First Aid in a Tropical Climate
Essential Medical Equipment for Minor Medical Emergencies
Even if you travel in the developed countries of the west you may have an accident or injury that requires minor first aid. Accessing health care in an unfamiliar country especially for a minor injury or cut may present problems and even more so in the less developed world, so it is wise to assemble your own travel first aid kit.
The further you travel from large population centres the more difficult it is to find any kind of good health care facilities. This is especially so in countries like Burma, Laos and Cambodia and many African countries too, where a basic first aid kit is essential.
It is unnecessary to buy expensive pre-packed kits from pharmacies, drug stores, outdoor pursuit shops and the like as it is easy to assemble and adequate kit yourself.
What you pack will depend on a number of factors: your destination, your gender and age, pre-existing conditions, length of travel and the like.
What to Pack?
Well there are the obvious items like:
- Assorted sizes of waterproof med
- plasters (Band-Aid or Elastoplast)
- Bandages from ½ to 6 inch
- 1.25 cm to 15.25 cm) wide both conforming and support and safety pins to fasten them
- Adhesive tape like ‘Steris
- Gauze pads’
- Triangular bandages to support limbs and large dressings
- Sterile eye wash for the removal of grit and dust from the eye
- Artificial tear eye drops and two bottles and mark one for the left and the for the for the right eye to avoid cross contamination
- Eye patches
- Calamine lotion to sooth sunburn, irritations and minor insect bites
Then Pack These
- Antibiotics for the treatment of mildd to moderate diarrohea (dysentery is very different and needs hospital treatment)
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen in US
- Aspirin for aches and pains and to decease low grade fevers of 38.5o C (101o F) and below
- Gut calming tablets like Imodium and laxatives
- Water sterilising tablets
- Cough exprant and also a supsant
- Strepsils or some other lozenges for sore throats
- A nasal decongestant spray
- 1% hydrocortisone cream for stings and skin irritation
- Antifungal and antimicrobial creams
Pastes, ointments and gels are considered to be liquid so unless they are absolutely necessary pack them in check-in bags.
Other Items
Take with you:
- Digital or disposable thermometer
- Scissors
- Tweezer serile cotton pads
- Sterile cotton swabs or ballsi
- Waterless hand cleaners
- Rehydration tables/powders.
Reading Material
While not the absorbing bodice ripper or murder mystery many of us read in the departure lounge a good mini first aid book is essential. After all if your travelling companion has a motorbike accident the last thing you want is to make his injuries worse (or causes his demise) by inappropriate care and handling. You will also need to know how to use the equipment you have brought.
A little forethought can prevent a great deal of trouble, pain and distress. So like the boy scout – always be prepared.
