What’s in your First Aid kit?

BURNS
If the burn is larger than your hand or due to electricity/chemicals you should take them to casualty. Burns need to be irrigated with cold water before dressing. If the pain continues, cover with a Burn Shield for eight hours. Cover blisters with a clear dressing. After three days cut the blister skin off and redress with clear dressing until healed. Plastic wrap is a good temporary cover to minimise pain and exposure to bacteria. Burn shields are great cooling agents, but must be removed after eight hours.

ABRASIONS (Broken skin)

If the abrasions are large or in multiple areas or on the hands, face or feet, go to casualty. Cover with an absorbent/non-stick pad and a transparent dressing (this will absorb the fluid but keep the open area moist). When the dressing is full of fluid replace. When changing dressings irrigate the area well, dry the wound and surrounding skin to allow dressing to stick. What to use: Non-adherent gauze; transparent dressing (to cover the non-adherent dressing – make sure it is bigger than the dressing).

LACERATIONS (Clear cuts through skin)

Not all lacerations need to be sutured, but often the cosmetic outcome is better with stitches or skin glue. If there is a loss of function to the area or it is on the scalp, take to casualty or a GP. If it is very deep and edges do not approximate well, take to casualty or GP. If it’s superficial apply Leucostrips/Steristrips across both edges approximating the edges with a little pull. They should overlap to provide good support from end to end.

SPLINTERS

Remove with a needle. If it becomes red and painful allow to drain and then clean well. If difficult seek medical advice.
REMEMBER: 

*  Bites or lacerations from dirty instruments/chemicals: If the area becomes increasingly painful and red and there is substantial fluid leaking, see a GP or go to casualty.

*  When it comes to sprains and fractures, support with bandages and seek medical advice.

*  Medication should be kept in a separate kit to dressings and plasters to limit children having access.

What should be in your FIRST AID kit? 

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Needles 18g and 22g
• Syringes 5ml and 10ml
• Savlon liquid
• Anthisan cream
• Plastic wrap
• Plastic transparent dressings
• Burn Shield
• Non-adherent gauze – various sizes
• Transparent dressing – various sizes
• Steristrips/Leucostrips – various sizes
• Elastic (tensor) bandage 7.5cm and 10cm – wrapping areas with tension
• Elastic conforming bandage same sizes – wrapping on other products
• Elastic self-adhesive bandage same sizes – wrapping without the need for tapes
• Tapes: Paper tape / Plastic tape. Various sizes of Plasters for the littles ones!
• All openings in the skin can be cleaned/irrigated with clean water and Savlon when it is adirty wound (trauma/abrasion etc) as soon as possible to clear foreign bodies and potential bacteria.