First Aid Advice

It takes only a moment for a great day to become an emergency. Accidents can happen at any time in any place whether you are at home or traveling half way around the world.
Some of the best advise to prepare yourself for such eventualities is to study the basics of first aid.

Basic first aid advice can begin with study guides and instructions that can be found for free at your local library, health department or online. For more detailed advice on proper first aid methods, you can enroll in first aid classes given by local health organizations or the American Red Cross. With Red Cross training you will be instructed in the safest legal applications for rendering aid to people in trouble. The small enrollment fees are easily compensated by the knowledge that the life you may save with them are priceless.

It is always a good idea to keep a well-stocked first aid kit around the house or car so you don't have to go looking for the things you need in an emergency. Most sources that offer first aid advice suggest having a kit that contains such items as several pair of latex or other type of sterile gloves to protect against blood borne diseases. Soap and antibiotic towels should be kept along with both antibiotic and burn ointments. You need various sizes of adhesive bandages as well as sterile dressing and surgical type tape. A thermometer is also a good thing to have as well as an updated supply of any prescription drugs that a family member requires and any special monitoring equipment they use with it.

Other good first aid advice is to have a cell phone for reaching professional first aid help if the emergency is life threatening. Scissors, tweezers and petroleum jelly or other lubricant as well as potassium iodide disinfectant are good things to keep stocked as well as aspirin or other over the counter pain relief medication. Also good first aid advice will include the need to carry a supply of anti-diarrhea medicine as well as an antacid and laxative especially if you are travelling out of state or out of the country as different water sources can cause severe intestinal problems. Finally, stocking some Syrup of Ipecac and activated charcoal are good first aid advice to have in case of poisoning, though you should use these only on the advise of the poison control center as some poisons require purging and others are made worse by it.

Be aware and be prepared, you just might have to save a life today.