommendations regarding syrup of ipecac, once a stable in first-aid kits, have changed. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Kids no longer support the home use of syrup of ipecac. If poisonings occur, contact emergency services or a poison control center.
Also, be sure to:
- Read the entire first aid manual so you'll understand how to respond to accidents and use the contents of your kits.
- Keep one kit in your home and another in your car.
- Store first-aid kits in places that are out of children's reach but easily accessible for adults.
- Check the kits regularly and replace missing or expired items.
- Store a blanket near the kit.
If someone in your family suffers an injury that calls for medical care, remember this. Georgia Regents Medical Center operates the area's only Level 1 Trauma Center (the highest level) as well as a pediatric emergency department staffed with pediatric emergency physicians with access to pediatric specialists of all kind.
For more information, call 706-721 CARE (2273).