HOME - FIRST AID - 3

1. Home First Aid Kit: A Must Have

A first aid kit is not just a set of items that you store in your washroom and contains only band-aids, alcohol and analgesics, it is something more. There are various types of First Aid Kits, the most common is the one stored inside the house.

What do we mean if we have a complete set of first aid kit? What is that for and how or when to use it? What comprises each first aid kit? These are the questions we ask ourselves when we consider buying one for our home.
A first aid kit is a set of supplies and equipments for giving first aid, hence the name. A variety of equipments are in it like:
• Bandages - to control bleeding
• Regular strength pain medications
• Gauze
• Disinfectants - like alcohol and Povidone iodine
• Personal protective equipments - like gloves
• Breathing apparatus - to protect you from performing the expired air resuscitation,

EAR and cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR
Moreover, the typical contents and most commonly used are the dressings which should be sterile. This comes in different types like sterile eye pads; adherent or non-adherent pads and burn dressings. These are sterile pad soaked in a cool gel. Bandages can be non-adhesive; examples are gauze roller, which should absorbent, breathable. The elastic type are the ones usually used for sprains and pressure bandages. Adhesive elastic roller types are very effective when it comes to applying pressure. They are also very durable and waterproof. Triangular bandages are commonly taught in Basic First Aid Course that was used as slings, tourniquets and to tie splints. Adhesive bandages are the straight adhesive type such as band-aids, sticking plasters. Butterfly bandage types are actually the two common examples as well.

Instruments that should be present in your First Aid bag are the hypoallergenic tape because you don’t want the patient to develop “Urticaria” or itchiness with reddish skin markings. Trauma shears can basically be used for cutting clothing and general use. An irrigation syringe can be used for cleaning wounds. Rubber suction bulbs are good for clearing the airways and can be applied to an unconscious patient.

Equipments like Personal protective Equipments or PPE are important. This is especially in emergency cases where in hazardous materials can even hurt the rescuer. An example would be in organophosphate or insecticide poisoning. Eyecups, gloves, CPR mask or a face shield, sterile eyewash, emergency blanket, thermometer, penlight and even instant acting cold packs.

Certain medications should be in your bag like antimicrobials. This would include antibiotic ointments and anti itch ointments. Examples would include Hydrocortisone cream, Antihistamine cream such as Benadryl and Calamine lotion among others. You also need pain killers or analgesics. These are essential for the fever to disappear. Examples are Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory drug, which is most of the time more valuable than the latter drug. Aspirin, for some, is also applicable.

Diphenhydramine, which is anti-histamine, can lessen the allergic reaction seen in few patients. Aloe Vera gel can be used for a variety of injuries like burns, sunburns and dry skin.

Burn gels are water based gels, which acts as a cooling agent and often has mild anaesthetic components. A good example is Lidocaine with antiseptics components like that of tea tree oil. Epinephrine auto-injector is also commonly included in this first aid kit, especially if you are in wild nature trips such as summer camps. This epinephrine injector is used for anaphylactic shock, which is commonly known as severe allergic attacks. Thus, activated charcoal and syrup of ipecac are electively placed in first aid kits because it is for poison treatment. A haemostatic agent that is called QuikClot is sometimes included especially in military kits; this is mainly to control severe and profuse bleeding.

If ever you are trapped somewhere and you do not have anything else but your first aid kit you and you are wondering what you can do. Well, the first thing to do with your first aid kit would be to call help. It would also be helpful if you have a basic first aid manual, which can guide you in any type of situation. This is really necessary because in emergency cases, we get to panic easily. When this happens we cannot think straight. A manual will be able to help us go through it. It would also be advisable to list down the pages for specific cases. Just take note of the more possible accidents.

Moreover, keep a number of your family and friends, as well as emergency hotlines on your mobile or near your landline. Make sure the numbers are visible to your children as well. Just let them know the importance of these numbers and when to place a call to these numbers.

Thus, there are also some things you should know about the contents of your first aid kit. For an instance alcohol pads as well as ointments that are “petroleum-jelly based” can be utilized as a type of fire starter in an alarming emergency situation. It can also be utilized as a lubricant for adhesive tapes. Aside from this, for particular mechanical devices and bandages, it can also be utilized for repairs. These alternative uses of these things can help set your mind on the items you need and can only be used in the wilderness.

First Aid Kits are important in every household. There are also first aid kits for pets, children, travel, disaster and soft sided situations among others. Having one doesn’t mean that you are waiting for an accident to happen. Accidents are a fact of life, so whether we like it or not, it is always best to be prepared.


2. How To Avoid Fire Damage - Safety Is The Best Precaution To Prevent It

There are many steps that one should follow in order to avoid fire damage. This article would take you through some of the important tips which would help an individual in avoiding fire damage. You must be very anxious to know that how you can actually avoid fire damage, but it is recommended that you take the help of professional advice in such an event when there is a fire in your house. Don't waste time by your own efforts, hence creating further damage.

The first and foremost tip in how to avoid fire damage lies in the fact that everyone should ensure fire safety. Everyone holds the responsibility to improve fire safety in his or her surroundings through behaviour, so as to prevent any sort of threatening situation which might lead to ignition of fire. If your work demands in working with fire, be careful in working with open fire.

Never make the mistake in leaving candles or any type of open fire unattended. Before you leave an open fire, always remember to place those in such a way, so that they are prevented from igniting flammable textiles and structures.

Safety is the best precaution to avoid fire damage. You should be aware of your surroundings and check if your house if it has the necessary and basic features to prevent fire. Be careful in using the household appliances so that no unwanted accidents occur. While you are using any sort of electrical appliances, make sure you observe the user instructions and follow them accordingly.

Do not ever overload the electrical appliance. If you are heating your dwellings, take care to do it safely if you are using fire and don not leave that unattended. Check that you do not close all the dampers before the flames are put out from all of them. Special care should be taken in regularly sweeping the air chimneys if any. Moreover take a look that you are not covering any electric heating devices. Do observe that the notified safety distances between flammable materials and heating devices are maintained properly. Successful execution of these steps greatly reduces the chances of fire damage.

One more important step in avoiding fire damage is to make the inhabitants of the house familiar with the different exit routes from their respective homes in cases of fire breakage. You should take special care of in checking whether everybody in your family knows about the alternative fire escape routes in case the normal exit in the house cannot be used. Also check that all the escape routes remain fully unobstructed.

The last and the most important way to prevent fire damage is to make sure that your dwelling have the exact number of functioning smoke alarms. You should take note of keeping the smoke alarms in order. Always check that the batteries of the smoke alarms are properly changed and get their operation tested from time to time.

You can even have your smoke alarms in your house connected as a single system. These steps can greatly reduce the risk of any sort of damage arising from fire in an area.

3. Emergency Kits: A Hiking Requirement

No one thinks it will ever happen to them. We're all too smart, too touch or too lucky to ever get lost in the woods. Yet somehow, hundreds of people manage to do precisely this every year. Usually it's because the person did not adequately familiarize themselves with where they were going. They took a wrong turn and ended up miles from where they expected to be. Then it got dark, and they found themselves hungry, thirsty, cold and scared in the middle of the forest. No, no one thinks it will ever happen to them, and still it does.

So, knowing that becoming lost while hiking is a very real possibility for everyone, there are a few items that every hiker should always carry with them. Some of these items, such as a compass, will help the individual find his or her way back to civilization. But others will simply help a person survive until they are found. Collectively, these items are referred to as a survival kit. Survival kits are designed to meet basic human survival needs: food, water and shelter. They can be purchased preassembled, but the can also be put together to meet any specific situations anticipated.

When it comes to emergency food, it's sometimes just a matter of deciding what you feel like eating. There is a staggering array of freeze-dried food available, from powdered eggs to blueberry cheesecake. Most come in packets that weigh very little (the major selling point for freeze-dried goods) and require only that water be added. Even more compact are items like energy gel, which is made by manufacturers like Power Bar, GU, Cliff and several others. This substance can be immediately ingested with no preparation, and it contains many of the nutrients needed by the human body. Taking several packets of this with you when hiking is never a bad idea.

As for water, the simplest method is to take as much with you as you can reasonably carry, especially if you're venturing into an arid area, such as a dessert. However, if you're hiking in the mountains, you will also be able to drink the water from streams if you take the proper precautions. The simplest items to add to your emergency kit to ensure drinkable water are iodine tablets. These can simply be added to a water bottle full of stream water, and that water will become safe to drink. It may taste a bit odd, but it won't make you sick.

One of the greatest challenges when lost in the woods, especially at night, is staying warm. It is always a good idea to bring layers, and to use clothes of wool and fleece rather than cotton. However, another good item to add to your emergency kit is a space blanket. These shiny, silver blankets are incredibly lightweight and small, yet they retain about 80% of an individual's body heat; that can save your life under certain conditions.

Finally, it is always a good idea to have some basic first aid supplies with you. Bandages, bandage scissors, tweezers, splints, antibacterial wipes, burn cream, and eye wash bottles are all good items to pack. If you're planning on an extended hike, consider investing in a prepackaged first aid kit designed for mountaineering. Hopefully you won't need it, but if you do, you'll be prepared.