First Aid Kits - You Don"t Need Them Till You Do

An ounce of prevention can make a world of difference.
Most people don't think about first aid kits until they actually need them.
This can lead to major health problems, so get yours together now.
The type of first aid supplies you will need to have will depend on the situation you are going to be in.
Your home first aid kit will definitely be larger than a kit for your car, and a kit for outdoor activities will also contain different supplies.
There are some basics that should be in any kit however, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that every family have at least two first aid kits no matter what activities they are involved in.
Many stores stock first aid kits and supplies that are pre-assembled, but if you want to purchase your own items there are some that are highly recommended.
First of all, you should have a case that you can easily get to, and that is water tight in case of emergencies involving flood, or if you are planning to take your first aid kit with you on outdoor excursions.
Stock it with some adhesive bandages (Band Aids) of assorted sizes.
You will also want to put in some different sizes of sterile gauze pads, and some sterile gauze rolls - for bigger injuries.
Adhesive medical tape is also a must.
You will need something to clean wounds with, so some pre-moistened towelettes, some antiseptic (like alcohol) and some sort of cleaner like soap will be needed.
For hardware, you'll need a thermometer, needle, tweezers, scissors, latex gloves and some safety pins.
First aid supplies should also include some medicines - such as antibiotic ointment, petroleum jelly and sunscreen.
For those incidents that don't involve the skin, you might want to pack some pain reliever, anti-diarrheal medication and antacids.
Some kits also include laxatives, syrup of Ipecac (to induce vomiting) and activated charcoal tablets.
While all of these items may not be necessary in every kit, this is a good guideline to follow for supplies.
FEMA doesn't make mention of the types of supplies that are needed for outdoorspeople, but they are generally the same.
You may not need as much of each supply, but you will want to make sure that you have plenty of bandages, antiseptic and other items to bandage scrapes.
The anti-diarrheal can be very important, and don't forget to pack the extra sunscreen.