Airway, Breathing and Circulation

First aid treats the ABCs as the foundation of good treatment. For this reason, most modern commercial first aid kits (although not necessarily those assembled at home) will contain a suitable infection barrier for performing artificial respiration as part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, examples include:

Advanced first aid kits may also contain items such as:

Trauma injuries

Trauma injuries, such as bleeding, bone fractures or burns, are usually the main focus of most first aid kits, with items such as bandages and dressings being found in the vast majority of all kits.

Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters) - can include ones shaped for particular body parts, such as knuckles
- Moleskin- for blister treatment and prevention
Dressings (sterile, applied directly to the wound)
- Sterile eye pads
- Sterile gauze pads
- Sterile non-adherent pads, containing a non-stick teflon layer
- Petrolatum gauze pads, used as an occlusive ( air-tight) dressing for sucking chest wounds, as well as a non-stick dressing
Bandages (for securing dressings, not necessarily sterile)
- Gauze roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
- Elastic bandages - used for sprains, and pressure bandages
- Adhesive, elastic roller bandages (commonly called 'Vet wrap') - very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging
- Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses
Butterfly closure strips - used like stitches to close wounds, usually only included for higher level response as can seal in infection in uncleaned wounds.
Saline for cleaning wounds or washing out foreign bodies from eyes
soap - used with water to clean superficial wounds once bleeding is stopped
Antiseptic wipes or sprays for reducing the risk of infection in abrasions or around wounds. Dirty wounds must still be cleaned for antiseptics to be effective.
Burn dressing, which is usually a sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel
Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic
Hemostatic agents may be included in first aid kits, especially military or tactical kits, to promote clotting for severe bleeding.

Personal protective equipment

The use of personal protective equipment or PPE will vary by kit, depending on its use and anticipated risk of infection. The adjuncts to artificial respiration are covered above, but other commoninfection control PPE includes:

Gloves which are single use and disposable to prevent cross infection
Goggles or other eye protection
Surgical mask or N95 mask to reduce possibility of airborne infection transmission (sometimes placed on patient instead of caregivers. For this purpose the mask should not have an exhale valve)
Apron

Instruments and equipment

Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use
Scissors are less useful but often included instead
Tweezers
Lighter, for sanitizing tweezers or pliers etc.
alcohol pads for sanitizing equipment, or unbroken skin. This is sometimes used to debride wounds, however some training authorities advise against this as it may kill cells which bacteria can then feed on
Irrigation syringe - with catheter tip for cleaning wounds with sterile water, saline solution, or a weak iodine solution. The stream of liquid flushes out particles of dirt and debris.
Torch (also known as a flashlight)
Instant-acting chemical cold packs
Alcohol rub (hand sanitizer) or antiseptic hand wipes
Thermometer
Space blanket (lightweight plastic foil blanket, also known as "emergency blanket")
Penlight
Cotton swab

Medication

Medication can be a controversial addition to a first aid kit, especially if it is for use on members of the public. It is, however, common for personal or family first aid kits to contain certain medications. Dependent on scope of practice, the main types of medicine are life saving medications, which may be commonly found in first aid kits used by paid or assigned first aiders for members of the public or employees, painkillers, which are often found in personal kits, but may also be found in public provision and lastly symptomatic relief medicines, which are generally only found in personal kits.

Life saving

Aspirin primarily used for central medical chest pain as an anti-coagulant
Epinephrine autoinjector (brand name Epipen) - often included in kits for wilderness use and in places such as summer camps, to treat anaphylactic shock.

Pain killers

Paracetamol (also known as Acetaminophen) is one of the most common pain killing medication, as either tablet or syrup
Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen or other NSAIDs can be used as part of treating sprains and strains
Codeine which is both a painkiller and anti-diarrheal

Symptomatic relief

Anti diarrhea medication such as Loperamide - especially important in remote or third world locations where dehydration caused by diarrhea is a leading killer of children
Oral rehydration salts
Antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine
Poison treatments
- Absorption, such as activated charcoal
- Emetics to induce vomiting, such as syrup of ipecac although first aid manuals now advise against inducing vomiting.
Smelling Salts (ammonium carbonate)

Topical medications

Antiseptic ointment, fluid, moist wipe or spray, including benzalkonium chloride, Neomycin, Polymyxin B Sulfate or Bacitracin Zinc.
- Povidone iodine is an antiseptic in the from of liquid, swabstick, or towelette
Aloe vera gel - used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin; used as a substitute for triple-antibiotic gel to keep a wound moist and prevent bandages from sticking
Burn gel - a water-based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
Anti-itch ointment
- Hydrocortisone cream
- antihistamine cream containing diphenhydramine
- Calamine lotion
Anti-fungal cream
Tincture of benzoin - often in the form of an individually sealed swabstick, protects the skin and aids the adhesion of butterfly strips or adhesive bandages.

Source/read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aid_kit

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