A well-stocked first aid kit is a handy thing to have. To be prepared for emergencies:
- Keep a first aid kit in your home and in your car.
- Carry a first aid kit with you or know where you can find one.
- Find out the location of first aid kits where you work.
First aid kits come in many shapes and sizes. Your local drug store may sell them. You can also make your own. Some kits are designed for specific activities, such as hiking, camping or boating.
The American Red Cross recommends the following items for a family of four:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 blanket (space blanket)
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
- Scissors
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
- 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First aid instruction booklet
Source: The American Red Cross – Anatomy of a First Aid Kit