First Aid Kit Checklist

A Basic First Aid Kit Checklist

- Keep a first aid kit in the home, workplace and car.
- Let everyone concerned know where it is.
- Carry the first aid kit when you go to help anyone.
- Restock after using.

The Checklist
- First Aid Guide with completed Emergency Info Sheet 

Equipment
- CPR barrier mask (face shield)
- Cotton swabs
- Cold pack
- Paper cups
- Space blanket
- Thermometer
- Plastic bags able to be sealed

Medication
- Antiseptic wipes/towelettes
- Sterile eye wash with eye cup
- Antiseptic/anesthetic spray
- Antibiotic ointment
- Calamine/antihistamine lotion
- Activated Charcoal tablets/powder

Instruments
- Tweezers
- Blunt tipped scissor
- Bulb syringe

Miscellaneous
- Disposable gloves
- Change for a pay phone
- Candles, waterproof matches
- Pocket flashlight
- Paper/pencil
- Packet tissues
- Soap
- Safety pin

Dressings
- Sterile cotton ball
- Sterile eye patches
- Sterile gauze pads
- Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
- Elastic bandage
- Roller bandage
- Sterile non-stick pads
- Absorbent compress
- Adhesive bandage strips
- Triangular bandage
- Butterfly bandages

Part 2

First aid kits (in more detail)

- Keep your first aid kit well stocked at all times as you never know when it might be useful.
- Make sure everyone in the household or workplace knows where the first aid kit is kept.
A well-stocked first aid kit can make dealing with minor accidents and injuries much easier.

Home first aid kit
As well as the full range of items that you will wish to keep in the house, it’s a good idea to keep a first aid kit and other useful items in the car, in case you encounter an emergency situation while out and about. You can buy ready-made kits from most pharmacies, or you can put together your own. Store items in a clean, waterproof container with a well-fitting lid, and clearly mark it ‘first aid’.

Car first aid kit
As well as the essential items for a standard first aid kit, you may also wish to carry:
- face shield or mask to protect you when performing resuscitation
- cardboard tie-on labels to identify casualties in major incidents
- notebook and pen for recording observations
- blanket
- cushions
- strong torch
- whistle
- survival bags – or rolls of kitchen foil – for keeping casualties warm and dry

Maintaining a first aid kit
Other items to include:
- bandage clips or safety pins
- disposable gloves
- tubular bandages for finger injuries
- large cotton-wool strips for padding
- eye pad
- thermometer
- wound-closure strips (‘steri-strips’)

1. If you use an item, be sure to replace it as soon as possible.
2. Check the contents regularly – at least once a year – and replace any out-of-date items.
3. Store in a high cupboard out of reach of small children.
4. Make sure the kit remains clean and dry: don’t store it anywhere that could get damp, such as in a cupboard above the kettle or next to a window that’s prone to condensation, or too hot, such as in a cupboard over the oven.
5. Make sure the kit is clearly labelled so anyone can locate it in an emergency.

Holiday first aid kit
In addition to your travel first aid kit make sure that you have the correct immunisations for your destination(s). Check with your doctor about what you might need and leave plenty of time as immunisations must be administered over several weeks.
It is well worth taking a comprehensive first aid kit with you when travelling, especially if you are going to remote areas, taking small children along or planning to engage in outdoor or sporting activities.

Travel first aid kit
You can buy a first aid kit specially for travel, or you can make up your own. Remember to include sufficient items for the size of your group and length of your trip.
As well as the dressings and other basic items listed in the standard first aid kit, it may be helpful to take:
- first aid book or leaflet
- thermometer
- wound-closure strips (‘steri-strips’) or plasters
- vinegar – for jellyfish stings (small plastic catering sachets are ideal)
- rehydrating solution – for food poisoning and traveller’s diarrhoea
- medicine spoon or medicine syringe (to measure fluids) – if travelling with babies or small children
- sunburn-relief spray or cream
- insect-bite/sting-relief ointment
- eye-flushing solution or sterile water
- chemical ice-pack
- chemical hot-pack

Additional items that may be useful:

Caution:
- Never give aspirin to a child under 16.
- Always label medicines and keep a copy of the prescription for any prescribed medications.
- Do not pack scissors, needles or sharp implements in hand luggage – but don’t send vital medicines through the hold.
- Remember that in some countries certain medicines may be illegal, for example codeine (present in some painkillers and anti-diarrhoea medicines).
- sunscreen
- insect repellent
- water-sterilising tablets
- torch
- string or dental floss (very strong – has multiple uses)

Medicines for minor ailments
As finding a doctor in a foreign country can be difficult – and may involve a language barrier – it is a good idea when travelling to take a few basic medicines to deal with minor conditions. These include:
- mild painkillers – paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen
- anti-inflammatory and anti-fever medicine – aspirin, ibuprofen
- antihistamine cream – for insect bites and minor allergies
- anti-diarrhoea medication
- decongestant spray
- cough and cold remedies

Sterile supplies
In some parts of the world it is advisable to take sterile supplies for use by local medical personnel in case you are in an accident. These include:
- syringes and needles
- drip needle
- sterile suture kit