First Aid kit

Navantkd

Hi,
I need to make up a first aid kit for my club and I was wondering do any of you have recommendations of what may be required.

Thanks
Dave

Andrew_M

1. Cold pack
2. Bandages
3. Antiseptic wipes
4. Plasters
5. Sissors

They are the basic essentials, im sure there is loads of other stuff you could put in, but that will pretty much cover any cuts, bruises or minor sprains

chuckles30

Your local red cross would be able to give you a definitive list of what is needed. Alternatively if you work in a company, you could ask your Health & Safety Rep - they should be able to give you an idea either.

I'm trying to remember back to the first aid course I did a few years back about what else you might need in addition to what Andrew mentioned - you should definitely include some of the medical gloves & probably some cotton wool too. If I think of anything else I'll come back to you.

Andrew_M

Damn,

Forgot about the medical gloves, ah but sure whats a bit of aids between friends:eek:

ninjawitatitude

Hi Dave,
I would also include cold spray and heat spray. Deep cool and deep heat for example. Maybe some anti-inflammatories as well. And plenty of legal waivers.

Kila

A quick google or look in any book store will give you a full list of what's necessary, though you'll probably find you'll never use most of it.

I recently stocked our clubs first aid box - we have all the standard required stuff (I'll see if I can dig up a list at some point) plus extras for what we actually use. To that end, our box has enough plasters to cover a wall, and lots of coban (an elastic bandage that sticks to itself, only itself, which is great for weak joints, strains and sprains, etc.), and other such things that our club really uses, and just one or two of the things that you're supposed to have (e.g. triangle bandage).

I'd say, judge what your club is likely to need, and invest in that first. Its likely that no one will miss the more obscure stuff (like the several different type of bandages, most of which can be replaced by something like coban).

Kila

Ohh, also, look into chemical heat and ice packs - i.e. you shake them and they turn into an ice or heat pack.

I had trouble finding the heat packs from first aid suppliers, but the handwarmers they sell in loads of stores will do just fine (the ones where you click the metal tab inside, and they crystallise and go warm in seconds).

Don't include any kind of drugs, you're not authorised to give them (even over the counter stuff) and can get in a load of trouble if someone has a reaction to them.

Its worth getting the gloves, and also a revive-aid - a mouth guard for mouth-to-mouth resussitation. It might never come up, but I'd rather have it than want it, and a disposable one (after 1 use) will set you back less than €10.

Hit the yellow pages for a list of suppliers, and see what kind of deals you can get. You'll get things cheaper than if you go to a pharmacy or boots or some such.

Musashi

The basics are top of the list, loads of plasters and surgical tape! Then you can get fancy with Ambulance dressings in various sizes and eye dressings (eye pokes can scratch the cornea). NO DRUGS, your a First Aider not a Doctor! And as was mentioned earlier, an allergic reaction can get you sued! Elastic and Triangular bandages are good, I like to have some Flammazine for burns, any Tea Tree dressings are good also. For CPR or EAR a Lairdale mask would be the business, about a tenner I think? Failing that a single use mask is better than nothing!
And none of this is any use without training! Get your company to send you on an Occupational First Aider course, basics are the meat of First Aid, it's not "E.R." lads. We got to train on a defibrillator through work so it's well worth getting And my wife has had numerous "crash" situations and tells me rarely a patient survives, so don't be too surprised if someone doesn't "rise from the dead" after you apply CPR. Even for the Pros it's a low percentage effort.

Naos

Ducttape, half of the solution to all lifes worries.

"If it moves and it shouldnt, use Ducttape
If it doesn't move and it should, use wd40"