First-aid kit holiday need

Press, 26 December 1986, Page 2

First-aid kit holiday need

PA Wellington Summer holidays could leave painful memories for those who ventured out without a first-aid kit, the Red Cross Society has warned.

The Health Department has warned about the increased dangers of contracting food poisoning during summer. Holidays abound with hidden dangers from barbecues, sunburn, dehydration, food poisoning, stinging insects and jellyfish, and broken glass at campsites and picnic spots, the Red Cross Society said. Holiday-makers were advised to prepare a basic first-aid kit for dealing with minor accidents. The kit should have sunscreen, tweezers, surgical spirit, bicarbonate of soda, calamine lotion, sterile dressings and antiseptic cream.

Tweezers could be used to remove bee stings, and surgical spirit, calamine lotion and bicarbonate of

soda relieved pain and swelling. Common holiday injuries such as cuts and grazes should be treated with a surgical dressing after the wound had been cleaned.

The society also warned that food exposed to heat and flies such as at a barbecue, could cause stomach complaints. Tummy bugs, -which caused diarrhoea and vomiting, can be dangerous to children under five and children showing these symptoms should be taken to a doctor.

The Health Department’s principal health inspector, Mr Derek Buckland, said that warmer temperatures led to an increase in food poisoning cases each year.

Unrefrigerated and in adequately cooked food were the common causes of food poisoning during summer.