First Aid Supplies – Buyer’s Guide

It is vital to keep your First Aid Kit fully stocked – replacing items as you use them - so that you never get caught without something you may need in an emergency. We have a great range of first aid supplies to replenish your emergency aid kit; in fact everything that you need for your first aid kit, whether at home, in the workplace or on the sports’ field, including wound cleansers, wound dressings, cold sprays, ice packs and a range of consumables, such as scissors, resuscitation aids, barrier gloves and Vaseline.

Ice Packs and Wraps

Ice therapy (also known as cryotherapy or cold therapy) is essential in the treatment of injuries such as muscle strains, ligament sprains or swelling and bruising as a result of a fall or impact. Ice therapy is used in the early (acute) stage of an injury to reduce blood flow to the site of injury and relieve pain, prevent swelling, cool tissue temperature and prevent further tissue damage. Reusable ice packs and wraps, cold therapy packs and instant ice packs can all be used to deliver ice therapy. Ice helps to control pain and swelling effectively and it is most beneficial to apply immediately after an injury. When you suffer an injury away from your home, where conventional ice packs are not practical, single-use Instant Ice Packs are the ideal treatment. Instant ice packs are activated by squeezing or twisting the pack to mix the chemicals contained inside, which produces an instant cooling effect. In the home, an ice wrap (a wheat-filled fabric bag) or an ice bag can be stored in the freezer to deliver ice therapy for the immediate relief of muscle injuries, joint injury, sprains and bruises. However, the most effective cold therapy is delivered by patented systems that incorporate an elevated tank of ice cooled water that flows down to the injury for a period of up to six hours. These continuous cooling devices are supplied with cuffs or sleeves that are designed to fit specific joints or muscles in order to deliver compression and cooling quickly and efficiently to an injured area.

Ice Packs and Wraps Product Range

Wound Cleansers

Wound cleansers are important items in all first aid kits. Cleaning a wound, graze or laceration immediately is vital to prevent infection. Sterile wound wash is a sterile saline solution, supplied in a 20ml pod. You simply twist the cap off, squeeze the pod to give a small jet of sterile liquid that flushes dirt and irritants out of a wound or the eyes. You can also use alcohol-free cleansing wipes to clear dirt and blood from wounds and the surrounding skin to kill bacteria and prevent wound infection. Treatment with an alcohol-free cleansing wipe also prepares the skin so a dressing will stick better. Where there is heavy bleeding from a wound, you can use non-sterile gauze pads or ambulance dressings to stop blood flow. Ambulance dressings include a bandage, which helps to give more compression onto the wound to stop blood flow more effectively.

Wound Cleansers Product Range

Wound Dressings

A range of wound dressings is needed in all first aid kits, so that you can deal with different kinds of wounds quickly and effectively. Ambulance dressings and wound closures (butterfly stitches) are ideal for the treatment of deep cuts, or where there is heavy bleeding from a wound. The bandage attached to the ambulance dressing helps to increase compression on the wound to stop the blood flow more quickly. Hypoallergenic adhesive wound dressings are designed for use on less serious lacerations and grazes to help stop blood flow, as well as provide an infection barrier that will not cause skin irritation.

Wound Dressings Product Range

Consumables

A number of consumables are needed in a first aid kit. The most important is a pocket resuscitator or resuscitation face shield for use if you have to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Powder-free vinyl gloves give the first aider vital protection from blood and body fluids when administering first aid, while bio-hazard clinical waste disposal bags ensure the safe disposal of kit soiled with blood or body fluids. A pair of Tufkut scissors can enable the first aider to save vital seconds by cutting away clothing to access wounds or injuries. A foil blanket is useful to keep a patient warm and prevent hypothermia, while a range of rubs and petroleum jelly can help in the treatment of minor injuries, bumps and bruises.

Consumables Product Range

Sprays, Gels and Rubs

Cold sprays are a quick-acting and effective treatment for minor on-field sports’ injuries: muscle strains, joint sprains, swelling and bruises. Ice may not be readily available therefore the active ingredient in most cold sprays that gives an intense cold sensation and a short-lived reduction in skin temperature can be extremely effective in this situation. Applying the cold spray provides a distracting stimulus to the brain, which filters out pain signals, so that the spray acts as an effective pain killer. Cold sprays are also an effective alternative to ice packs in the treatment of sprains, strains, bruises, lower back pain, lumbago, rheumatic pain, and sciatica.

A cold gel works in a similar way to a cold spray, but is applied to the affected area by gentle massage. The effect of a cold gel on skin temperature lasts longer, so cold gels are more suitable for longer-term treatment of painful conditions such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and arthritis.

An alternative to a cold gel is a cold patch, an adhesive patch that sticks directly to the skin, delivering instant cooling and pain relief to sports’ injuries. Cold patches work by water evaporation, which causes a cooling effect that can last for several hours.

Other muscle sprays and rubs are designed to stimulate blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness before and after exercise. Muscle rubs are used for areas of stiffness that may be prone to injury as well as for therapeutic massage as an integral part of preparing for intensive exercise and recovering from it. Massage is also very effective in the prevention and treatment of muscle injuries, muscle pain and stiffness, and muscle strains in the calf, hamstring, thigh, groin and back.

Deep Heat products contain special ingredients for muscle stimulation. Using a Deep Heat Spray or Deep Heat Rubs before and after exercise helps to stimulate circulation and relax stiffness, reducing the risk of injury. Post exercise Deep Heat may enhance recovery and stiffness by getting more oxygen into tense, painful muscles and tissues. Deep Heat rub is especially effective in the treatment of rheumatic pain, sciatica, lumbago and general muscle stiffness.

Deep Relief Gel, containing Ibuprofen (a pain killer which is rapidly absorbed through the skin to reduce inflammation at the point of pain), is particularly effective in relieving rheumatic pain, muscle pain and swelling, backache and sports’ injuries.

Sprays, Gels and Rubs Product Range