First Aid Kit Must-Haves

24 Jul First Aid Kit Must-Haves

Whether you’re a renter, homeowner or business owner, having a well-stocked first aid kit is a must! Depending on your individual medical needs, your first aid kit might look slightly different from someone else’s, but every first aid kit needs a few key items!

Basic Supplies

• Masks
• Adhesive bandages and “butterfly” in a variety of sizes and shapes
• Nonstick sterile gauze dressings
• At least two eye shields or pads
• Elastic wrap bandages
• Medical tape
• Bandages
• Triple Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic solution and towelettes
• Eyewash solution
• Sterile saline for irrigation, flushing
• Nonlatex gloves
• Scissors
• Hydrogen peroxide
• A thermometer
• Instant cold compresses
• Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs
• Plastic bags in assorted sizes
• Safety pins in assorted sizes
• Scissors and tweezers
• Hand sanitizer
• A blanket
• Petroleum jelly or another lubricant
• Turkey baster or other bulb suction device for flushing wounds
• Rubber tourniquet or 16 French catheter
• Syringe and medicine cup or spoon
• First aid manual
• A large triangular bandage (may be used as a sling)
• Aluminum finger splint

Basic Medications

• Cough and cold medications
• Aloe vera gel
• Calamine lotion
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Laxatives
• Antacids
• Antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Personal medications that don’t need refrigeration
• Auto-injector of epinephrine, if prescribed by your doctor
• Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others)
• Aspirin
  • Do not take if you are allergic, have bleeding problems, if you take another blood-thinning medication, or if your doctor told you not to do so. Never give to children.
  • Can be life-saving if there’s a suspected heart attack. Call 9-1-1-, then chew a regular-strength aspirin.

Emergency Items

• Emergency phone numbers
  • The poison control helpline, which in the United States is 800-222-1222
  • Local emergency services
  • Contact information for your family doctor and pediatrician
  • Contact information for family members
  • Emergency road service providers
• Medical consent forms for each family member
• Medical history forms for each family member
• Small, waterproof flashlight or headlamp
• Batteries
• Waterproof matches
• Small notepad and waterproof writing instrument
• Emergency space blanket
• Solar cell phone charger and car cell phone charger
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellant
• Distilled, canned water
• Non-perishable, high energy snacks like unsalted nuts or hard candies