01
Stock
The five medications most home kits are missing.
Lesson 5: Medications most kits miss
The drugs that change outcomes - from chewable aspirin to naloxone.
Lesson 05 · 20 min
The Real-Life First-Aid Kit
Medications most kits miss
Five drugs that change outcomes - from chewable aspirin to naloxone.
Lesson 05 · Medications
Learning Objectives
00 · 00
By the end of this lesson
Three things you'll know.
02
Indicate
When each is the right tool and when it isn't.
03
Distinguish
Allergic reaction from anaphylaxis - and respond correctly to each.
Lesson 05 · Medications
Key Concept
00 · 00
Medication · over-the-counter
Naloxone (Narcan)
Nasal spray · opioid antagonist · OTC
Definition
An opioid-receptor antagonist that reverses an opioid overdose. Delivered as a single-spray nasal dose, available at most U.S. pharmacies without a prescription.
In the room
A teenage party-goer found unresponsive with shallow breathing. One spray in one nostril, call 911, monitor airway. Wakes the patient temporarily; reaction can return as naloxone wears off.
- $45 for a two-pack · home + vehicle layers
Lesson 05 · Medications
Procedure
00 · 00
Quick reference · when which drug · 4 of 5
Matching the drug to the situation
01
of 04
Chest pain
Aspirin · 325 mg, chewed
Suspected heart attack: a single 325 mg chewable aspirin, chewed not swallowed. Slows clot formation while EMS is en route.
Checkpoint · 1 tablet · chew
02
of 04
Mild allergy
Diphenhydramine · 25–50 mg PO
Hives, swelling, itching - not throat closing. By mouth. Will cause drowsiness.
Checkpoint · 25–50 mg
03
of 04
Anaphylaxis
Epinephrine · 1 IM injection
Throat closing, BP dropping, breathing trouble. Auto-injector in the mid-outer thigh, hold 3 seconds. Then call 911 - always.
Checkpoint · Thigh · 3 sec
04
of 04
Opioid OD
Naloxone · 1 spray, 1 nostril
Unresponsive with shallow breathing in someone who may have taken opioids. One spray in one nostril. Call 911. Be ready to give a second dose in 2–3 minutes.
Checkpoint · 1 spray
Lesson 05 · Medications
Common Pitfalls
00 · 00
Mistakes to watch for · 3 of them
Medication mistakes that change outcomes
What goes wrong
What to do instead
01 · Critical
Treating anaphylaxis with Benadryl alone.
Instead
Epinephrine first. Benadryl after. Always call 911.
02 · Common
Swallowing aspirin whole during a suspected heart attack.
Instead
Chew the chewable. Absorbs through the cheek in seconds, not minutes.
03 · Common
Stopping monitoring after one dose of naloxone.
Instead
Naloxone wears off in 30–90 minutes. The opioid often outlasts it. Monitor and re-dose if needed.
Lesson 05 · Medications
Summary
00 · 00
Recap · 3 takeaways
Mapped to objectives 01–03
Medications recap
01
Stock the five: aspirin, diphenhydramine, epinephrine, naloxone, oral rehydration salts.
Maps to · Objective 01
02
Tape a quick-reference card inside the kit lid. Doses you know now will vanish under stress.
Maps to · Objective 02
03
Anaphylaxis = epi first, Benadryl after. Never the other way around.
Maps to · Objective 03
Transcript
Lesson five: medications. This is educational, not prescriptive. Talk to your physician about your specific situation before you stock anything that needs a prescription. With that said: there are five drugs every household kit benefits from.
Transcript
Three things from this lesson. Know which five drugs to stock. Know when to use each. And - the one I see most often confused - know when Benadryl is the answer and when only epinephrine will do.
Transcript
Naloxone - sold over the counter as Narcan - reverses opioid overdose. As of recently, no prescription required. Even if no one in your household uses opioids, consider: prescription painkillers, fentanyl contamination, accidental child exposure. One two-pack costs about forty-five dollars.
Transcript
A quick decision tree for the five drugs. Match the situation to the drug, and the drug to the dose. Print this and tape it inside the lid of your kit. Under stress you will forget what you know perfectly well right now.
Transcript
Three mistakes I see with these medications. The first one - treating anaphylaxis with Benadryl alone - has killed real people. The corrections matter.
Transcript
Three takeaways. Five drugs make most household emergencies more survivable. A quick-reference card removes one variable under stress. And tell every adult in the house where it is and how to use it.