What to keep in your dormitory first aid kit

When heading off to university, a first aid kit is not always the first thing that comes to mind.

While most parents and first-year students hope that the initial year is smooth and uneventful, it’s still important to have a few medical supplies at hand in case of an emergency. Having a first aid kit may be useful for emergencies, but it can also save you money by avoiding an unnecessary trip to the doctor or to the pharmacy.

These are the things you need in your first aid kit for your dormitory

ER24 representative, Heinrich Africa, Clinical Performance Operations Specialist Pre-Hospital EMS, offers some insights on how to start packing and organising your first aid kit before you leave home, that way any prescription medication you may need, such as an extra asthma pump, is packed and ready to go. Other essentials to include in your first aid kit are:

1. Medical information: In the event you need to be hospitalised and nobody can access your phone, have important details like your medical aid information easily visible and accessible in your first aid kit.
2. Tools: A thermometer to check your temperature when you feel unwell, tweezers for removing small debris from the skin, scissors for cutting bandages easily, and cotton wool for applying antiseptics are all essential when addressing a superficial wound or injury quickly.
3. Hand sanitiser and face masks: When you live in a dormitory, chances are you will be sharing spaces with other people. Having sanitisers and masks, especially during winter, in your first aid kit helps prevent many unnecessary illnesses.
4. Over-the-counter medication: You should pack commonly used medications, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, anti-nausea tablets, cough lozenges, throat spray, rehydration sachets and antihistamines, for your typical health concerns, such as headaches, stomach issues and seasonal allergies.
5. Prescription medication: If you have specific prescribed medication that you need to take, keep spare or back-ups in your first aid kit.
6. Ointments: should you burn yourself while ironing or cooking, a burn gel or cream is one of the most important items you can have in your dormitory first aid kit if you need to treat any skin irritation or minor burns.
7. Wound care: Bandages, some antiseptics and gauze are a must-have for treating and cleaning small scrapes and wounds.
8. Colds and flus:  In university, you’ll quickly learn that illnesses spread fast. Prepare for the inevitable campus cold by keeping cough drops, cold and flu tablets, and a nasal decongestant in your kit. It’s also worth having both daytime and drowsy options for cold medication; you’ll be grateful when you need them.
9. Personal health items: Extra pads, tampons or menstrual cups and sunscreen are always handy.
10. Mental health resources: Give yourself a reference sheet full of numbers and emails to access counselling services, helplines, or other mental health resources that are available to you.