Blog

May 08, 2024

First aid kits should be personalized for those using them

CARBONDALE — The fourth installment in the SIH Second Act 911 Series taught participants what they need in a home first aid kit, when to call 911 and what happens after calling 911. Dr. Barbie Gatton,

CARBONDALE — The fourth installment in the SIH Second Act 911 Series taught participants what they need in a home first aid kit, when to call 911 and what happens after calling 911.

Dr. Barbie Gatton, an emergency medicine physician with SIH, talks about what items to include in a first aid kit and other ways to be prepared for an emergency during a presentation as part of SIH’s Second Act series on Thursday in Carbondale.

Dr. Barbie Gatton, medical director of the emergency department at SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, and Brad Robinson, EMS system coordinator at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, spoke at the event.

Gatton talked about what items should be in a first aid kit.

Gatton said there are some items everybody needs to have in a home first aid kit, but the kit should be personalized for the people who will be using it.

“Everybody needs to have gauze pads, Band Aids and tape,” Gatton said.

50% of Americans say they have tried marijuana at least once, according to this year’s Gallup annual Consumption Habits survey.

Some of those items include wound care supplies (adhesive bandages, gauze pads and rolls, elastic bandage), creams and ointments (antibiotic ointment, petroleum jelly, Aloe Vera, hydrocortisone cream, sting-soothing cream), medication (ibuprofen, naproxen, Tylenol, Tumms, aspirin) and miscellaneous items (hand sanitizer, safety pins, tweezers, tape, gloves, scissors, thermometer, alcohol pads).

First aid kits need to be personalized for the people who will be using them. Gatton gave several examples.

If there is a diabetic in the house, the kit should include glucose gel. Aspirin is needed for a heart patient. If a person is taking blood thinners, the kit needs to include items for soaking up a lot of blood, such as a surgical dressing or a maxi pad. If you wear dentures, include a dental repair kit.

“What you have in it is more important than what it goes in,” Gatton said.

Brad Robinson, EMS coordinator for SIH, talks about when to call 9-1-1 and what to expect when you have a medical emergency, interact with EMS and emergency room staff as part of SIH’s Second Act series on Thursday in Carbondale.

Gatton showed examples of first aid kits and different containers that can hold a first aid kit. Kits are available to purchase or they can be put into an old tackle box or a sewing kit works for people who want items organized. If you are the “dig through the pile” type, a bin or cookie tin might work better.

A home first aid kit should be in a place where the family spends most of its time.

The first aid kit should have a checklist of items and be checked every six months.

Gatton and Robinson said anyone who is concerned or worried about the way they feel or how to deal with an injury should call 911.

“If you feel like you have a problem, we encourage you to call 911,” Robinson said.

He said people often wait too long to call 911, but making that call does not bother anyone. That’s what EMS does.

Gatton said people believe it’s faster to drive themselves to the emergency room, but treatment starts faster when you call 911. The staff that arrives with an ambulance can immediately begin treatment.

“I have been EMS coordinator 13 years. Even today, a higher percentage of people come to the emergency room by car,” Robinson said.

An EMS crew can initiate lifesaving treatment while transporting a patient to the hospital. They also give the hospital staff an idea of what will be needed when they arrive.

“It saves time which saves muscle or brain cells and patients have a better outcome,” Robinson said.

Gatton said that you sometimes have to wait when you get to the hospital emergency department.

“Patients with the most life-threatening issues come back first. It’s frustrating when you have to wait, but we are helping someone who can’t wait,” Gatton said.

A lot of things happen when a patient arrives at the emergency room. First, patients go through triage, which is a nationally certified system to get the most critical patients seen first.

Robinson said the EMS crew will ask a lot of questions, then the hospital staff will ask similar questions to help determine the testing and treatment a patient may need.

Then, they will run tests and diagnose the condition.

Second Act is a free membership program sponsored by SIH for adults, age 50 and older.

For more information about Second Act programs and events, visit sih.net.

[email protected]

618-351-5078

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Reporter

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) stopped at the TravelCenters of American (TA) truck stop in Mount Vernon for a “Take Your Congressman to Work Day"…

State Fair Manager Josh Gross said fairgoers will see a lot more of what they liked last year.