I’ve been working on putting together a small collection of items that constitute a sort of all purpose first-aid kit. Not necessarily first-aid, but useful stuff. Just a couple of each. Takes up very little space, but I’ve used these things many times.
Maybe a list of what’s in there already will be useful in giving you the idea, some stuff is prescription:
[ul]
[li] Ibuprofen (Advil)[/li][li] Acetaminophen (Tylenol)[/li][li] Naproxen (Aleve)[/li][li] Aspirin[/li][li] Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)[/li][li] NyQuil gellcaps [/li][li] Benadryl [/li][li] Ear plugs[/li][li] Breath Right nose strips[/li][li] Pepcid Acid Reducer[/li][li] Tums[/li][li] Band-aids[/li][li] Lorazepam (anti-anxiety)[/li][li] Cipro[/li]
[/ul]
Would love suggestions for more stuff to add. Pills are better than liquids/creams in my mind because they’re smaller (you can just stock it with like 6 pills). Doesn’t have to just be medicine either (the ear plugs, bandaids, and breath right strips come in handy)
Excedrin (for the caffeine. It’s Aspirin, Acetaminophen, and caffeine)
Nasal spray. In the 1/2oz spray pump bottle.
Ace Bandage
“Instant cold” pack.
Popsicle sticks. (Finger splints, use as a tongue depressor, etc.)
Medical tape.
Matches
Candle stub
Whistle
Compass
LED Flashlight
I’m assuming this is for personal use, not intended for general household use, as Lorazepam and Cipro are prescription drugs in most jurisdictions: giving them to others is, technically, illegal, not to mention a bad idea if you don’t know what - if any - other meds people might be taking. Be very, very careful about how a kit containing prescription medication is used.
I’d add dimenhydrinate (Gravol/Dramamine) and loperamide (Immodium) to the list as well.
-Hard candies (in case of low blood sugar incident)
-Rubbing Alcohol
-Peroxide or Betadine or other antiseptic cleanser that can go right on an open wound. I think Betadine comes in the smallest container.
-Triple antibiotic ointment
-Large gauze pads (goes with the medical tape)
-Self-adhesive flexible bandage wrap (aka Vetrap, BTW there is no difference between the human and animal versions, except you get more for less money in veterinary grade.)
If you can get an Epi-Pen, it’s a good addition - I know a guy who goes hiking a good bit who had his doctor write one so he’d have one on hand if, out in the middle of nowhere with no hope of rescue, somebody found out the hard way they were allergic to bee stings or something.
ETA - recall that a lot of these things do expire, and you should check any kits like this on a regular basis to make sure they’re still useful.
Where are you planning on using this FA kit? Is this for around the house? In your car? Carrying while hiking/skiing/biking? You would tailor your FA kit for your needs.
Are you trained in any First Aid? If not, that would limit what you can deal with. Do you want to be able to address trauma (big cuts, head injuries, broken bones), illness (insulin shock, severe allergies), environmental issues (hypothermia, heat stroke, frostbite), etc?
My first aid kit always includes non-latex gloves for dealing with bodily fluids. I’d never treat someone without them.
ETA - Epi-pens expire every 1-2 years, so it’s not really practical to keep them stocked unless you have a prescription for yourself. I have a prescription (bee sting allergies) and always carry two epi-pens plus Benedryl when I’m hiking.
The same friend who hikes a lot alone also doesn’t actually carry a “first aid kit” - he says he carries a “last aid kit”, and that his planning is to get you out alive if something really serious happens. He carries stuff like a suture kit.
Occasional exposure under first aid situations for laypersons is a trivial risk, the primary reason for gloves is cross contamination between multiple patients via care providers.
I see you have Benadryl, and someone mentioned an epi-pen. If you can’t get an epi-pen, buying children’s formula liquid Benadryl is good. If someone has a severe allergic reaction, liquid will go to work faster and could save his life. An epi-pen is superhero caliber, though–one of those things that, if needed, is really, really worth the investment.
That is not the case when dealing with trauma or illness. In Wilderness First Aid (which I take every two years because I lead trips in the backcountry) they emphasize protection from bodily fluids. Blood, piss, shit, and vomit are all real possibilities when dealing with F/A. If this kit is for around the house it’s probably OK, but still easy to slip in the kit. If you are talking about taking it in the car where you might have to deal with a car accident injury, I’m definitely bringing my gloves.
Gloves are cheap and easy to carry, catching a lifelong illness is a high price to pay for doing a good dead.
There considerable risks involved with injecting epinephrine if you don’t know what you’re doing; in particular it shouldn’t be administered intravenously and caution should be used with patients who have a history of heart problems or who may be pregnant. Adult doses could kill a child or underweight adult. I realize that these are deep woods, extreme circumstance situations that are being discussed here, but I still think no one should be considering carrying one of these around and administering it without full first-aid training.
A single dose of Tylenol is unlikely to kill anyone and is hard to mess up the administration of it. A single dose of epinephrine, administered incorrectly, could kill, and do so rather quickly.
I know I’m kind of harping on this stuff, and I apologize for that, but I’m not really comfortable with people recommending prescription drugs for a general first aid kid. It’s just bad advice, IMHO.
Sounds dumb, but a travel size roll of toilet paper. Kleenex in a purse pack.
Activated charcoal. Alcohol swabs. Tweezers. Nail Clippers. Needle and thread. Snap glow stick. Batteries. Crank radio or transistor radio (do they still make them???) Syrup of ipecac. Butterfly bandages. Cotton swabs. Ace bandage. Roll of gauze. Washcloths or small towel. Small bottles of water. Travel toothbrush and toothpaste. Small bottle of listerine (the gold stuff that is antiseptic).
If I’m going into anaphylaxis and I don’t have access to epinephrine I’m not going to make it out of the woods. I may not be able to give myself a shot, but epi-pens are pretty simple. I’ve instructed the people I regularly hike with how to give me the shot. They’re pretty much all trained in Wilderness F/A as well but I’ve shown others how to use it as well.
Regular folks are not authorized to give anyone medicine, but in an emergency with no hope of quick medical attention I would certainly consider it. If I know someone is going into a serious allergic reaction and the person is able to communicate some basic information or consent, and I have an epi-pen I’m probably going to try it. I understand that I’m not going to be covered by Good Samaritan laws but I’m willing to accept the consequences in that situation.
But if you’re not planning to be in the backcountry this is all pretty moot. If help can be reached, calling 911 in that situation is a much better plan. I completely agree that unless you have need of an Epi-Pen, don’t get a prescription for one. It’s not a general purpose medicine for an untrained person.
Because Tony’s job often takes him into potentially dangerous situations in pretty rural areas, he keeps a pretty good first aid kit in the car. The latest things added to the kit: clotting powder (I don’t know what it’s marketed as, but we found it at Publix for about $8 per packet,) several super duper absorbency sanitary pads (fast and effective wound dressing,) and super glue (pretty identical to surgical wound closing glue, cheap and readily available.
There’s also basic stuff, like gauze, tape, tweezers, Bandaids, liquid bandage, antibiotic salve, hand sanitizer, OTC analgesics, Benadryl, non-latex gloves, ace bandages, cold packs, anti-diarrheal meds, etc. Plus a few things specifically for K9 first aid, like hydrogen peroxide and a syringe (as an emetic - in case the dog ingests something bad,)and some prescription pain meds.
The home kit is pretty similar, and both kits include pediatric versions of analgesics, allergy meds, and such.
In my experience Naproxen is stronger than aspirin, but requires a few doses to build up to full strength. Also taking Aspirin and Naproxen together is contra indicated.
For a first aid kit, I would go with Aspirin (500 or 650 mg) and leave the Naproxen at home.
Aspirin should always be on hand in case of a suspected heart attack.
If you can find a professional first aid supply company like Zee Medical buy your supplies from them. You can get the pills wrapped in single dose packages, and their cloth fabric bandages are the only thing I have ever found that will hold up to a 7 year old child.
Seriously, my FA supplies come from Zee or another company like them.
