What should a home first aid kit contain? 15 essential things

What should a home first aid kit contain is a question that we’ve probably all asked ourselves at some point in our lives, and we likely still have uncertainty about whether what we have at home is sufficient. After all, who hasn’t seen a first aid kit at work or school that’s always full because it’s not used frequently or contains items we have no idea how to use? That’s why in this post, we’ll discuss what things and medications you should have in your home. We’ll let you know that it doesn’t need to look like the ones in movies or the ones found in schools.

Why is the first aid kit never used?

Reviewing articles from sources like the Red Cross, CDC, or the Mayo Clinic, we realized that they recommend having items like a mask, a first aid manual, or medications like adrenaline. You’ve probably already imagined that it’s not a good idea to start reading a manual on how to perform CPR or use adrenaline if you’re already in the middle of a situation. These topics take time to prepare for, learn, and then use, so we should only keep the most essential items at home. Lastly, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a real emergency at home, but it’s always good to be prepared.

What should be in a home first aid kit?

I believe that starting with a simple home first aid kit with items for basic use is a good way to begin. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have medications like adrenaline, but if you don’t know the dosage or administration method, it’s highly unlikely you’ll use it in an emergency.

Simple home first aid kit – a list of essential items to have at home:

1. First things first: the box or container where you’ll store the essential items of the first aid kit could be a transparent container, a cardboard box, or a more professional one that comes with a lock and is made of metal. According to the Red Cross, the important thing is that everyone knows where it is and that it’s out of reach of children.
2. Hand sanitizer – as with any procedure and as a primary measure to prevent infection transmission, it’s always important to wash your hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water.
3. Latex or vinyl gloves if someone in the family is allergic to latex: usually, they aren’t necessary for procedures that don’t involve direct contact with blood or fluids, but they have a long shelf life, so it’s a good idea to have about 4 pairs just in case.
4. Alcohol wipes – in case you need to administer an injection (if you know the proper technique).
5. About 2 hemostatic bandages – these are special bandages applied to bleeding wounds, some contain substances to stop bleeding.
6. Elastic bandages – these are used to apply pressure without the need to use your hand on the wound. They can also be used to secure gauze or assist with various other tasks. They don’t, however, work for immobilization or fractures.
7. Antiseptic – one of the most important items, generally used to clean a wound and cover it before seeking further medical attention. “Microdacyn” could be a useful one to have at home.
8. Gauze – helps cover wounds to keep them cleaner. These are used up quickly, so it’s recommended to have at least 2 packs of gauze, or you could have packs of 100. You might use a minimum of 5 per wound for cleaning, disinfecting, and covering.
9. Scissors – for cutting adhesive fabric, bandages, or other items that need to be cut.
10. Adhesive fabric – helps keep the gauze in place or even close the edges of the skin to close a wound (although there are much better ways to do this).
11. Glucose meter (or a device to check blood sugar) – “Accu-Check” is a common one you can find in pharmacies, but it’s recommended to check which ones are available at your nearest pharmacy since they might not carry spare parts for less common brands.
12. Automated blood pressure monitor – there are various options, with OMRON still being one of the most common brands. They offer advanced options with Bluetooth, more affordable ones, and models approved by the World Health Organization. There’s a list of which ones can be used and considered valid; you can find it here and here. It’s important that they are validated devices because they allow you to use them at home and trust the measurements without having to verify with a healthcare professional.
13. Thermometer – it could be any of the ones sold on Amazon, but infrared ones placed on the forehead are not as reliable, so it’s recommended to have one that makes direct contact with the body. Always take the temperature when you suspect an infection; simply placing your hand on the person and saying, “Oh, you feel warm,” doesn’t help the doctors. We need a precise reading for more accurate diagnoses.
14. Oximeter – after the pandemic, it became important to have one on hand. It provides information about the body’s oxygen levels and heart rate. Keep in mind that there are different types for children and adults.
15. Heating pad or bag for local heat application – this is useful in case of muscle pain lasting more than 2 days. As explained in our post, heat helps alleviate muscle discomfort.
16. Medications – for more information, scroll down.

What medications can we have in the home first aid kit and actually use?

It’s usually convenient to have these medications at home; however, it’s important to understand that we should first seek medical advice. In case, for some reason, it’s not possible to do so, we could consider using one of these medications, but we should always aim to consult with a healthcare professional. The exception to this rule is children under 5 years old. For them, we should always seek medical consultation or go to the emergency room for evaluation, preferably to the emergency room if it’s something that can’t wait, such as respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, falls, or accidents.

Routine Medications that should be in the Home First Aid Kit

• Acetominophen: The typical medicine that people make fun of. But the truth is that there isn’t one that causes fewer allergies, is as well-tolerated, universally available, and also cheap. It helps with pain or fever.
• Ibuprofen: Similar to paracetamol, it helps with pain and fever. It’s used when someone is allergic to paracetamol (which is quite rare).
• Difenidol: for vomiting
• Diarrhea: For diarrhea, there are also options. The most common ones are loperamide or hidrasec.
• For cough: Usually, you can ask at the nearest pharmacy for available cough medicines.
• For the flu: These are the famous cold remedies (without the antiviral, which is no longer effective for most viral infections).
• Antacids: Aluminum and magnesium antacids are among the most widely used and are available in almost any pharmacy.
• Calamine lotion: It’s a cream (though it also exists in gel form) that helps reduce itching on the skin, for example, in mosquito bites or allergies.

Specific Medications

These are medications that people with certain medical conditions should have at home in case of emergencies. However, they should always go to the emergency room for evaluation. We won’t provide specific names here to avoid people purchasing them unnecessarily; individuals with these diagnoses already know what they are.

• Asthma: The famous inhalers. Patients with asthma should always have at least one “rescue” inhaler because if they use one that is not fast-acting, it won’t really help.
• High blood pressure: We should always have medication on hand to avoid missing a dose. IMPORTANT: Nothing should be taken sublingually, as it has been shown to be harmful and could even cause a significant drop in blood pressure, causing further harm.
• Seizures: Patients with epilepsy should have medications for control, and in case their family members are familiar and educated about it, they should also have other medications to stop seizures.
• Diabetes: More than medication, they should have a device to measure blood sugar levels and determine if the person’s blood sugar is too low or too high. These individuals should always go to the emergency room if they feel unwell.

Finally, we leave you a link to our article about Amazon products that might interest you for completing your first aid kit.

Conclusion

First aid kits are essential in our homes, whether we have a specific place and box for them or not. However, it’s important to know that filling it with professional-use items is not always a good idea (such as sutures, masks, or specialized medications). We need to strike a balance between things we can handle at home and things that require evaluation in an emergency room. Always aim to stabilize the emergency as best as possible, keeping in mind that the quicker we get professional medical attention, the better chance we have of a favorable outcome.