Home first aid kit in winter during the war: what to check and what can be bought in one evening

The Ministry of Health (MOH) advised Ukrainians on how to revise their home first-aid kit, given that we all now live in conditions of prolonged power outages, and low temperatures provoke outbreaks of colds and other respiratory diseases, UNN reports.

Family doctor Oleksandr Prokopchuk, whom the relevant ministry consulted for advice, emphasizes: the value of a first-aid kit is not only that it exists, but also that you understand what to use and how to use it.

Why you should check your first aid kit right now

Firstly, chronic conditions worsen in winter, and colds and injuries (including domestic ones) occur more often. Secondly, in conditions of shelling and outages, it can be more difficult to quickly buy what you need or get help. Thirdly, medicines tend to run out unnoticed and expire just as unnoticed.

Revision: what to throw away and what to buy

1. Check expiration dates. Everything expired, doubtfully stored (for example, near a battery), unmarked, or with damaged packaging should be removed.

2. Evaluate supplies of consumables: bandages, wipes, plasters, antiseptic, gloves. This is usually what runs out.

3. Sort by categories: "wounds", "fever/pain", "GI tract", "allergy", "chronic", "tools". In a stressful moment, it will be inconvenient for everyone to search through a pile of boxes.

First aid kit base: the minimum that covers typical situations

If you follow the basic logic of first aid at home, you usually need:

• wound care products (antiseptic, sterile wipes/gauze, plasters of various sizes, bandages, scissors);
• disposable gloves;
• thermometer;
• basic fever reducer/pain reliever (paracetamol or ibuprofen, taking into account contraindications);
• remedies that you actually need for common household problems (for example, rehydration solutions are often useful for diarrhea/dehydration).

The general practitioner advises: do not turn your first aid kit into a home mini-pharmacy for all occasions. Excess always makes it difficult to quickly find what you need, and some "in reserve" medications are then used incorrectly.

Separate block for family and chronic conditions

If someone close to you regularly takes medication, it should be in the first aid kit in a separate bag/container and in sufficient quantity. Practical guideline: at least 2 weeks, preferably a month.

It is useful to add:

• list of diagnoses and medications (names, dosages, regimen), allergies;
• contacts of family/doctor;
• if there are prescription drugs, make sure the prescription can be renewed in advance.

Wartime realities: tourniquet and what's wrong with it

In conditions of martial law, it is advisable to add a high-quality tourniquet to the first aid kit for stopping massive bleeding and learn how to use it in advance.

Critically: a laboratory tourniquet, which is used to constrict the arm for venous blood sampling, is not suitable for stopping dangerous bleeding. It is not designed for such a load, does not provide reliable controlled pressure.

What is better not to keep just in case

A home first aid kit should not be a warehouse of medicines that require prescription and control. It is usually not recommended to keep in reserve and use independently:

• antibiotics;
• hormonal drugs;
• strong painkillers (other than paracetamol/ibuprofen).

Such drugs can harm, mask symptoms, cause side effects, and waste time. If the drug is needed for your diagnosis and prescribed by a doctor, that's another story: it belongs to the "chronic" block and is stored with a clear administration regimen.

How to store medicines correctly

Keep the first aid kit in a dry place, as far as possible from the kitchen, bathroom, and heat sources.

Organize access so that adults can quickly get it, and children do not have access.

If there are power outages, it is worth putting a flashlight next to the first aid kit or a small headlamp inside.

Check the instructions for the drugs: some pills and liquids are sensitive to temperature and light.

Recall

The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on Ukrainians to prepare a supply of the most necessary things for 3-5 days due to the emergency in the energy sector. In addition, citizens are advised to first collect an emergency suitcase. It should contain documents, warm clothes, a first aid kit, heating devices, personal hygiene items, and the necessary amount of cash.