Completing CPR and first-aid training is a significant accomplishment. You now have the skills to provide life-saving care and immediate treatment for wounds and other small injuries. Once your training is completed, you may want to carry a first-aid kit with you to ensure that you are ready should an emergency arise. There are many first-aid kits available in pharmacies and other retailers. However, you may want to add other items to these kits or create your own.

Here is a list of items every first-aid kit should include:

• Wipes, Alcohol & Gauze: In the event of a cut, scrape, or any other type of laceration, you should have cleansing wipes or some alcohol and gauze available. The wound needs to be cleaned in order to minimize the risk of infection. Cleansing wipes work well for small cuts and scrapes, but you may need alcohol and gauze for larger lacerations.
• Gloves: As you may have learned during your CPR and first-aid training, you should never touch a person’s blood with your bare hands. Carry fresh latex or rubber gloves in your kit in case you need to clean a cut or dress a wound.
• Tweezers & Scissors: Tweezers can come in handy while cleaning a wound or removing debris such as splinters, gravel, and glass from a cut or scrape. Scissors are useful for cutting bandages and wound dressing to size.
• Bandages & Wound Dressings: If a person is bleeding, you need to clot or stop it. The easiest way to do so is with a bandage or wound dressing. Carry different sizes of these, or purchase a type that can easily be cut as needed.
• Roller Bandages: Roller bandages are used to secure a joint that has been injured, such as a twisted ankle. These bandages are easy to store and can be cleaned and used multiple times.
• Eye Pads: In case of eye injuries such as a black eye, carry eye pads. These pads are specially designed to place the appropriate amount of pressure on an injured eye and orbital bone.
• Adhesive Tape & Pins: Your wound dressings won’t do much good if they leave the wound open. Be prepared and carry adhesive tape for bandages and pins for roller bandages.

If you are in the Greater Cincinnati area and would like to arrange CPR and first-aid training, contact the experts at Northern KY Emergency Medical Services Inc. (NKEMS). This training center offers first-aid certifications, health emergency training, and more. To learn more about their training programs, visit the NKEMS website today.