Ever cut yourself chopping vegetables and scrambled through kitchen drawers looking for the Band-Aids? Burned yourself on the oven? Your child comes in from outside with a mozzie bite? These are everyday incidents that can happen in Australian households and a good first aid kit can come in very handy!
Why have a first aid kit? Let’s face it, accidents happen anytime, anywhere. It is always best to be prepared for accidents and injuries that can happen at home and treat them ASAP to reduce severity and risk of infection.
Making a first aid kit
You can purchase a ready-made kit from any good pharmacy and places like St. John’s Ambulance and Red Cross, or you can put one together yourself. Firstly, purchase a large, clear plastic, snap-top container and use either a marker pen or a sticky label to mark “First Aid” on it for easy identification.
The basic first aid kit
You first aid kit at home should include the following items, which you can find at your local pharmacy.
- Band aids
- Bandages
- Antiseptics
- Gauze
- Cotton balls and cotton tips
- Thermometer
- Cold pack
- Burn gel
- Eye wash
Customising your kit
Once you’ve covered the basics, you can customise your kit to suit the needs of your family and local environment with items like;
- Epi-Pen for anaphylaxis and any other allergy medication for a member of your household
- Asthma inhaler or any other emergency prescribed medications
- Family medical history notes and a list of emergency contact details such as your local GP, hospital, poisons information hotline etc
- Spider and snake bite kits
Optional Items
- Painkillers (Panadol, Neurofen, Aspirin)
- Bee sting kit
- Support braces for ankles, knees, wrists and your neck
- Calamine lotion to ease itching and skin irritation
- Anti-diarrhoea tablets
- Paper bags for hyperventilation
- Eye patches
- Thermal/shock blanket to help keep a hypothermic person warm until emergency help arrives
Storage
The kit should be kept in a designated, easy to access location such as a kitchen draw, a bathroom cupboard or under the kitchen sink. Time saved rushing around trying to find first aid items is better spent attending to the person in need. Ensure that all household members, including children are familiar with the kit and its location. Check the kit on a regular basis and replenish used items and anything that has passed its expiry date (or is close to it).
Tips to remember
- Keep it accessible
- Check and replenish items
- Consider keeping a small kit in the car also
First aid saves lives, so if you’re feeling inspired, there are plenty of great first aid courses to choose from so check out your local TAFE, St. John’s Ambulance service, Red Cross and other programs to keep yourself prepared.