Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your First Aid Kit shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the First Aid Kit offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of First Aid Kit at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a First Aid Kit? Wrong! If the First Aid Kit is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about First Aid Kit then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling First Aid Kit? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about First Aid Kit and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your First Aid Kit wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your First Aid Kit then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the First Aid Kit site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about First Aid Kit, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your First Aid Kit, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
First aid kit|230pxA
first aid box is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, particularly in a medical emergency. Most first aid kits contain bandages for controlling
bleeding, personal protective equipment such as
Medical gloves and a
CPR mask for performing
rescue breathing and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and sometimes instructions on how to perform first aid.
Contents
Most store bought flirt aid kits, especially the cheap ones, are very poor in terms of quality, quantity, and selection of items, and are only suited for treating very minor injuries. A homemade kit, if properly prepared, is generally better and sometimes cheaper than most commercial kits.
A generic first aid kit is better than nothing. However, the contents of a first aid kit should be optimized for local conditions. For example, a kit for hikers in snake country should have a snakebite kit. A kit aboard a boat should have medications for seasickness.
One list of items for a first aid kit are as follows:
- Dressing (medical)s (sterilization (microbiology), applied directly to wound)
- Pads
- Sterile eye pads
- Sterile gauze pads
- Sterile nonadherent pads
- Burn dressing (sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel)
- Bandages (sterility is not necessary, used to secure a dressing)
- Gauze Roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
- Elastic bandages - used for sprains, and pressure bandages
- Adhesive, elastic roller bandages - Very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging
- Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses
Sometimes dressings and bandages are combined, in which case they must be sterile.
- Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters)
- Straight adhesive bandages
- Butterfly (knuckle) bandages
Instruments
- Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic
- Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use
- Tweezers
- Irrigation syringe, for cleaning wounds
- Rubber suction bulb, for clearing the airway of an unconscious patient
- If treating snakebites is a concern. This is the only snakebite kit generally recognised as not causing further damage and possibly reducing the effects of a snakebite.
Equipment
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Eye cup or small plastic cup
- Torch (also known as a flashlight)
- Instant-acting chemical cold packs
- Sterile eye wash (commonly saline (medicine))
- Sterile saline may also be used for cleaning wounds where clean tap water is not available.
- Swabs, sterile non-woven
- Space blanket (lightweight plastic foil blanket, sometimes called "emergency blanket")
- Alcohol rub (hand sanitizer) or antiseptic hand wipes
- Thermometer
- Penlight
Medication(Single use packets of medications, ointments, and antiseptics will prolong shelf life, decrease contamination risk, reduce risk of leakage (usually), and save space (for small quantities).
- Antiseptics/antimicrobial
- Povidone iodine wipes - very effective and painless, but messy. Can also be used to purify water
- Benzalkonium Chloride - painless, effective, often includes anesthetic.
- Alcohol pads - should not be used on open cuts or wounds, since they cause tissue damage and delay healing. They can be used to prep unbroken skin for injections etc. or to disinfect equipment such as thermometers. While not a medical use, alcohol pads are also useful as a solvent to remove ink, adhesives, etc.
- Antibiotic ointment - single, double, or triple antibiotic ointment in petroleum jelly base *Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment or spray
- Anti-itch ointment (especially for outdoor kits)
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Antihistamine cream, such as benadryl
- Calamine lotion
- Painkillers / fever reducers
- Acetaminophen
- Ibuprofen - anti-inflammatory, often more effective that acetaminophen.
- Aspirin - one 300mg Aspirin tablet may be given to a patient suffering a myocardial infarction, to be chewed slowly.
- Antihistamines - can treat allergies and allergic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
- diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl)
- Aloe vera gel - used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin
- Burn gel - a water based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
- Epinephrine auto-injector (brand name Epipen) - Often included in kits for wilderness use and in places like summer camps, to treat anaphylactic shock.
- Poison treatments
- QuikClot is a hemostatic agent sometimes included in first aid kits, especially military kits, to control severe bleeding.
Improvised uses: Many first aid items can have improvised uses in a survival situation. For example, alcohol pads and petroleum jelly based ointments can be used as a fire-starting aid in an emergency, and the latter can even be used as an improvised lubricant for certain mechanical devices, and adhesive tapes and bandages can be used for repairs. These alternate uses can be an important consideration when picking items for a kit that may be used in wilderness or survival situations.
Improvisation
First aid can be performed without a first aid kit. Any cloth (preferably as clean as possible) can be used as a bandage. Duct tape could also be used to secure a dressing. Common household items such as a magazine or even sticks can be used for splint (medicine). Direct pressure to stop bleeding can be applied with a
hand if nothing else presents itself. Obviously it is better to have proper equipment, but improvised equipment has saved many lives.
Trauma Bag/First Responder Bag
Emergency responders use a more advanced medical kit called a
trauma bag or a
first responder bag. The contents are more high quality and the quantity of supplies is more than a basic first aid kit.
See also
External links
- Yahoo's First Aid Directory
- DMOZ.org First Aid Guide
- The Do's & Don'ts of First Aid Compliance
First aid kit|230pxA
first aid box is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, particularly in a medical emergency. Most first aid kits contain bandages for controlling
bleeding, personal protective equipment such as
Medical gloves and a CPR mask for performing
rescue breathing and
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and sometimes instructions on how to perform first aid.
Contents
Most store bought flirt aid kits, especially the cheap ones, are very poor in terms of quality, quantity, and selection of items, and are only suited for treating very minor injuries. A homemade kit, if properly prepared, is generally better and sometimes cheaper than most commercial kits.
A generic first aid kit is better than nothing. However, the contents of a first aid kit should be optimized for local conditions. For example, a kit for hikers in snake country should have a snakebite kit. A kit aboard a boat should have medications for seasickness.
One list of items for a first aid kit are as follows:
- Dressing (medical)s (sterilization (microbiology), applied directly to wound)
- Pads
- Sterile eye pads
- Sterile gauze pads
- Sterile nonadherent pads
- Burn dressing (sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel)
- Bandages (sterility is not necessary, used to secure a dressing)
- Gauze Roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
- Elastic bandages - used for sprains, and pressure bandages
- Adhesive, elastic roller bandages - Very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging
- Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses
Sometimes dressings and bandages are combined, in which case they must be sterile.
- Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters)
- Straight adhesive bandages
- Butterfly (knuckle) bandages
Instruments
- Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic
- Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use
- Tweezers
- Irrigation syringe, for cleaning wounds
- Rubber suction bulb, for clearing the airway of an unconscious patient
- If treating snakebites is a concern. This is the only snakebite kit generally recognised as not causing further damage and possibly reducing the effects of a snakebite.
Equipment
Medication(Single use packets of medications, ointments, and antiseptics will prolong shelf life, decrease contamination risk, reduce risk of leakage (usually), and save space (for small quantities).
- Antiseptics/antimicrobial
- Povidone iodine wipes - very effective and painless, but messy. Can also be used to purify water
- Benzalkonium Chloride - painless, effective, often includes anesthetic.
- Alcohol pads - should not be used on open cuts or wounds, since they cause tissue damage and delay healing. They can be used to prep unbroken skin for injections etc. or to disinfect equipment such as thermometers. While not a medical use, alcohol pads are also useful as a solvent to remove ink, adhesives, etc.
- Antibiotic ointment - single, double, or triple antibiotic ointment in petroleum jelly base *Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment or spray
- Anti-itch ointment (especially for outdoor kits)
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Antihistamine cream, such as benadryl
- Calamine lotion
- Painkillers / fever reducers
- Acetaminophen
- Ibuprofen - anti-inflammatory, often more effective that acetaminophen.
- Aspirin - one 300mg Aspirin tablet may be given to a patient suffering a myocardial infarction, to be chewed slowly.
- Antihistamines - can treat allergies and allergic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
- Aloe vera gel - used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin
- Burn gel - a water based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
- Epinephrine auto-injector (brand name Epipen) - Often included in kits for wilderness use and in places like summer camps, to treat anaphylactic shock.
- Poison treatments
- QuikClot is a hemostatic agent sometimes included in first aid kits, especially military kits, to control severe bleeding.
Improvised uses: Many first aid items can have improvised uses in a survival situation. For example, alcohol pads and petroleum jelly based ointments can be used as a fire-starting aid in an emergency, and the latter can even be used as an improvised lubricant for certain mechanical devices, and adhesive tapes and bandages can be used for repairs. These alternate uses can be an important consideration when picking items for a kit that may be used in wilderness or survival situations.
Improvisation
First aid can be performed without a first aid kit. Any cloth (preferably as clean as possible) can be used as a bandage. Duct tape could also be used to secure a dressing. Common household items such as a magazine or even sticks can be used for
splint (medicine). Direct pressure to stop bleeding can be applied with a
hand if nothing else presents itself. Obviously it is better to have proper equipment, but improvised equipment has saved many lives.
Trauma Bag/First Responder Bag
Emergency responders use a more advanced medical kit called a
trauma bag or a
first responder bag. The contents are more high quality and the quantity of supplies is more than a basic first aid kit.
See also
External links
- Yahoo's First Aid Directory
- DMOZ.org First Aid Guide
- The Do's & Don'ts of First Aid Compliance