First Aid: Essential items you should have in your car’s first aid kit, life-saving techniques everyone should know

Promoting the importance of first aid training and increasing its accessibility helps to save more lives in a crisis. Here's all you need to know about first aid - why it is important to be trained, essential items to have in your car’s first aid kit and life-saving techniques everyone should know

When a person gets a minor or serious injury or illness, the first and immediate assistance given to the patient is known as ‘First Aid’. Promoting the importance of first aid training and increasing its accessibility helps to save more lives in a crisis.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Darshana D Rathod, Chief Intensivist, Critical Care Medicine at HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, talked about the importance of being trained in First Aid and said, “In our day to day life mishaps, accidents and emergency situations are not completely avoidable. First Aid is the initial assistance given to a victim of injury or illness. It is immediate medical attention that can save one’s life, reduce pain, prevent further injury and help faster recovery.”

She added, “First aid can be applied anywhere like home, workplace or any public locations. First Aid knowledge is comprised of relatively simple techniques and procedures that can be performed with limited equipment until the medical team arrives.”

Revealing the essential items you should have in your car’s first aid kit, Dr Sulaiman Ladhani, Consulting Chest Physician, MD Chest and Tuberculosis at Mumbai’s Masina Hospital, shared, “A basic first aid kit in the car should contain band aid, antibacterial ointments, burn cream, gauze pads, some medicines for diarrhoea, antacids or medications for acidity, pain medications such as Aspirin or paracetamol basic should be okay, hand sanitizer and antiseptic. These are the basic first aid kits supplies that one should have in the car.”

Highlighting some life-saving techniques that everyone should know, Dr Darshana D Rathod suggested, “In an emergency situation the first 3 basic steps to follow are to check the scene for danger, call for medical help and provide basic care. Ensure your safety while providing care and protect yourself. First aid knowledge help’s one to stay calm and provides you confidence while offering basic treatment. In addition, it also improves communication to the medical team.”

Being trained in first aid is not only useful to oneself but also to friends, family, co-workers and also to the community.