Best Items for a Family First-Aid Kit

A good family first-aid kit covers small cuts, scrapes, sprains, bites and fevers, and it holds the phone numbers you need when something is bigger than a bandage. The short answer: start from the American Red Cross list for a family of four (below), add your family's own medicines, and check it twice a year. This is general information, not a substitute for a visit.

Quantities in items 1 to 10 come from the American Red Cross first-aid kit list for a family of four. Pre-made kits are fine. Hold one up against this list and fill the gaps.

1. Sterile gauze pads and compress dressings

The Red Cross list includes five 3 x 3 inch sterile gauze pads, five 4 x 4 inch pads and two absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches). Gauze is what you press on a cut to stop bleeding, and the larger compresses cover scrapes that a bandage strip cannot.

If blood soaks through, do not lift the first pad. MedlinePlus advises placing another cloth over it, keeping pressure on and getting medical care right away.

2. Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes

Plan on about 25, per the Red Cross list. Kids go through them fast. Include a few knuckle and fingertip shapes and some larger squares for knees. Replace the box when it gets low, not when it is empty.

3. Roller bandages and adhesive cloth tape

The list calls for a 3 inch gauze roller bandage, a 4 inch roller bandage and one roll of adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch). Roller bandages hold dressings on arms and legs and can wrap a twisted ankle firmly, but not tightly, on the way to being checked.

4. Antiseptic wipes and antibiotic ointment

Five antiseptic wipe packets and five antibiotic ointment packets (about 1 gram each). For a minor cut, MedlinePlus lists these steps:

• Wash your hands first.
• Wash the cut with mild soap and water.
• Use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.
• Apply antibacterial ointment and a clean bandage that will not stick to the wound.

Wipes are for when soap and running water are not nearby, such as at a ballfield or on a long drive on I-4.

5. Hydrocortisone ointment packets

Two packets of about 1 gram each. Families use it for itchy bug bites and small itchy rashes. Read the label for age limits before using it on a young child. A rash that spreads, blisters or comes with fever should be seen.

6. An instant cold compress

One is on the Red Cross list. For a sprain, standard first aid is ice right away, wrapped in cloth and never directly on the skin, with the swollen joint raised. The instant pack is handy at games and parks where there is no freezer.

7. Nonlatex gloves and a breathing barrier

Two pairs of large nonlatex gloves protect you and the person you are helping. The list also includes one breathing barrier with a one-way valve for rescue breaths. A CPR class is the best companion to that item, especially for families with a pool at home or at a vacation rental.

8. A non-glass, non-mercury thermometer

The Red Cross specifies an oral thermometer that is non-mercury and nonglass. For babies, know the number that matters: the American Academy of Pediatrics says a baby younger than 3 months (12 weeks) with a temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher needs a doctor right away. Do not wait to see if it comes down.

Write down each reading with the time. That log is useful at any visit.

9. Tweezers

For splinters and small bits of debris you can see at the surface. MedlinePlus says not to remove a long or deeply stuck object and not to dig debris out of a wound. Those need a medical visit.

10. Triangular bandages and an emergency blanket

Two triangular bandages can make a sling for an injured arm. The emergency blanket (one on the list) is light, folds small, and is worth having in the kit that goes in the car. Add printed first-aid instructions too. The Red Cross includes them in its list, and you will not want to search on a phone with a low battery.

11. Medicines chosen for your family

The Red Cross list includes two packets of 81 mg aspirin, and it says to add personal items such as your own medications. For kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics gives a few rules worth taping inside the lid:

• Do not give aspirin, or anything containing aspirin, to a child or teen with a viral illness, particularly flu or chickenpox (AAP, Reye syndrome guidance). Keep the aspirin packets clearly marked for adults.
• Ibuprofen is approved for children 6 months and older. Do not give it to a baby younger than 6 months, or to a child who is dehydrated or vomiting over and over.
• Dose children's acetaminophen by weight, and ask your child's doctor before giving it to a child under 2. Use the oral syringe that comes with the medicine, not a kitchen spoon. If there is no syringe, ask a pharmacist for one.
• Add each family member's regular medicines to the grab-and-go version of the kit, with names and doses written down.

12. A card of phone numbers

Print it and tape it inside the lid. Include:

• 911 for emergencies.
• Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222. The CDC says to call right away if you think a child got into a medicine, vitamin or supplement.
• Your pediatrician and primary care doctor.
• Your nearest urgent care. For families in Davenport, Four Corners and ChampionsGate, Elon Health Urgent Care is at 43378 US Highway 27, Suite A, 863-282-2082. Walk-ins are welcome. Call ahead to confirm hours.
• Each person's allergies and regular medicines.

Where to keep the kit in a Florida home

Heat and humidity matter here. The FDA advises storing medicine in a cool, dry place such as a dresser drawer, closet shelf or kitchen cabinet away from the stove and sink, and it warns against a damp bathroom cabinet. That is exactly where many families keep their kit.

• Keep medicines up high, out of the reach and sight of young children, as the CDC advises. A closet shelf works for both rules.
• Keep a second, smaller kit in the car with bandages, gauze, gloves, wipes and the cold pack. Leave medicines out of it. A parked car in a Polk County summer heats up fast, and the FDA notes that changing temperature and humidity can affect medicine.
• Check expiration dates and replace anything used or out of date, as the Red Cross advises. The FDA says expired medicines can be less effective or risky.
• Restock before hurricane season starts June 1, and pack a few days of prescription medicines with your storm supplies.

When the kit is not enough

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing, stroke signs (face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech), severe bleeding that does not stop, or a head injury followed by confusion, repeated vomiting or unusual sleepiness. MedlinePlus gives a clear bleeding rule: call 911 if bleeding is severe or cannot be stopped, for example after 10 minutes of pressure. Take an infant under 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F or higher to the ER or call the pediatrician right away.

Other wounds need a provider soon, even when bleeding is under control. MedlinePlus lists cuts deeper than a quarter inch, cuts on the face, animal or human bites, punctures from a rusty object or a nail, debris stuck in the wound, and signs of infection. It also says to contact a provider if you have not had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years. Those are good reasons for a walk-in visit for cuts, bruises and burns or a sprain that is not improving.

Not sure which way to go? Our guide to urgent care vs ER in 10 common situations walks through it, and parents can compare local options in urgent care for kids in Davenport.