Building a home first aid kit that is actually useful

Most households deal with small injuries far more often than emergencies: a cut finger, a scraped knee, a minor burn. Having the right supplies to hand, and knowing what not to do, makes a real difference.

The basics worth having

• Assorted plasters and sterile gauze dressings
• A roll of adhesive tape and a crepe bandage
• Antiseptic solution and clean cotton wool
• Disposable gloves
• Scissors and tweezers
• A digital thermometer
• Paracetamol for adults and a children’s formulation if you have young children
• Oral rehydration salts
• Any regular medicines for household members, with spares not yet opened
• A torch, and a written list of emergency numbers

Cleaning a wound properly

Wash your hands, then rinse the wound under clean running water to remove dirt. Pat it dry, apply antiseptic, and cover with a sterile dressing. Change the dressing if it becomes wet or dirty. Watch for spreading redness, swelling, increasing pain, pus or fever, which suggest infection and need review.

Burns: cool water, nothing else

Hold a minor burn under cool running water for about twenty minutes, then cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy dressing or cling film. Do not apply butter, oil, toothpaste or ash, and do not burst blisters. Burns that are larger than the person’s palm, deep, or on the face, hands, feet or genitals need medical care, as do all burns in babies.

Nosebleeds

Sit upright and lean forward, pinching the soft part of the nose for ten minutes without releasing to check. Leaning back sends blood down the throat. If bleeding continues beyond twenty minutes, or follows a head injury, seek care.

Rehydration for diarrhoea or vomiting

Oral rehydration salts mixed exactly as instructed replace both water and salts. Give small amounts frequently rather than large amounts at once. This matters most for children and older adults, who become dehydrated quickly.

Know when not to manage it at home

Call for emergency help or go straight to hospital for: difficulty breathing, chest pain, heavy bleeding that will not stop, a seizure, loss of consciousness, suspected poisoning, a serious head injury, or a snake bite. In these situations, first aid is about keeping the person safe and getting them to care quickly.

Keep it maintained

Check the kit every few months. Replace what you have used and anything expired. Store it where adults can reach it quickly but children cannot, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is.