Back-to-School: What’s in Your First Aid Kit?

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 As students in the Northern Hemisphere prepare to return to school, now is a great time to revisit your home first aid kit so you’re ready in case of an emergency. 

You can buy a first aid kit at drugstores or make one of your own. If you make one, use containers that are roomy, sturdy, easy to carry, and easy to open. Plastic tackle boxes or containers for storing art supplies are ideal because they’re lightweight, have handles, and offer a lot of space and separate sections. 

If you build your own here’s a list of essential things needed to assemble a first aid kit for students:  

  • The Basics: These include gauze pads, adhesive bandages, wet wipes, antiseptic wipes, iodine ointment, cotton, cotton swabs, band-aids, etc.   
  • Pain Relief: Some over-the-counter pain relief medication like ibuprofen.  
  • Cold and Flu Remedies: Include some cold and flu remedies, like cough drops, soothing throat lozenges, etc, in your dorm first aid kit while assembling it.  
  • Personal Medications: These include prescribed drugs to vitamin supplements. 
  • First Aid Guide: In case someone with no knowledge of first aid needs to use the medical kit for students, there should be first aid guides in the kit.  
  • Emergency Numbers
  • Flashlight: In case your emergency happens during a power outage.  
  • Medical Equipment: Here are some of the medical equipment you should have in your medical kit for students:  
    • Tweezers
    • Scissors  
    • Thermometers – Like Exergen’s TempoTherm or TAT-2000C Temporal Artery Thermometer that is designed to offer quick, precise, and non-intrusive temperature readings. 
    • Splints 

After you’ve stocked your first-aid kit: 

  • Read the first-aid manual so you’ll understand how to use what’s in your kits. (If your kids are old enough to understand, review the main points with them.) Read the manual from time to time and check to see if it is up to date. 
  • Store first-aid kits out of children’s reach but where adults can easily get them. 
  • Check the kits regularly. Replace missing items or anything that has expired. 
  • Make sure babysitters and other caregivers know where the kit is and how to use it. 
  • Check the flashlight batteries to make sure they work. 
  • If you’re flying, pack the first-aid kit in your checked luggage. Many of the items won’t be permitted in carry-on bags. 

A first aid kit is a great addition to any home because you never know when there will be a medical emergency.  

Source:  

EXERGEN P/N 850198, Rev 1