Your Medicine Cabinet: A Must In Every Home A medicine cabinet better known as the FIRST-AID KIT is a basic accessory every household and workplace should have. In case of an accidental injury or an emergency at home or at work it is required that the first course of action is taken as early and immediately as possible. Therefore it is quintessential that you have in place a variably well equipped medicine cabinet installed at a place of easy and quick access so that valuable time is saved in case of an instant requirement.
First things first, it should be paid attention to, that a first –aid kit per se must contain in it a number of pre requisite cleansers ,ointments, drugs and medicines so that small scale injuries, minor cuts and bruises are well taken care of without having to visit a clinic or a hospital. The supplies within it should also be kept at a regular vigil so as to avoid being caught unawares at the time when a certain urgent need arises. A feasibly well supplied and maintained medicine cabinet should at all times have in it the following basic amenities: •
Antibiotic ointment: A tube of antibiotic ointment is necessary to treat minor cuts, scrapes and bruises. When somebody gets hurt, a simple dab of the ointment can speed up the healing process. What should be kept in mind is that the nozzle of the antibiotics container should not come in direct contact with the injury so as to avoid the spread of possible infection into future wounds.
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Alcohol wipes: Alcohol wipes are fundamentally and universally used to cleanse the area around the wound. Alcohol is also used to sterilise thermometers and other essential firstaid equipments. Alcohol wipes in comparison to rubbing alcohol is more since we can use a single wipe and get rid of it when we are finished.
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Thermometer: A thermometer is one of the most essential equipment in one’s medicine cabinet since minor fevers especially when there are children around are quite frequent and routine. Thermometers too can be of different types; though infants and younger children give more accurate readings on a rectal thermometer, an oral thermometer works fine for older children and adults. Since the advent of digital thermometers the hazards that a glass’ clinical thermometer that uses mercury can be promptly avoided.
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Bandages: Bandages are mandatory in any medicine cabinet as for small cuts and scrapes, band-aids are all we may need. In addition, it is advisable to house gauze pads for injuries that are a bit more serious.
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Cotton swabs: Cotton swabs are primarily used to clean wounds and apply medication on them. This prevents direct contact between the skin and wound, which minimises the risk of infection. Their disposable nature makes it possible to discard them after use.
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Tweezers and scissors: These two tools are definitely not be overlooked in a medicine cabinet. A small pair of tweezers is necessary for removing splinters and other foreign objects from an injury. Scissors on the other hand are a must at times when a bandage or a gauze pad has to cut into proper shapes and sizes.
Incase of an injury, be it a minor one or a major one, the process of healing begins as soon as a wound is treated, therefore in order to speed up the healing and to avoid the chances any further reaction in the form of infections, a medicine cabinet housed at home can come to the rescue time and again.