Building a Real Home First-Aid Kit

Most homes have a first-aid kit: a small box of adhesive bandages and some antibiotic ointment. That's fine for scraped knees. It's not enough when someone cuts their hand badly with a saw, falls on the ice, or gets hurt when roads are closed and an ambulance is slow to arrive.

A real home kit doesn't have to be expensive. Here's what to put in it.

01Bleeding control

Serious bleeding is the injury that can kill someone before help arrives. Your kit should have:

• A tourniquet (a commercial, windlass-style model from a reputable maker). Practice with it.
• Hemostatic or plain gauze for packing a wound.
• Pressure bandages (an "Israeli" style bandage or similar).
• Medical gloves.

Take a Stop the Bleed class. They're short, often free, and teach you how to use these tools. Training matters more than gear.

02Wound care

• Adhesive bandages in several sizes
• Gauze pads and rolled gauze
• Medical tape
• Butterfly closures or wound-closure strips
• Saline or clean water for rinsing wounds
• Antibiotic ointment
• Elastic bandages (for sprains)
• Trauma shears and tweezers
• A few large dressings for burns or big scrapes

03Burns

• Burn gel or burn dressings
• Clean, non-stick dressings
• Cool water first, always. Never ice, butter or ointment on a fresh burn.

04Sprains, breaks and splints

• Elastic bandages
• A SAM-style moldable splint
• Triangular bandages (for slings)
• Instant cold packs

05Medicines

Ask your doctor or pharmacist what's right for your family, and follow the labels.

• Pain and fever relievers
• Antihistamine for allergic reactions
• Anti-diarrhea medicine and oral rehydration salts
• Antacids
• Hydrocortisone cream
• An epinephrine auto-injector if anyone has a severe allergy (prescription)
• Extra supply of everyone's prescriptions, as your pharmacist and insurance allow

Check dates every six months and replace anything expired.

06Tools and extras

• A good flashlight or headlamp
• A thermometer
• A blood pressure cuff and pulse oximeter (helpful for older family members)
• A CPR face shield
• Hand sanitizer
• Emergency blanket
• A first-aid manual or printed guide

07Where to keep it

• One main kit in a central spot everyone knows.
• A smaller kit in each car. See winter car kit.
• A small kit in your bug-out bag.

08Training beats gear

The most useful thing you can add to your kit isn't in a box: it's knowing how to use it. Take a basic first-aid and CPR class through the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, and a Stop the Bleed course.

09Know when to call 911

A first-aid kit is for what you can handle until help arrives, or what doesn't need a doctor. For chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, head injuries, or anything that scares you, call 911.

A real first-aid kit sits in the closet for years, but on the day you need it, it's the most important thing in your house.

Photo: First Aid Kit for Immediate Emergency Response 01 by ABORISADEADETONA, CC0.