Your home first-aid kit

What is first aid?

First aid refers to basic medical techniques used in an emergency situation. It can range from the treatment of minor wounds or bruises to the treatment of more serious conditions before professional assistance can arrive. Knowing basic first-aid techniques and having your own home first-aid kit handy at a moment’s notice is very important, especially if you are the parent or guardian of young children.

Learn more about the relevance of first-aid knowledge from the stories in our testimonials.

First aid kit checklist

A first-aid box can come in various sizes and contain many items for the owner’s needs. But there are a few items for wound care you should have to hand in your first-aid kit:

- Elastoplast Wound Spray
- Elastoplast Wound Healing Ointment
- Plasters in various sizes (make use of the range of Elastoplast products, from waterproof to sensitive, to ensure a well-equipped first-aid box)
- Elastoplast Sterile Compress
- Elastic Fixation Bandage and Fixation Tape
- Elastoplast Blister Plasters

For more important items that belong in your medicine cabinet, read the article on how to do a medicine cabinet check-up.

Refreshing your medicine cabinet

Keeping a convenient and well stocked medicine cabinet in a safe but easily accessible place at home is essential. Here are a few easy tips for keeping your medicine cabinet essentials updated and safely stored.

Make sure to go through your medicine cabinet at least every six months and check the expiration dates on all packages. Be safe and toss out anything that has expired, as well as antibiotics that have not been used up completely. Ask your drugstore or pharmacy how to discard expired medications.

Store your medicine cabinet in a cool, dry place. Especially with younger children, find a place which is locked up and out of children’s sight and reach to avoid any accidental ingestion.

Also, check for age specifications and dosage recommendations on the medication intended for your children. The types of medications they can use change as they grow older, as does the dosage. Upgrade and stock up when and where necessary.

A calling sheet can be a crucial time-saver: Always keep important phone numbers such as the emergency number, numbers of your doctor and pharmacy, or for any hotlines (e.g. poison hotline) in the medicine cabinet.

First aid for common injuries

For simple tips on treating the most common types of wounds, such as cuts and grazes, follow Elastoplast’s simple 3 step wound care routine.

Step 1: Cleanse

A clean and cleansed wound is the first step to optimal healing. Cleanse your wound from dirt, bacteria and visible particles with the Elastoplast Wound Spray to prevent infections.

Step 2: Protect

The second step is to protect your wound from dirt and bacteria to enable undisturbed healing. Cover your wound with a plaster, sterile wound dressing or compress from Elastoplast.

Step 3: Heal

As a third step, you can help your wound to heal safely, fast and with a lower risk of scarring. Apply the Elastoplast Wound Healing Ointment regularly until the wound has healed completely.