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Is it cheaper to buy a first aid kit or make one of your own?

Would it be cheaper to buy one of those pre-made first aid kits or...
is it better to make a first aid kit on your own (with a list of supplies needed)?
And why?

Public Comments

1. To make your own. You get more supplies that way. It might be 20 or 30 bucks, depending on what you put in, vs like 15 bucks but you don't get that many supplies with that first aid kit.


Here is a list of what you should have

Baggies(for knocked out teeth or gathering things for a diagnosis)
2 pairs of gloves or more.
bio hazard bag
Gauze and pads
band aids
fever/pain reducer
allergy reduce(both pill and topical)
tube of icing(for diabetic emergencies. Even if you aren't you might come across someone who is)
antibacterial ointment
CPR mask(I get the one way valve but you can find a basic one at target pharmacy)
Pen and paper
Ice/heat packs that you shake to activate
Thermometer

(These are the basics for any first aid kit that you should have. I have one in my car and these are the basic things I have in it. I also have little things like feminine pads and stuff like that but you don't need those. I also put mine in a lunch box and labeled it first aid on all sides just in case it needs to be used on me. Also put a list of what you have and where it is in there.)

edit
The person below me is not an emt. Everything I listed you don't need medical training for. If a person is in need of sugar or glucose then it is best to squeeze or put a bit of sugar into the persons mouth. By waiting for an EMT they are at risk for a slew of things including brain damage and even death. A little sugar isn't going to kill them at all. Their blood glucose levels will be tested when they reach the hospital. Also what do you expect to put a tooth in if you come across a bike accident and everyone is okay except a missing tooth? Most people are not allergic to benadryl or Tylenol. It can actually be very dangerous if someone is having an allergic reaction and they don't get an anti allergy medicine. Why do you think they are over the counter? They are there to use when you need them. Oh and btw pre-made kits contain these things. I've been trained in first aid and have been certified as an instructor and we had to make a first aid kit. If he was an EMT he would have had very similar training as I do. The only difference is that I don't know how to do an IV.

edit
Lol. You just posted a link saying that EMT's are allowed to administer it. Also A persons mental state isn't always altered if they are in need of insulin. They can be but that isn't always the case. Why do you think they carry them around? For show. No!!!! They are there for them to use when they need it and I've administered insulin before many times and guess what. I've never been arrested because it was necessary. The fact that he can't give you actual proof, just threads like this site, shows that he isn't an EMT. His lack of knowledge shows it too. Sugar devolves in the mouth and you put it in the cheek. That is not an obstruction at all. Maybe if you stuffed marshmallows in the persons mouth then yeah but simple sugar or icing won't do that. Also EMT's and American Red Cross instructors have very similar training. If I wanted to I could become one very easily. I would just have to pass the written test which I know I could do. My friend is one and I helped her study for it. I took all her practice tests and aced them before she could. Also last time I checked when I was picked up by an EMT they put an IV in my hand, so yes they know how to do an IV. Also benadryl is extremely effective for an allergic reaction. Hence why they have allergy on the freaken package. God he's such a stupid EMT is he is one. If someone is allergic to a bee sting or in some bizarre case tea or something like that then it is extremely effective. If you have a peanut allergy that closes the airway then it isn't effective since you can't get it into the system. Though I've had an allergic reaction to a type of tea before and I used benadryl to help the reaction. My certification was over 6 months. More than what it takes to be a paramedic. That only takes 3 months. Granted you have to have an associates degree in the medical field but that is also required for an instructor. Everyone who agrees with that fake EMT is the same person. Why do you think it all sounds the same? Not because it's right but because it's the same person. Why would we be allowed to give out this advice to the people we are advising if it was illegal? That just doesn't make any sense. Also first aid kits are not only designed for scratches. Why the heck would you put pads, and gauze in there for a scratch. They are made for major and minor accidents. You are not a doctor by carrying around sugar or over the counter pain killers. Now if you gave the Vicodin then yes you are playing a doctor.
Also sugar, which icing is, doesn't expire. It will get hard after a year which then yes you should replace but it doesn't expire. Any smart person should know that even if they don't cook. Just shows how 'smart' these people are lol.

2. Wow.....Joey is not an EMT I hope you realize that. You do not need medical training at all to put sugar into someones mouth that has low glucose levels. You can even administer their insulin to them as long as they tell you how to do it or you have prior knowledge. The only thing you can't do is preform surgery. You are protected by the good samaritan law when you provide care for an injured person who accepts help or can't respond(aka in shock or unconscious). The first answer was actually quite well informed. When I took a CPR/First Aid course every one of those was suggested to put in your first aid kit. I would say make your own. You don't get much stuff with your pre-made kit. I've already used all my pain/allergy reliever and my bandaids.

3. I don't think I would be quoting EMTLIFE as a reliable source of information. If you want to make an argument put up the scope of practices for each level.

Paramedics in the US can not give insulin per their scope of practice.

Yes the items mentioned in the first aid kit would be appropriate for use on a member of your own family but I would be reluctant to dispense medication including OTC pain killers to a stranger. These meds are included in kits for "personal" use and in industrial kits where the safety officer may have a record on file for allergies and emergency medical situations specific for their employees. Most kits are not intended for you to play Johnny Rescue on every stranger and many will only contain basic first aid items without any OTC painkillers if they are intended for general public use. There are definitely valid reasons why pre-made commercial kits do not contain everything.

I would also be very, very cautious about giving glucose or sugar to someone who is in an altered state where I did not know if they were a diabetic. The unconscious patient presents many more problems with obstructing the airway and aspirating. Check for an alert bracelet. There are other diseases and emergencies that can have similar symtoms. Also, once the patient's glucose reaches an extremely high number, the symptoms can be similar to low glucose. This is why EMTs and Paramedics usually don't give anything unless they check the glucometer.

It will definitely depend on what is the purpose of your first aid kit. If it is for a disaster prone area such as earthquakes or hurricanes, your first aid kit might be more extensive than for the common household emergency.

The American Red Cross has some good kits for a variety of purposes and if it is cheaper to buy the supplies listed individually, then that is the way to go. However, individually, these supplies can be expenive unless you find a good sale at Walgreens. There are also kits for Mariners which might be more specific if used on a boat. If a member of your family is diabetic, you should have that person and an RN or their physician who is a diabetic educator instruct you on emergencies.

4. Gwen- It really all depends on your education & comfort level on what you should have in your first aid kit. Assuming you do not have any kind of medical license, than a basic first aid kit bought at any local Right-Aid or Wal-Mart will suffice.

Hachi – Your recommendations are for a person who has medical training. An untrained person would not and should not do any of your following recommendations:

They should not pick up the knocked out teeth because that is disturbing the scene. The Ibuprofen & “allergy reduce” should be kept in your household medicine cabinet, not in the first aid kit. (An untrained person should never put something into anyone’s mouth.)

The tube of icing is just ridiculous. It would expire very rapidly, and if given to a Pt while expired will make them sicker than they already are. The only times someone would even want to give sugar to a Pt is if they are hypoglycemic, which onsets with an altered level of consciousness (LOC.) Having that altered LOC alone is a counter-indication for giving the Pt oral glucose because they could very easily choke on it. That is a diabetic emergency and should be handled by trained professionals.

I do agree with your CPR mask recommendation. Everyone needs to know how to do CPR, and should have a wallet mask or one-way valve mask on or near them at all times. So many more lives would be saved if more people knew proper CPR.

If someone is fatally allergic to something, than they will already have an Epi-Pen prescribed that they should imminently administer to themselves or be helped to administer. If they don’t know they’re allergic, and go into anaphylaxis from the contact than the OTC Benadryl/Tylenol will not help at all, and could possibly aggravate the situation by occluding the person’s airway. However, for a mild allergic reaction the Benadryl will suffice.

I’m going to assume that you’re a Red Cross instructor (or AHA.) While; yes, EMTs learn very similar things as the Red Cross does. They usually go over and finish your entire curriculum in about a week. The rest of the semester is spent learning about more advanced medical knowledge and training.

Joey – I agree with most of what you said.

It really all depends on where the Paramedic is practicing that decided if they can or can’t administer insulin. The protocols granted by the medical director differ from district to district. At the service I work for in Kansas, we have an insulin auto-injector that our ALS personnel can deliver if needed.

Not only Paramedics can do IV’s. I’m an EMT-Intermediate, and my license allows me to initiate IV therapy.

I wouldn’t worry about that person talking bad about you. She sounds like one of those people who went to a 2 week Red Cross course once and now think they know more than the trained professionals.

Sweet Cakes – Unless the sugar is going into your own mouth, then yes you do need training. The Good Samaritan Law will not cover you if you asphyxiate someone with that sugar just because you think they have hypoglycemia. Likewise on the insulin; you may not administer any sort of drug without the certification and/or blessing of a physician except in cases where a chronic condition requires regular drug injections

http://definitions.uslegal.com/g/good-samaritans/

5. Hachi, and Sweet Cakes,
You have no clue on what you are talking about. Provide proof where First Responders are taugh that. No where is any medical responder taught to put sugar or icing in an unconscious/AMS patients mouth. If a patient has an altered mental status or decreased level of consciousness you do not put anything in the mouth because it can become an airway obstruction. And yes they may melt, or dissolve, but they can also be aspirated leading to aspiration pneumonia which in return could cause the death of the patient in the long run, or other pulmonary problems. Now someone who is C&A that is capable of swallowing and following commands may be able to have icing, it should be done by trained personnel and suction ready. 5-20 minutes is not going to make that much of a difference than just waiting on a Paramedic to get there and start an IV and push D50. And only EMT-I and EMT-P can start IV's. If you don't know what those are you have no clue what you are talking about and probley not even a First Responder. And no you can't just take a test and become an EMT. A EMT has a lot more knowledge than a First Responder. And no you shouldn't be giving OTC benadryl to a pt having an allergic reaction before EMS arrives. Because EMS will give Benadryl along with other medications in anaphylaxis thru an IV which acts alot quicker. Plus if there airway is swelling shut a pill can cause an obstruction and can cause the patient to die. With everything you've said you are wrong on so many levels and telling somebody they aren't an EMT because you think they are wrong. Well he is right, you never know he may not be an EMT, but he's right. I sure hope you aren't instructing any type of medical class, because with your "TREATMENTS" you are causing more harm than you are doing good. And the GOOD SAMARITAN laws do not cover everything. Trained Professionals are still required to practice within their scope of practice...that includes first responders. If you perform a procedure out of your scope of practice you are liable. The main reason the good samaritan law exists is because sue happy people in this world have sued people from pulling them out of a wrecked car on fire without the appropriate immobilization equip and technique, and either received or claimed they received injuries from that even though they would have died other wise. So no you cannot perform surgery and expect to be covered by that. So before you speak read up on it and know what you are talking about. For the safety of others keep your lunch box in your trunk and use on it on yourself only, or go get proper training. And what First Responder uses a Lunch Box?


To the post on first aid kit. A first aid kit should be plenty to have as a just incase scenario. They are equiped with a limited amount of supplies for an occasional use. Since most first aid kits expire before they are used. A first aid kit is primarily good for minor scratches and such not to be used like your a mobile doctor like some people think.

6. First, I would like to see the state scope of practice or even the local protocol that allows a Paramedic to give insulin in the field. There is another more common protocol, including in Kansas that is used for hyperglycemia which some seem to have no knowledge of but want to give insulin for while claiming to be a Paramedic or Intermediate.

Second, those from Kansas might want to review the new titles and scope of practice for EMS especially the AEMT and the MICT/Paramedic. The Intermediate will be no more very soon and that is definitely a good thing to get rid of this pseudo paramedic level.

Third, off duty you can not act with your scope of practice as a Paramedic unless your employer or county allows you to and will cover you. You are acting as a first responder performing basic skills. You will not be bringing out your whacker box to intubate and start IVs to push meds.

Fourth, anyone who does not have respect for the dangers of any medication even those OTC should not have a Paramedic card. Ignorance of what even an aspirin or tylenol can do suggests you have ZERO knowledge of pharmacology except for what is in your recipe book.

Fifth, right now until the new levels go into effect, EMT-Bs can start IVs and in some places like Ohio and Texas, they can intubate and not just with a supraglottic device.

Sixth, we still have to keep in mind that the EMT is a very basic first aid class of usually only 110 hours. There is no extensive or indepth education to it. In fact, if you took all the classes at the ARC, including some very good water safety and pediatric training, you would be far better trained and educated than most EMT-Bs in the US.

For the first aid kit, get an inexpensive commercial one that best fits your needs and use. If it is for your family, you can always add whatever OTC medications or even perscription meds to it but I would not recommend giving any stranger medications unless it was assisting them with their own.