Materials in a First Aid Box

The materials used in administering first aid are as follows:

1. Sticking plasters: for dressing wounds.
2. Adhesive bandages: This material is used to wrap wound and protect wound from infection.
3. Butterfly closure strips: used like stitches to close wounds.
4. Soap: used with water to clean superficial wounds once bleeding stops.
5. Antiseptics: used either as wipes or sprays to reduce the risk of infection.
6. Alcohol pads: used as an antiseptic prior to administering injections.
7. Thermometer: for taking body temperatures.
8. Space blanket: to prevent cold in accident victims
9. Disposable hand gloves: This material can protect against direct contact with blood, dirt and from contracting infections.
10. Cotton wool: Cotton wool is used in dressing wounds and cuts.
11. Plaster: The plaster is used to cover wounds and cuts directly, while holding the cotton wool in place.
12. Record Book and Pen: With this, the name, sex, age, class of the student, the nature of injury and the type of treatment given can be recorded.
13. Scissors: The First Aid Scissors are an essential item to have in any first aid kit. They can be used to cut bandages to fit wounds and help remove dressings so bandages can be changed, reducing the risk of infection.
14. Safety pins: These are pins used to fasten the bandage in place on wounds.
15. Razor blade: In first aid administration, the razor blade is used for cutting plaster and bandages where there is no scissors.
16. Analgesics: These are pain relievers like paracetamol, panadol, aspirin and any other pain reliever or pain killers.
17. Antiseptics: These are cleansers like Dettol, TCP, Izal, etc. They are used against germs.
18. Embrocation: This is used as balm on sprains.
19. Gentian violet: This is a chemical substance used on burns as a coolant. It is in the form of blue ink.
20. Methylated spirit: This is used to disinfect wounds and skin before administering injections.
21. Hydrogen peroxide: It is sometimes used in the place of the methylated spirit, to disinfect wounds.
22. Iodine: Iodine is used to stop blood flow or bleeding in minor in wounds.
23. Sterile Gauze: It is used for sterilizing wounds so as to avoid germs and infections.
24. Splints: Splinting a suspected fracture or dislocation can help prevent further injury and assist with pain relief. An emergency splinting kit is used for arresting suspected fractures of the limbs.
25. Smelling salt: The name does not indicate that this substance has an offensive odour. It is a substance used for reviving fainting victims.
26. Forceps: This material is used for holding cotton wool when dressing wounds.