First-Aid Kit for Family Travel



By Peter JaretCONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE
Below: • The essentials
Use this checklist to make sure you have adequate supplies for dealing with minor medical problems while traveling with children. You can pack the items in a small tote, a lunch box, or a zip-top bag -- whichever is easiest to stow.
It's also a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure you're up-to-date on all of your vaccinations. Your doctor can also tell you if you should take along antibiotics for malaria or traveler's diarrhea, or whether there are other medical issues to be concerned about in the country you're visiting.

The essentials
•Prescription and allergy medications. Carefully write down the prescriptions your kids use (exact drug names and dosages) and your physician's phone number, just in case. Place a copy of these notes somewhere accessible (like the glove compartment) and apart from the actual medicines. Keep in mind that some pharmacies accept only local prescriptions.
•Children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Either can lower fever and ease the pain of headache, sprains, and ear infections. If you use the liquid form, bring along a measuring spoon.
•Antihistamines. Benadryl and other antihistamines relieve hay fever, rashes, itchy insect bites, and stuffy noses. They may have a sedative effect, which is why some parents use them for kids who get carsick - giving a dose about 30 minutes before the drive begins. You could also use Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) for this, but try it on your child before the trip, since some kids become agitated rather than drowsy when they take it.
•Diaper rash ointment.
•Broad-spectrum sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher.
•Sterile adhesive bandages. Buy assorted sizes to cover a range of cuts and scrapes.
•Disinfectant. Include a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, and use it only for cleaning dirty cuts and scrapes (disinfectants are powerful enough to damage healthy tissue); otherwise just wash with soap and water.
•Cotton pads and balls to clean up scrapes.
•Antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin. To ward off infection while cuts and scrapes heal.
•Cortisone cream. To soothe insect bites and rashes.
•Insect repellent. No stronger than 10 percent DEET for kids, 25 percent for adults.
•Thermometer. You'll need this to gauge how sick your child is. Use a rectal thermometer for kids under age one (don't forget some lubricating jelly), a digital thermometer in the armpit for kids ages one to three (add two degrees for a more accurate reading), and a digital oral one for older kids.
•Tweezers. For removing splinters or ticks.
•Cold pack. Buy one that doesn't need to be frozen; you squeeze this type to start the cooling reaction.
•Small scissors and moleskin. If your family will be doing a lot of walking, you'll want to protect your kids' feet against blisters.
•Small scissors and moleskin. If your family will be doing a lot of walking, you'll want to protect your kids' feet against blisters.


-- Peter Jaret is a medical writer and book author whose work has appeared in Health, National Geographic, and many other publications. He is the recipient of the 1992 American Medical Association award for medical reporting and the 1998 James Beard Award for journalism.


Further Resources
National Center for Infectious Diseases


Travelers' Health
http://www.cdc.gov/travel


References

Robert H. Pantell M.D., James F. Fries M.D., Donald M. Vickery M.D., Taking Care of Your Child: A Parent's Illustrated Guide to Complete Medical Care. Perseus Books Publishing, L.L.C.: 1999.



The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook, Kathleen Handal, MD, Little Brown & Co., 1992



Reviewed by Michael Potter, M.D., an attending physician and associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is board-certified in family practice.