The 9 Items You MUST Have in Your First Aid Kit!
The 9 Items You MUST Have
in Your First Aid Kit
(Overview of the Civilian
Medical Trauma Kit)
What's in your first aid kit? In this article, we're talking about 9 key items that you should have in your first aid kit. Your body needs a brain, heart, lungs, blood, and kidneys to survive – think of these 9 items as the vital organs of your first aid bag.
In a first aid kit, it's a good idea to have a tourniquet, some gauze for packing wounds, trauma shears for removing clothing or cutting seatbelts, chest seals for injuries to the torso, trauma bandages, gloves, and a survival blanket. And there are a few other items that are also important to keep nearby.
Let's chat about these items (and more) and then discuss why they're so important to carry with you.
Here are the Tools You Need in a First Aid Kit
In this section, we'll give you a quick list of the nine items to carry with you in a first aid kit. As you'll see, there aren't a lot of band-aids listed in this section. For this reason, we're going to take some time to discuss what each item is, what it does, and how to use it.
However, keep in mind that this is a list - not an exhaustive review of how to use each piece of gear. In other words, this article is the "What." To learn the "how," take some time reading other articles on this site. You can also have a look at the Skinny Medic YouTube channel, where you can look at videos about all this stuff.
Alright, now for the list.
Nine items to keep in every first aid kit:
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Trauma shears
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Tourniquet
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Wound Gauze
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Trauma Bandage (OLAES 4)
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NPA (Airway)
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Survival Blanket
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SWAT-T Tourniquet
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Chest Seal
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Gloves
Let's look at each of these items in more detail. Keep in mind that these items are not listed in order of most importance.
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Trauma shears
The first bit of gear on this list is a pair of trauma shears. These are also known as trauma scissors. What's the purpose of the trauma shears? Well, the idea is that if you can't see the injury, you can't treat it.
The trauma shears allow you to cut through clothing safely, quickly, and reliably - even thick clothing. Trauma shears can also be a helpful extrication tool, as they can cut people out of locked seatbelts after a car accident. Also, having an extra pair of scissors handy is always nice when you're having trouble opening your favorite snack (not that I've ever done this).
Okay, we've talked about seeing the injury, now let's talk about treating the injury.
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Tourniquet
The tourniquet should always be in your first aid kit. You should have tourniquets everywhere, ready to go at a moments' need. Of course, be sure you learn how to use a tourniquet before you try to use one.
Tourniquets are great for stopping arterial bleeds and even bad venous bleeds to the arms and legs. Bad bleeds are life-threatening, and tourniquets can safely be applied. As long as the patient gets to a hospital within a few hours, they shouldn't have to worry about losing their arm or leg.
Carry tourniquets but be sure you know when and how to use them.
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Wound Gauze
A tourniquet can stop a bleed to the arm or the leg, but what about a bleed from the groin, armpit, or neck? These areas require a more nuanced approach. Wound packing gauze or rolled gauze can be packed into these tight areas to stop bleeding.
Also, gauze can be cut down (with your trauma shears) and used for smaller injuries. So it's really versatile. There are also some types of gauze that have clotting agents within them - these (such as Quick Clot) may help stop the bleed faster. However, you must still hold very firm direct pressure!
We've covered the basics - now let's talk about something a little bit fancy (but very useful).
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Trauma Bandage (OLAES 4)
A trauma bandage such as the OLAES is very useful. Not only does this bandage work well for stopping a moderate bleed (for serious bleeds, you want a tourniquet), but it's packed with other uses. This bandage is like the multi-tool of first-aid.
This bandage can stop a bleed, but you can also use it to splint an arm, wrap an ankle, and do even more! Many of the OLAES bandages come with a piece of plastic inside them to be used as an occlusive dressing (for chest wounds and abdominal injuries). They also have a little bit of gauze inside them for packing.
Finally, some even come with a built in eye shield to protect the eye after injury. You can't go wrong with this thing!
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: NPA (Airway)
If you've been around paramedics very long, then you've likely heard about the ABCs of keeping people alive: airway, breathing, and circulation. You have to keep people breathing in order to keep them alive.
The NPA (nasopharyngeal airway) is a rubber tube you can place in someone's nose to prevent the tongue from occluding the back of the airway. You definitely want to get some training before you use this tool, but it's a great thing to have!
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Survival Blanket
Also known as an emergency blanket, some people might wonder why the survival blanket is such an important piece of equipment. Aren't these things only made for people on Arctic excursions? Well, no.
The survival blanket is a great item for everyday first aid kits, as it has multiple uses. But one of the most important uses is treating for shock. After someone has lost a lot of blood, it's important to keep them warm, as this will help their body control the bleeding and establish good clots.
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: SWAT-T Tourniquet
A SWAT-T tourniquet is basically a huge rubber band - and wow, does this thing have versatility. Not only does it work as an extra tourniquet in your systems (and a better one for children and dogs, if needed), but it can also perform tasks such as splinting and bandaging.
The SWAT-T uses a stretch, wrap, and tuck method, making it a less painful tourniquet to apply. It's also less expensive than other tourniquets. While I'd certainly carry this tourniquet with you, I wouldn't replace my standard tourniquet with this one. This one works well as a backup and a secondary, as well as something to augment bandaging.
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Chest Seal
The chest seal isn't something we hear a lot about unless you're a trained EMT or paramedic. The chest seal works to prevent air from entering an open chest wound and allows air that's already entered to escape.
Applying a chest seal can help a patient who has been stabbed or shot in the chest. These are not very expensive, and they are not difficult to apply. However, some of the pathophysiology behind when, where, and how to use them is important to know, so make sure you get trained on how to use them!
Most Important First Aid Kit Items: Gloves
Gloves are important to talk about for a couple of reasons. First, when treating injuries, there's a good chance that there will be blood. If you're helping a stranger or anyone with a communicable disease, then you don't want that blood contacting you - especially not any open areas of the body.
It's a good idea to have a pair of gloves in your first aid kit. Not only does it protect you, but it protects the patient. However, keep in mind that if you're taking care of yourself or a family member, you don't absolutely need gloves in the first stages of care.
As an example, if you accidentally cut your leg, you should start holding direct pressure without gloves. With something like a bad bleed, even the time it takes to apply gloves could be too long. However, when taking care of someone you don't know, you should use discretion.
Okay, now let's wrap this first aid kit up with a bow!
Conclusion: Why It's So Important to Have a Well-Stocked First Aid Kit (And One You Should Buy!)
Most first aid kits you buy have ZERO lifesaving items in them. Four band-aids and a pair of plastic tweezers won't save your life. However, tools like tourniquets, gauze, chest seals, airways, and survival blankets just might. So make sure you have them.
Don't want to go hunting down all these items on your own? If you're looking for a first aid kit that already has all 9 of these essential items, then check out the Civilian Medical Trauma Kit. Yes, it's not a $5 kit from LocalMart, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for - and when what you're buying involves your life, it's worth the investment.
Note: None of this article should be taken as medical advice. Also, please know that the list in this article is not exhaustive. If you've recently been involved in an accident or know someone is injured, seek professional medical care and call 911 if needed.
