Home Medical/first aid box - what to put in it

[cloudtree]

I'm going through ours this weekend since it has stuff in it from many years ago. I want to make sure its as useful as possible.

Assuming a lot of things might need to be ditched, I thought compiling a definitive list would be good. Would be particularly great if anyone with medical knowledge could also help.

So far I know have in date and still useable

plasters - various sizes
ibuprofen
paracetamol
cold and flu capsules
sting and bite relief
antihistamines
antiseptic cream
gauze
scissors
medical tape
bandage
spray plaster (might need to be thrown)
ankle support tube thing
wrist support tube thing
blister plasters
dioralyte stuff
gaviscon
tick remover
tweezers
witch hazel
cough sweets
cough medicine
antibac hand gel
headlice lotion - hopefully won't be needed now the Dc are older
threadworm tablets - as above
verucca stuff - as above

It seems a bit of a feeble list. What should I add to have a really good first aid kit?

[WinterHeatWave]

Sling.
Couple more crepe bandages
Large, none adhesive dressings (melolin type stuff), with tape.
Maybe some steri strips?
I bought the wrong stuff, but have some cool packs that you snap an inner capsule, and get an ice pack. Might be worth it in a preppers kit?

[WinterHeatWave]

Oops, so maybe a heat pack, or gel for applying heat to strains and sprains? Or hot water bottle.
Ear drops????
Bonjella, or other mouth ulcer stuff

[cloudtree]

Good suggestions thanks. I've just had a brief look (just on my way out and will go through it properly later). I have a tube of anbesol mouth ulcer stuff which is sealed and was never used. dated december 2017. Anyone know if it needs to be chucked or whether it would still be ok?

[cloudtree]

I also have:
vaseline
karvol capsules
vicks
a pack of pro plus from when I was at law school almost 25 years ago! I think these can probably go!!

[PurpleWithRed]

First aid manual (10th edition revised is the latest version I think). See if you can get hold of Hyperfix, it’s brilliant, and to go with that some square non sticky dressings.

[WinterHeatWave]

Some sort of antifungal? Tea tree oil???? Clove oil for teeth???

[TheFlis12345]

An eye bath and eye drops?

[bellinisurge]

All fab suggestions. I had occasion recently to dig out an old "emergency filling" dental kit that I kept for travelling. Clove oil is pretty good too.
But if you are in real excruciating dental pain..... regular trips to the dentist to keep on top of that if you can.

[cloudtree]

Just bought the book second hand. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Percy11]

Wound wipes - Boots do them

[Percy11]

www.boots.com/boots-wound-cleansing-wipes-10-sachets-10230130
These. I bought some earlier.

[bellinisurge]

If your work does a first aid course or you find one done locally by St John's Ambulance, might be an idea to go on it.

[ElyElyOy]

Imodium and prunes/senna for both possible bowel problems!

[JurassicGirl]

Looks like a good supply so far.

My ds has asthma so we also have a sats monitor for checking oxygen levels & a peak flow meter. Have 5 blue inhalers, 3 brown & a spare spacer. I also have a 3 day course of his steroids that were presecribed to us to use over a bank holiday weekend if his condition got worse. It didn't so I saved them.

Dh has high blood pressure so we also have a blood pressure monitor.

Also have germoline, bongela, bazuka, calpol, paracetamol, asprin, vaseline, plasters.

Dh is a first aider at work & we both did a St. Johns Ambulance course a few years ago.

We also have the St.Johns Ambulance app thing on our phones that basically talks you through what to do in first aid situations.

[Heyha]

Goldeneye (I think you can get it over counter) for minor eye problems
Compede
Steristrips

[Heyha]

Voltarol or deep heat if you use it
I have been known to nick Epsom salts from the animal first aid kit for helping draw splinters. In fact my animal first kit has loads more cool stuff in it than the human one...even got a suture kit!

[bellinisurge]

Big fan of Tiger Balm here. Kind of Deep Heat effect. Used it recently several times for aches and sprains. Awesome

[JurassicGirl]

Got some Germoline, kids Piriton, calpol & antiseptic wipes today to add to my stash.

I'm not really keeping it seperate just well stocked.

[JurassicGirl]

Must get Deep Heat! Thanks Bellini

[Snugglepumpkin]

Probably best to google for BS8599-1 compliant first aid kits
e.g.
this lot is from a small kit intended for businesses with over 25 employees in a general high risk environment

8 x Medium Sterile Dressings
2 x Large Sterile Dressing
4 x Triangular Bandages
24 x Safety Pins
4 x Eye Pad Sterile Dressings
100 x Sterile Adhesive Dressings (Plasters)
40 x Sterile Cleansing Wipes
1 x Adhesive Tape
12 x Nitrile Disposable Gloves (Pairs)
4 x Finger Sterile Dressings
2 x Resuscitation Face Shield
3 x Foil Blanket
2 x Hydrogel Burn Dressing
1 x Shears
2 x Conforming Bandage

Then you would still need to add eyewash & eye pads, plus pain killers e.g. Co-codamol.

[cloudtree]

Thanks everyone. I've been buying bits over the past couple of days as I've popped in to different shops.

Ive bought clove oil, a dental repair kit constipation tablets, diarrhoea tablets, vicks, more plasters, heat pack and hyperfix plus more ibuprofen and paracetamol, aspirin and some deep heat. B&M and also Home bargains are very cheap for this sort of stuff.

Book should arrive today.

Been crazily busy with work but am planning on going through it this evening (weekend didn't go to plan!)

[cloudtree]

Still need to get eyedrops.

Have also discovered that a tablet DH takes for a particular condition is actually a broad spectrum antibiotic and my doctor friend has told me that I absolutely mustn't use it for anything else but if I had no other option then it could be used for various things such as bacterial chest infections etc

[AnnieOH1]

I would definitely add burn hydrogel dressings, as well as:

Cohesive bandages
Styptic pencil or powder
A scalpel or packet of razors (the individual blades can be used, as I learned when needed to get rid of half a spider that bit my husband, half because he whacked it off but it left the mouth parts embedded in the skin!)
Cold sore patches - fab in the event of a cut to the lip
Possibly an emergency dental kit
Anbesol liquid can be used as a topic anaesthetic at a push as well as its mouth uses
Any meds that you need aside from standard. I would add in codeine too.
Vicks or Olbas - for colds and bad smell situations
Disposable gloves
Finger cots
Hydrocolloid dressings

Can't think of anything else to add, other than Wilkos have a fab first aid selection with basic bandages at 20p each.

[cloudtree]

More good suggestions. Thank you!

[NoToast]

I stocked mine and tried to think of worst case things to suffer through. I put in cystitis stuff....