A checklist of items for a medical first aid kit in Kenya

Keeping a medical first aid kit for emergencies is essential. The kit should be kept at home or in the car, especially in a place where it can be easily accessed. Infants should be kept away from such kits till the time they are old enough to understand its purpose. A first-aid kit can be purchased at medical stores and they can also be customized as per your needs.

Regardless of the customization, every medical first aid kit should include the following:

• Basic Supplies:
• Adhesive tapes
• Cotton balls
• Bandages (butterfly bandages of various sizes)
• An eye pad/shield
• Instant cold packs
• Thermometer
• Syringes
• A manual/guide for the user
• Scissors and tweezers
• Disinfectant (Hydrogen peroxide)
• Solution for eyewash
• Plastic bags of different sizes
• Sterilized saline water for nasal flushing and irrigation
• A surgical mask

Medicines:

• Aspirin: This medicine is beneficial for adults suffering from chest pains. However, it should be taken with caution. It should not be consumed by an individual who is allergic to the medicine or consumes blood-thinning medications or has bleeding problems.
• Anti-diarrhea medicine: It is used to control sudden diarrhea by slowing down the gut movements. Children under 6 years of age should not consume this medicine unless advised by a doctor.
• Antacids: This medication helps to neutralize acids in the stomach. It helps relief indigestion and sour stomach and also eradicates other gases from the body.
• Laxative: It provides relief from constipation and is meant for short-term Some types of laxatives are also used before bowel tests.
• Cough and common cold medicines.
• Pain relieving medicines which include Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB).
• Emergency supplies:
  • Emergency phone numbers are a must in a medical first aid Telephone numbers of family members, family doctors, and local emergency numbers should be present in the kit.
  • Water-proof lights along with backup batteries.
  • Sunscreen
  • Medical consent forms for family members
  • Medical history forms for family members
  • Insect repellent lotion

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