Alcohol is a disinfectant for INTACT skin or inanimate objects. Use it to clean gear such as splinter forceps. It can also be used to clean skin around (not inside) a wound. Individual pads are more practical than a bottle.

Alcohol should NOT be used inside wounds or on open wounds. When used on exposed tissue, alcohol kills some of your tissues along with the germs. This delays healing. When used INSIDE a wound, alcohol can actually make the wound MORE infection prone by turning your tissue into dead "germ food."

Burn Gel is a compound for immediate first aid of superficial burns. Placed directly on the burn, it cools the burn as it relieves the pain. Several brands area available, in bottle or as pre-soaked pads.

The pad can be placed directly over a smaller area of burn. A kling wrap can be placed over the pad to hold it in place, but should be as thin as possible so evaporation can cool the burn. (See the section on injuries for further information on bandaging of burns!)

The gel can be used to ease pain in minor partial thickness burns (first degree). Apply a liberal coating (don't rub it in). Allow the gel to remain as long as possible so the medicine can penetrate and evaporation can cool the burn. (Some burns should be managed by your doctor. Refer to the "Injuries" section.)

Betadine is a "tamed" iodine solution. The generic name is povodine-iodine. This solution is an excellent germ killer, yet it's gentle to your tissues. Clean wounds with betadine to reduce the risk of infection.

Pads are more practical than a bottle for the "mobile" first aid kit.

Uses of Betadine include:
    1. cleaning agent for abrasions
    2. de-germing agent for superficial burns
    3. antiseptic for cleaning lacerations

Benzoin is a medical adhesive for the skin. It's similar to the glue actors use for fake beards and mustaches. It's available in bottle form, but it makes more sense to buy individually packaged benzoin swabs for your first aid kit.

Sample uses of Benzoin include:
    1. skin preparation for steri-strip closure of a laceration
    2. skin preparation for butterfly closure of a cut
    3. "stickum" to keep a kling wrap from shifting

A thin coating of benzoin is applied to the skin, then allowed to dry completely. (Thicker coatings don't stick as well as a thin coat.) It's important that the benzoin dry completely before applying the steri-strip or butterfly dressing.

Eye wash is a sterile isotonic solution that's used for irrigation. It is not a germ-killer, but can be used to flush germs, chemicals, and debris from the eye.

Obviously, the solution can be used to wash chemicals from the eye, or to squirt foreign particles out of the eye. (Chemical exposures should be irrigated for at least 20 minutes -- the eyewash just gets things started while you arrange emergency medical care.)

Another use of eye wash solution is irrigation of lacerations and "squirt gun" cleaning of open wounds such as dirty abrasions. Just aim the bottle at the wound, squeeze hard, and move the stream around to dislodge debris.

Hand sanitizer gel uses alcohol to reduce the bacteria on your skin while rendering first aid. This makes infection less likely. It comes in bottles that look a lot like clear hand soap.

Alcohol is a disinfectant for INTACT skin or inanimate objects. This gel should NOT be used inside wounds or on open wounds. When used on exposed tissue, alcohol kills some of your tissues along with the germs. This delays healing. Alcohol inside a wound does NOT decrease infection risk, because it turns live tissue into dead tissue.

Insect Sting Relief pads contain alcohol and benzocaine. Benzocaine is a topical anesthetic. The pads can relieve the pain of a fresh insect sting. These pads are also wonderful for stinging nettle!

If a stinger is present (honey bee sting), remove it. The stinger should be removed by scraping gently (see the section on beesting). Next wipe the sting area with the medicated pad.

Ammonia inhalant is available in pads or ampules. A sniff of ammonia can prevent fainting, or can rouse a fainting victim. It's helpful for "simple faint" -- such as fainting at the sight of blood or fainting from pain.

When someone feels faint, the first step is to make the victim lie down. If the symptoms don't resolve promptly, try an ammonia inhalant pad.

Ammonia isn't useful for faintness due to hypoglycemia, hemorrhage, heart rhythm problems, stroke, or other serious medical conditions.

To use the ammonia inhalant pad, tear off a corner and wave it under the victim's nose. To use an ampule, remove the ampule from its bag or box and break it by holding both ends with your thumbs in the middle and pushing your thumbs away while pulling back with your index fingers.

Benzalkonium Chloride is a mild antiseptic. If comes as pre-packed towelettes, as a spray, and in squirt-bottles. It's probably the most common antiseptic in over-the-counter first aid preparations. A common brand is Bactine, which (mercifully) also includes benzocaine, a local anesthetic.

Use this ointment to cover open wounds prior to dressing them. This reduces infection risk and promotes faster healing. It also keeps dressings from sticking to the wound. The most common brand of triple-antibiotic ointment is Neosporin.

On abrasions or burns of the face or neck, antibiotic ointment is often used as the sole dressing. Apply a liberal coating several times a day.

Some people are allergic to the neomycin part of triple-antibiotic ointment. Rash or small blisters can erupt. Substitute another type of antibiotic ointment.