As a parent, there’s nothing you want for your child but safety and good health, especially if you are going for barge tours Europe or any other vacation for that matter. However, there are certain instances wherein no matter how caring and vigilant you are, your toddler still gets involved in an accident that causes him or her injuries. Since children are very active and clumsy, it is not uncommon for them to be caught in a minor accident or to contract minor health complications like headache, burns, and bone fracture.
In case your child gets injured in a minor home accident or experiences minor health complication during your vacation, it is your duty as a parent to properly take care of his or her condition. This is why having a first-aid kit in your home is very important. Your medical supplies and your knowledge in first-aid will serve as your child’s first treatment. Hence, it is just reasonable for you to have a complete first-aid kit, which will help you attend to almost any type of minor injuries, burns, wounds, dog bites, bone fracture, diarrhea, headache, fever, flu, and cuts to your child.
You may ask how you will know if your first-aid kit is complete, which is why a suggested checklist of items your kit should is listed below. The following are some of the most basic medical supplies, items and equipment your first-aid box or bag should have:
- Adhesive tape or bandage
- Antiseptic solution or towelettes
- Antiseptic alcohol
- Bandages, including a roll of elastic wrap bandage strips (assorted sizes)
- Instant ice packs
- Cotton balls
- Cotton-tipped buds and swabs
- Disposable latex or synthetic gloves
- Duct tape
- Gauze pads and roller gauze (assorted sizes)
- First-aid manual
- Medical or antiseptic ointment
- Petroleum jelly or other similar lubricant
- Plastic bags
- Safety pins (assorted sizes)
- Scissors and tweezers
- Soap or instant hand sanitizer
- Sterile eyewash (e.g. saline solution)
- Thermometer
- Triangular bandage
- Turkey baster or other bulb suction device for flushing out wounds
First-aid supplies and equipment are not the only ones your first-aid box or bag should have. It should also have basic medical supplies or medications. The following are some of the most basic medications that you will find useful for first-aid treatment for your child:
- Activated charcoal (to be used in case of poison control; use only if instructed by medical professional)
- Aloe vera gel for burn treatment
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Aspirin and nonaspirin pain relievers
- Calamine lotion
- Drugs to treat an allergic attack (e.g. an auto-injector of epinephrine; only use if prescribed by physician)
- Oral antihistamine (e.g. diphenhydramine; for treatment of common allergy)
- Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream
- Personal medications that don’t need refrigeration
- Syringe, medicine cup or spoon
Always have your first-aid kit ready, place it in easy-to-reach and noticeable location so you can easily access it in case of emergency. Having these basic first-aid medical supplies and medications will be futile if you don’t know how to apply them to your child. This is why it is very important to know first-aid treatment, such as wound cleaning and dressing, CPR, and initial response to common injuries and medical situations like choking, food poisoning, animal bites, slip and fall, bone fracture, among others.
Aside from the abovementioned basic first-aid supplies and medications, it is also highly recommended to have contact number of emergency departments handy, such as poisons information center, nearest medical facility and your family doctor. So in case of your child sustains serious injury during your barge tours Europe, you can easily call out for help from medical professionals. If your child is experiencing great pain or a condition that requires professional medical assistance, do not rely on first-aid alone, but make sure to send your child to the nearest hospital to have him or her checked by nurses and physicians.