You never know when you will be faced with an emergency situation. It could be your child who cuts himself severely and needs immediate attention. It could be something as simple as an upset stomach in the middle of the night. Whatever crisis may strike your family, it will go much better for everyone involved if you are prepared ahead of the game. Keeping a well-stocked first aid box in your house, car, trailer, and anywhere else your family tends to spend a lot of time will ensure that if a situation does arise, you will be better prepared to handle it. A first aid box doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. There are a few basic supplies that are good to keep on hand, and the rest of the inventory may vary somewhat depending on the needs of your individual clan. The most important factor is to take the initial time to stock a first aid box carefully with as many essentials for your family as you can think of.
Supplies For Your First Aid Box
While many first aid supplies can be successfully improvised in a pinch, it is much easier to have the correct items on hands when you need them. For example, bandages are a first aid box staple, and should come in a selection of shapes and sizes to handle the wide variety of cuts and abrasions that might occur. Regular band-aids of assorted sizes can be added to specialty bandages, such as butterfly bandages for cuts and gauze pads for various abrasions. Ice packs, antibacterial ointments and latex gloves can round out the necessary supplies for dealing with these types of injuries. Tools that are good to keep available are tweezers for splinters, first aid scissors for removing dressings, and a working thermometer.
Medications that your family would normally use for common maladies are also good to keep on hand. Medicines to treat coughs, stomach ailments and allergies can be included depending on the needs of your family. All first aid boxes should include a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, lip balm and eye drops. Anti-itch cream is also a good topical medication to include. Keep an eye on the medications in your first aid box, and promptly throw out any that expire.
A first aid box is an important step in keeping for family healthy and safe. It pays to take some time to ensure that your first aid box is well stocked so that you will be prepared to address any emergency situations that might crop up.
