First-Aid Kit for Cars and How to Use It

Whenever I think of car 'gloveboxes' or 'car essentials', the first thing that comes to my mind is a compact but comprehensive FIRST AID KIT.

First aid kits are a bare necessity. They are extremely useful in case of car crashes and emergencies, but are equally useful for any minor injuries sustained in any other environment. an ambulance may reach you in a matter of few minutes, but every minute is crucial when it comes to saving lives. and having a stocked first aid kit at all times is the first step.

However,as important as it is to carry a first aid kit, it is equally important to know what the contents are and when and how are they to be used. I hope this instructable helps everyone when it comes to first aid kits for cars.

Always put your contents in a waterproof box/pouch/case that is easily visible.
Mark it with a big red '+' sign so that it will be easy to spot.
Keep it in your glove box where it'll be easily accessible.

• Bandages of various sizes (about 20)
  

• 5 sterile gauze pads and 5 sterile gauze rolls (3 inches and 4 inches)

• cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs

• 5 antiseptic wipe packets and antiseptic ointment (eg. betadine)

• 1 bottle of antiseptic solution (eg. dettol or savlon)

• 2 packets of 81 mg aspirin

• 5 antibiotic 1-gram ointment packets

• 2 triangular bandages

• Adhesive tape, safety pins

• 1 digital thermometer

• tweezers and scissors

• 1 flash-light with extra batteries

• 2 insect sting relief pads

• simple band-aids

• CPR breathing mask

• disposable gloves(more the merrier)

• First-aid instruction manual.

For children on board -

• children's pain relievers
• baby wipes
• baby diaper
• insect repellents
• sunscreen
• benadryl spray

-Other personal medications prescribed by your doctor (be sure to check these regularly).

• Check the expiry date of all your medicines frequently. NEVER use and expired product. go through the kit once every 3 months and replace products if needed.
  
  
• Always have a list of emergency phone numbers in the first aid kit.
  
  
• Make compartments in your kit. keep medicines and bandages separately.
  
  
• Never take out the tablets/capsules from their strips/leafs. it may be space saving to take them out and keep them in small container(like and altoids box) but that is a very dangerous and stupid thing to do. Even though they may be of different shapes and sizes, in an emergency you may make mistakes.
  Always safer to have names of medicines written very clearly.
  
  
• For antibiotic ointment, neosporin is a good choice,because it doesn't sting; important for children.

Also, learn how to administer CPR and basic first aid. CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. It's the process of manually compressing the patients' chest to pump and circulate blood in the body when the heart has stopped beating. This helps preserve brain function and potentially save lives.
It's a skill that will never go to waste.

• Gauze - is used for cleaning the wound as it absorbs blood/body fluids. it is also used to cover the wound before bandaging.
• Bandages- used for securing the (gauze on the) wound after the bleeding stops. don't lift the bandage cloth from the wound to check whether the bleeding has stopped. also, the bandage shouldn't be tied too tight as it may constrict circulation.
• Cotton balls- soaked in antiseptic solution and used for cleaning the wound of dirt and foreign particles.
• Antiseptic solution and ointment - these are antimicrobial solution applied to the wound eg. dettol (with the help of cotton balls etc.) to prevent infection.
  Betadine is an iodine ointment which again helps in disinfecting a wound. antiseptic and antimicrobial solutions/ointments generally sting and burn when applied initially.
• Aspirin tablets- it's primary uses are as analgesics(painkillers) and antipyretics(reduce fever) and anti-inflamatory uses.
• Adhesive tapes - used for holding the gauze pieces and bandages over the wound in place.
• Disposable gloves- to prevent the person administering first aid from coming in contact with the bodily fluids of the patient.
• Tweezers- used for removing foreign objects that have been lodged in the skin; e.g. wooden splinters, metal and glass shrapnel etc.
• Flashlights- always useful!
• Band aid - for any small scratch that may occur just any time. specially useful with children on board!

Hope this was informative for everybody and do post a picture of your first aid kit if you make one! :)