t 4 kis Tips For Assembling An Effective First Aid Kit (NAPS)—Accidents can happen to anyone almost anywhere. It is important that every home, and especially those with children, have a first aid kit on hand in case of accidental injuries. “Appropriate members of the household should know where the kit is stored and how to use each item,” said Greg Walker, MD, of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “The ‘how to’ part is critical—buy a first aid manual andread it thoroughly. The items in the kit will be oflittle use unless you know how to use them.” The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends including the following items in your Home First Aid Kit, all of which are available from your local pharmacy. For the kit itself, ACEP suggests choosing a container that is clean, roomy, durable, easy to carry and simple to The American College of Emergency Physicians suggests that these items be in your HomeFirst Aid Kit: Acetaminophen,ibuprofen and aspirin tablets (Aspirin should not be used to relieve flu symptomsor be taken by children.) Cough Suppressant Antihistamine Decongestanttablets Oral medicine syringe(for children) Activated Charcoal and Syrupof Ipecac (Use only on the advice of a Poison Control Center, physician or emergency department.) Bandagesof assorted sizes Bandageclosures; safety pins Triangular bandage open—for instance, a tote bag. Medicines should be stored in their proper containers and prop- Elastic wraps Gauze and adhesive tapes e Sharp scissors with rounded tips erly marked with dosage and instructions on how and when to take them. The kit should also include a list of the contents it contains. In Antiseptic wipes Antibiotic ointment Hydrogen peroxide addition, keep in the kit emergency phone numbersfor the fam- Disposable, instant-activating cold packs Tweezers @ ily physician and pediatrician, and the regional Poison Control Center. If 911 is not available, include phone numbers for emer- gency services such as the local police, fire department and ambu- lance service. Also, if family members have life-threatening allergies to food, medications or bee stings, include list of allergies for each family member,as well as medications used by each person. “Remember to store first aid kits in places that children can not reach, but that are easily accessible for adult family mem- bers,” said Dr. Walker. “Also, check the kit regularly to replace missing items and makesure that the items haven’t passed their expiration dates.” ACEPalso recommends taking a first-aid class, learning CPR and always seeking immediate med- ical attention when you needit. For a complete list of recom- mended items for a Home First Aid Kit, visit ACEP’s Website at www.acep.org.
