My daughter is 6 months and I want to start a first aid kit. What are some essential parts of a first aid kit besides band aids alcohol etc ?

What are poisons?

Poisons are things that can make people sick or even die if they get into the body or onto the skin.

Poisons can be:

chemicals used around the house or garden

drugs or chemicals from plants

found in insects bites or stings

smoke or fumes in the air, which may be breathed into the body

How poisons can get into your body

There are four main ways that poisons can get into the body.

1. Through the mouth and swallowing it.
2. Absorbed through the skin
3. By injection – including bites and stings
4. By breathing in, or inhaling [say in-hay-ling]

If some has been poisoned – through the skin

Some poisons can be absorbed [get into the body] through the skin [eg poisons from some plants, some chemicals used round the garden, and some cleaning powders eg dishwasher powder].

To care for someone who has been in contact with poison:

Immediately wash off that area of their body with lots of water. You can use a fast running tap or hose.

If there is a powder on the skin that might be a poison, brush off the powder – use a tissue or cloth not your hand, then wash the rest of it away.

Dishwasher powders are made more dangerous by water so brush off really carefully before using fast running water which will get the powder off without doing too much harm.

Do not put anything on the affected skin unless you have been told to by the Poisons Information Centre.

If the poison has made the skin red, sore or blistered, your friend needs to be checked by a doctor or nurse.

Sometimes powder or other chemicals can get into the eyes where they can cause a lot of damage.

If someone does get something into his eyes, wash the powder out of the eyes with lots of water and keep on doing this until someone arrives to help you.
If there is no adult around to help, then call for an ambulance and follow the instructions given to you over the phone.

An appointed person is someone who:
0 takes charge when someone is injured or
becomes ill;
0 looks after the first-aid equipment eg restocking
the first-aid container;
0 ensures that an ambulance or other professional
medical help is summoned when appropriate.
022 Appointed persons are not first aiders. They
should not give first aid treatment for which they
have not been trained. However, it is good
practice to ensure that appointed persons have
emergency first aid training/refresher training, as
appropriate. These courses do not require HSE
approval. They normally last four hours and cover
the following topics:
0 what to do in an emergency;
0 cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
0 first aid for the unconscious casualty;
0 first aid for the wounded or bleeding.

Emergency first-aid training should help an
appointed person cope with an emergency and
improve their competence and confidence.

If possible, before you try to stop severe bleeding, wash your hands to avoid infection and put on synthetic gloves. Don’t reposition displaced organs. If the wound is abdominal and organs have been displaced, don’t try to push them back into place. Cover the wound with a dressing.

For other cases of severe bleeding, follow these steps:

1. Have the injured person lie down. If possible, position the person’s head slightly lower than the trunk or elevate the legs. This position reduces the risk of fainting by increasing blood flow to the brain. If possible, elevate the site of bleeding.
2. While wearing gloves, remove any obvious dirt or debris from the wound. Don’t remove any large or more deeply embedded objects. Don’t probe the wound or attempt to clean it at this point. Your principal concern is to stop the bleeding.
3. Apply pressure directly on the wound. Use a sterile bandage, clean cloth or even a piece of clothing. If nothing else is available, use your hand.
4. Maintain pressure until the bleeding stops. Hold continuous pressure for at least 20 minutes without looking to see if the bleeding has stopped. You can maintain pressure by binding the wound tightly with a bandage (or even a piece of clean clothing) and adhesive tape.
5. Don’t remove the gauze or bandage. If the bleeding continues and seeps through the gauze or other material you are holding on the wound, don’t remove it. Instead, add more absorbent material on top of it.
6. Squeeze a main artery if necessary. If the bleeding doesn’t stop with direct pressure, apply pressure to the artery delivering blood to the area of the wound. Pressure points of the arm are on the inside of the arm just above the elbow and just below the armpit. Pressure points of the leg are just behind the knee and in the groin. Squeeze the main artery in these areas against the bone. Keep your fingers flat. With your other hand, continue to exert pressure on the wound itself.
7. Immobilize the injured body part once the bleeding has stopped. Leave the bandages in place and get the injured person to the emergency room as soon as possible.

What is it?

Abnormal fluctuations in blood sugar can lead to someone with diabetes becoming unwell and, if untreated, losing consciousness.

There are two conditions associated with diabetes – hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

A first aider is most likely to encounter hypoglycaemia, which affects brain function and can lead to unconsciousness if untreated.

Signs and symptoms

Hypoglycaemia:

• Hunger
• Feeling ‘weak’ and confused
• Sweating
• Dry, pale skin
• Shallow breathing

Hyperglycaemia:

• Thirst
• Vomiting
• Fruity/sweet breath
• Rapid, weak pulse

First aid aims

Hypoglycaemia:

• Raise blood sugar level as quickly as possible
• Get casualty to hospital, if necessary

Hyperglycaemia:

• Get casualty to hospital as soon as possible

Actions

Hypoglycaemia:

• Sit casualty down
• Offer casualty food or a sweet drink
• If there’s an improvement, offer more to eat or drink
• Keep casualty resting

From: health-vip.cn

What is it?

Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 35°C (95°F). Children are most at risk when they’ve been active outside for a long time in low temperatures, or have become wet (by falling into cold water, for example).

Symptoms

• Shivering
• Cold, pale, dry skin
• Listlessness or confusion
• Failing consciousness
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Weakening pulse

First aid aims

• Prevent further body heat loss
• Warm the casualty
• Get medical help

Actions

• Give the child a warm, not hot, bath
• When their colour has returned, help them out of bath, dry them quickly and wrap in warm towels or blankets
• Dress child warmly (including a hat) and put them to bed, covered with plenty of blankets
• Ensure room is warm
• Give warm drinks
• Stay with them
• Call a doctor

Hypothermia in babies

Babies can respond very quickly to being cold.

Symptoms

• Unusually quiet and refusing to feed
• May not necessarily change colour

Actions

• Check whether baby’s skin feels cold
• Call a doctor
• Warm baby gradually by wrapping in a blanket
• Cuddle to transfer your body warmth to baby

From: health-vip.cn

What is it?

Foreign bodies (such as eyelashes) in the white of the eye can cause discomfort until they’re removed.

Eye injuries are caused by objects embedded in the eye (such as grit or pieces of debris from an explosion). Only a health professional should attempt to remove anything embedded or resting on the coloured part of the eye.

Symptoms

• Redness and watering of eye
• Eyelids closing
• Blurred vision
• Pain

First aid aims

• Prevent any further injury to the eye

Actions

• Sit casualty in a good light
• Advise casualty not to rub or touch the eye
• Separate eyelids carefully and examine the eye
• If there’s a free-floating object clearly visible in the white of the eye, try to remove it
• Use clean water to wash it out or the corner of a clean handkerchief

Further action

If it’s not possible to remove the object, arrange for the casualty to attend hospital.

From: health-vip

What are they?

The spine, or backbone, protects the spinal cord, which controls many body functions. Back injuries can be caused by pinching or displacement of nerves, or by spinal fracture.

Symptoms

Suspect a spinal injury after an awkward fall or awkward injury. Look for:

• Localised tenderness around the back or neck
• Shooting pains in casualty’s limbs
• Limbs feeling heavy or tingling
• Loss of sensation in limbs below level of injury
• Breathing difficulties

First aid aims

• Prevent further injury
• Get casualty to hospital

Actions if casualty is conscious

• Call 999
• Do not attempt to move casualty
• Offer reassurance
• Steady and support casualty’s head in your hands

Actions if casualty is unconscious

• Check airway and breathing
• Place casualty in modified recovery position if you have help

Actions if casualty stops breathing

• Call 999
• Open airway
• Check for breathing again
• Give resuscitation until help arrives