The answer will always be yes, you should have one that is fully stocked. The reason you need a portable first-aid kit is that it can literally save your life if needed. There are many kits on the market today but do you really trust they all work? Stocking up on some band-aids and sterile gauze is not going to help much if someone gets severely injured. That’s why having a high-quality portable first-aid kit is important so you know it has everything required to help someone in an emergency situation.
The most common injuries that occur are soft tissue injuries like cuts and scrapes, fractures, dislocations, heat burns, insect bites, or stings. Some of these accidents may require stitches or pain medication to ease the pain. If you try to treat these injuries with just a few band-aids and some over-the-counter medications, then it may not be sufficient as the injury becomes infected or worsens.
If someone is in shock, unconscious, has severe bleeding, or sprays blood in your face when you are caring for them, they need CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) immediately. Aside from the training you get from Richmond Hill CPR Course, you will also need an automated external defibrillator ASAP if they have stopped breathing. This type of equipment can shock their heart back into a healthy rhythm. It’s important that you know how to operate this device properly because in an emergency situation there won’t be time to read the instructions which takes too much time that could be vital for saving someone’s life.
Every portable first-aid kit should have an automated external defibrillator with all the proper training in operating it. You need to know how to perform CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation when someone’s heart has stopped beating. If you are not trained in this method, you can really cause more harm than good by putting too much pressure on your chest during this process.
There are many other medical supplies that could be in your kit for other accidents that may occur including insect bites or stings, broken bones, heat exhaustion, diabetic emergencies, seizures, and allergy reactions to name a few. Every type of injury is different so it needs to be treated accordingly depending on what happened and how severe the damage is.
First Aid Supplies You Should Have in Your Portable Kit
Antiseptic wipes, towelettes, or pads for cleaning wounds
Adhesive First-aid tape for wrapping injuries. This needs to be something that sticks well and won’t fall off when you play sports or work out.
Gauze sponges of varying sizes for applying pressure on open injuries
First aid cream to relieve pain from minor burns or bee stings
Syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting in case someone ingests poison or a drug overdose
Small pair of tweezers to remove debris from wounds if necessary
Safety pins for holding your bandages in place
A blanket in case someone gets hypothermia or shock
Over the counter medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and antihistamines
All these items would be great for a portable first-aid kit and much more. But if you don’t have all this equipment available to treat someone properly, then it isn’t worth having around. You need to know what you are doing when using this equipment because in an emergency situation there won’t be time to read the instructions which takes too much time that could be vital for saving someone’s life.
CPR breathing barrier such as a face shield to perform CPR on someone who is unconscious
This way they can breathe easily until we arrive with our AED. If their heart has stopped beating completely, you can use this CPR breathing barrier to put a clear plastic shield over their mouth and nose to make an airway for them to breathe through. You would need to blow into the device as it tells you on its screen, every 30 seconds with no more than 2 breaths before it has a voice prompt telling you what button to push next. It gives very detailed instructions on how to do everything, so that is why it’s important that you know how to operate this device properly.
Gloves for medical procedures
A signal mirror which can be used to signal aircraft or vehicles
Large trauma shears for cutting clothes off of people who have been involved in an accident
In an emergency situation where someone is badly injured, a trauma shear can cut through clothing quickly to see the full extent of their injuries. These shears are also good for just snipping fabric when you don’t have any scissors available.
Sunscreen and bug repellant
In case situations get worse, it’s always best to be prepared with sunscreen and bug repellant in your first aid kit because they might be needed during an emergency even if you think you won’t need them. Who knows what could happen out there? There aren’t going to be stored nearby in a survival situation so this is why it’s important to make sure that your portable first-aid kit is fully stocked with everything you will need to treat different types of medical emergencies.