First aid kit

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:

• Pocket mask
• Face shield

Advanced first aid kits may also contain items such as:

• Oropharyngeal airway
• Nasopharyngeal airway
• Bag valve mask
• Manual aspirator or suction unit
• Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff)
• Stethoscope

Some first aid kits, specifically those used by event first aiders and emergency services, include bottled oxygen for resuscitation and therapy.

Common kits may contain:

• Adhesive dressings
• Antiseptic solution
• Antiseptic wipes
• Bandages
• Cotton balls or swabs
• Emergency blanket
• Eyewash
• Gauze
• Gloves
• Hand sanitizer
• Ice pack
• Saline
• Tissues
• Tweezers
• a leaflet giving first aid guidance

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 and 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-used 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 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.

A waterproof Pelican first aid kit.

The use of personal protective equipment or PPE will vary by the kit, depending on its use and anticipated risk of infection. The adjuncts to artificial respiration are covered above, but other common infection 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 the possibility of airborne infection transmission (sometimes placed on patient instead of caregivers. For this purpose the mask should not have an exhale valve)
• Apron

• Trauma shears for cutting clothing and general use
• Scissors are less useful but often included (usually to cut medical equipment off or smaller)
• Tweezers, for removing splinters amongst others.
• 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
• Cotton wool, for applying antiseptic lotions.
• Safety pins, for pinning bandages.

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[2] primarily used for central medical chest pain as an anti-platelet
• Epinephrine autoinjector (brand name Epipen) - often included in kits for wilderness use and in places such as summer camps, to temporarily reduce airway swelling in the event of anaphylactic shock. Note that epinephrine does not treat the anaphylactic shock itself, it only opens the airway to prevent suffocation and allow time for other treatments to be used or help to arrive. The effects of epinephrine (adrenaline) are short-lived, and swelling of the throat may return, requiring the use of additional epipens until other drugs can take effect, or more advanced airway methods (such as intubation) can be established.
• Diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl) - Used to treat or prevent anaphylactic shock. Best administered as soon as symptoms appear when impending anaphylactic shock is suspected- Once the airway is restricted, oral drugs can no longer be administered until the airway is clear again, such as after the administration of an epipen. A common recommendation for adults is to take two 25mg pills. Non-solid forms of the drug, such as liquid or dissolving strips, may be absorbed more rapidly than tablets or capsules, and therefore more effective in an emergency.

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

• Antiseptics / disinfectants
  • Antiseptic fluid, moist wipe or spray- For cleaning and disinfecting a wound. Typically benzalkonium chloride, which disinfects wounds with minimal stinging or harm to exposed tissue. Can also be used as an antibacterial hand wipe for the person providing aid.
    • Povidone iodine is an antiseptic in the form of liquid, swabstick, or towelette. Can be used in a weak dilution of clean water to prepare an irrigation solution for cleaning a wound.
    • Hydrogen peroxide is often included in home first aid kits, but is a poor choice for disinfecting wounds- it kills cells and delays healing
  • Alcohol pads- sometimes included for disinfecting instruments or unbroken skin (for example prior to draining a blister), or cleaning skin prior to applying an adhesive bandage. Alcohol should not be used on an open wound, as it kills skin cells and delays healing.
  • Medicated antiseptic ointments- for preventing infection in a minor wound, after it is cleaned. Not typically used on wounds that are bleeding heavily. Ointments typically contain one, two, or all three of the following antibacterial ingredients (those containing all three are typically called 'triple-antibiotic ointment') neomycin, polymyxin B sulfate or bacitracin zinc.
• Burn gel - a water-based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anaesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
• Anti-itch ointment
  • Hydrocortisone cream
  • antihistamine cream containing diphenhydramine
  • Calamine lotion, for skin inflammations.
• Anti-fungal cream
• Tincture of benzoin - often in the form of an individually sealed swabstick or ampule, protects the skin and aids the adhesion of adhesive bandages, such as moleskin, Band-Aids, or wound closure ('butterfly') strips. Benzoin swabsticks are very prone to leaking and making a mess when kept in portable first aid kits, ampules are a more durable option. If swabsticks are used, it is advisable to keep them in a sealed zip lock bag.