Accidents happen all the time, and this can cause panic when you are not prepared. We cannot decide who gets a minor injury baking in the kitchen or a major cut in the garden. Although we cannot plan for them, we can stay prepared as best as possible. Many common, minor injuries can be fixed with a few essentials if you are prepared. When you work in the medical field, you must have diagnostic specialty kits ready for any emergency. These are just a few of the medical supplies you should have in your medical emergency kit.
A Thermometer
Yes, a person’s “normal” body temperature can change a little throughout the day. But a sudden temperature rise could be a sign of illness or infection. Keeping a thermometer close by in your emergency kit can help you check and monitor yourself or a family member. And if there’s a fever, you can be sure what to do next.
Antiseptic
Cuts, scrapes, and bites are the order of the day with kids around. And they should be cleaned right away to avoid getting an infection or irritating the skin. Keep antibacterial soap, hydrogen peroxide, and antibiotic ointment in your med kit.
Remember that before you treat a wound, you should wash your hands with soap. Do this before proceeding to clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide.
Instant Hot and Cold Packs
You can still bump your head, slip, trip, and fall at home. These wounds can be painful. Instant heat and cold packs can help if you don’t have any ice packs in your freezer. And if your power goes out and you can’t use your microwave, they can come in handy too. Even though you store them at room temperature, all they need is a squeeze to work. The water and salt mix inside the pack can start a reaction that warms or cools.
Bandages and Wraps
Every med kit should have bandages and wraps; there is no debate about it. If you have the right bandages, you may treat minor wounds at home and avoid a trip to the doctor.
Use:
- sticky bandages and gauze for deeper cuts,
- an aluminum splint to support damaged or sprained limbs,
- athletic tape to protect sensitive or tender joints
All of these can help you treat and stop bleeding.
Prescription Medication
Keep a week’s worth of prescription medications on hand. Keep a small supply of your regular prescriptions at home in case of snowfall, hurricanes, or earthquakes. Your package should also have a current medication list and dose instructions.
Customize Your Kit
Consider what your family needs the most for health care when putting together a med kit. For instance:
- If someone in your family has a severe allergy, pack antihistamines, and an epinephrine injector
- If you have elderly family members with sensitive skin, you might want to include a roll of paper tape.
- If you or someone in your family has diabetes, include a juice box, glucose tablets, gels, and a glucagon emergency injection kit.
- If someone with coronary artery disease is not allergic to aspirin, baby aspirin that they can chew might help.
These are just a few of the most important things you should keep in your medical emergency kit. When you are looking for the right medical supplies for everything from diagnostic specialty kits to laboratory supplies, contact BioSafe Supplies LLC to hear more today.
