Sports First Aid Kits
A first aid kit is vital for sports coaches to enable them to provide an effective response to emergencies as well as common sports injuries while coaching. Although commercial first aid kits are available, the great majority of them are not designed to cover the needs that are specific to athletes and are also often quite costly in comparison to first aid kits that have been custom made. The contents of first aid kits for sports coaches can differ but in order to create a custom kit there are some simple guidelines that can be very effective. This should of course be in addition to coaches taking a sports first aid course.
Portable, Lighweight Bag
There is a wide array of differently shaped and sized medical bags but the priority should always be that the bag is durable, lightweight and easily transportable; one good choice might be a backpack. Transparent plastic containers within the bag are useful for keeping the bag organized and making it easy to identify individual items. There are a number of items that are absolutely essential to keep in a sports first aid kit in the event of emergency. These items include the likes of a CPR mask, a triangular bandage, disposable instant cold packs, and exam gloves, elastic bandages for wrapping splints and strained or sprained joints, and small and large safety pins that can be used to secure both elastic and triangular bandages. It is also crucial to keep emergency cards that include contact numbers for emergency contacts of every athlete, as well as information relating to allergies, current medications, medical conditions, physician and insurance information, and any other concerns.
Other Useful First Aid Items
As well as items for emergency situations, there is a variety of other items that should be kept in a sports coach’s first aid kit in order to help treat any wounds that may occur. These items include roll gauze, antibiotic ointment, non-stick wound pads, alcohol wipes, antiseptic solution such as hydrogen peroxide, several different sized adhesive bandages, cotton-tipped applicators, and different sizes of sterile gauze pads that can clean and cover wounds and even function as a very soft eye patch if the necessity arises.
Other items that should be kept in a sports coach’s first kid include solutions and ointments like hand sanitizer, petroleum jelly and sterile eyewash (saline being a good example), as well as instruments including tweezers, bandage scissors and a hand mirror. Sports coaches should also keep various sizes of adhesive tape, tape adherent and tape under-wrap on hand.