# Extensive Unused First Aid Kits When Should You Replace Them or Will they Last a long



## PeachesBackwards (Sep 8, 2015)

time? I have a few $25-50 first aid kits that I've never used and barely have opened. Do I need to replace these (or at least some items in these) every 5 years or so or even earlier. I know some things like bandages will probably lose their effectiveness as well as aspirin, etc. What do you recommend?


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Depends on how hot they got during storage.

Adhesives could be gone.

Any ointments maybe pass their shelf life. 

Sterile bandages maybe questionable too.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

some,if not most first aid items comes with a expiration date printed on the package,or some place else..so you might look for that.. and like TheLazyL pointed out.Adhesives could be gone when it comes to band aids..i've had that happen to me when i went to use one.so you might wanna look through all of it,and throw away what needs throwing away.and replace those items.and of course keep useing the kit they came in.on account doing things that way,could save you money.compared to replacing the entire kit..


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## AKPrepper (Mar 18, 2011)

Depending on the quality of the adhesive bandage, they can lose their "stickiness" in as little as a year depending on how they're stored. I tend to replace the adhesive bandages in my kit once a year. I've been told that's overkill, but being in the medical field, I tend to error on the side of caution. The unused bandages go into a box in my workshop and in a kitchen drawer, where we keep them for another year and then dispose of them. That way, those in my kit are always the newest. I figure if I have to go through two to three, or more, bandages, that actually stick, if I need one around the house, it's no big deal. But if I'm out and about, or the stuff has hit the fan and I need one, the last thing I want to do is deplete my supply trying to find one that will actually stick to my skin.


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## PeachesBackwards (Sep 8, 2015)

*Good Points Especially Exp. Date on Kit if It Includes One*

Very good points, thank you. I never even checked to see if there is an Expiration Date on the First Aid Kits I have and will do so today. I'm hoping they exist. If not it looks like I should replace certain items like Bandages once or twice a year, etc. Thanks again for your input


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I just came home from Walmart. I picked up a few items for my updated car first aid kit. If you look in the first aid section of most stores you can find small FAK sized packages. I found a small box of latex free gloves- 4 pairs for 97¢. 

Just replacing a few items at a time is a cheap way to keep your kit ready to go.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

a thought just came to mind on band aids,and other items (if any) with adhesives..might try using scotch tape,or some other tape when the adhesive on a band aid fails..and use scissors to cut it off when it becomes time to change it..


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

if the gauze pads are still in complete paper packages then they're still clean and I wouldn't worry about those.

also check the gloves. they can dry rot on ya

once you go thru everything use some ziplock bags to store things in to keep them cleaner.also helps to organize stuff. its what I've done with the bigger kits I use


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

jimLE said:


> a thought just came to mind on band aids,and other items (if any) with adhesives..might try using scotch tape,or some other tape when the adhesive on a band aid fails..and use scissors to cut it off when it becomes time to change it..


Medical tape, in various types, waterproof, "hurt free" cloth, stronger cloth, paper, etc etc are relatively cheap and last a very long time.

I rarely bother with bandaids because if the wound is bad enough, or the risk of infection high enough for me to actually be worried then I just don't trust them much. I have found them all to be pretty unreliable.

Something like Tegaderm is a different story and performs a specific function but other than that I much prefer to go with basic gauze, loose medical cotton, non-adhesive pads, sheets of Telfa, etc. Held in place with proper tape, more gauze or wrap, finger cots, tubular bandage/gauze, etc. All this stuff, except the tape lasts forever if kept properly, tends to work better for small wounds, but importantly imo also can often be used for serious wounds as well. I used to buy all sorts of premade bandaid items, then I helped a relative with diabetes for years, several thousand wound coverings later, my opinion has changed.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

Medical tape is a good idea...i've often used a piece of paper towel and and electric/duct tape to bandage a cut.but that was for 2 simple reasons.1st is to stop the minor bleeding.the 2nd is.i dont want to leave a trail of blood to the restroom,or where ever.and there's a 3rd reason.im usauly doing something at the time,that i simply wanna get done,and without bleeding onto everything..


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I keep all my medical supplies in sealed zip lock bags and in seal hard side plastic boxes (double sealed). I have never seen a self sticking bandage go bad even the bandages that are 5-10 years old. Any pills, ointments and creams are replaced every few years.

I keep a master FAK that has supplies purchased from amazon in large quantities. Out of the master kit, I make multiple smaller zip lock bag FAKs for the cars and emergency bags.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Earlier tonight I went to a party & won a first aid kit as a door prize.
I needed to replace my old one with an up dated one.
I store it next to my fire kit with 5 ways to start & keep a fire going.
That and an extra knife,tape measure, cord & magnet.
Father of an Eagle Scout needs to prepared.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Every year take the top layer off the tape, you will know when it gets bad. As long as the packaging is goos on the bandages they should be fine. Pills, ointments, and gloves should be replaced every couple of years. 

I agree with AKPrepper, the newest bandaids should be in the emergency kit, then moved into regular household use, and throwing them away after two years is overkill.

Inspecting your kits a couple times a year and replacing anything you find a problem with keeps your kit up to date and keeps you in touch with what is there and where it is.


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## myrtle55 (Apr 1, 2014)

I have adhesive allergies and make my own bandages with tegederm. I have a fortune in that stuff. I sure hope it has a long shelf life!


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

I needed some first aid tape that sticks to its self.
Store wanted $8 for a small roll.
I went to the local Animal supply place and bought a 25'X 3" roll for $2.
It also came in some very bright colors that kids would like.
I will inventory my FAK and replace things TODAY.
Thanks for the reminder.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

backlash said:


> I needed some first aid tape that sticks to its self.
> Store wanted $8 for a small roll.
> I went to the local Animal supply place and bought a 25'X 3" roll for $2.
> It also came in some very bright colors that kids would like.
> ...


I was at Walmart the other day getting a few things for the FAK. A older lady next to me was looking at that same tape and mumbling about the outrageous price. I showed her the "vetwrap" I had gotten from the pet section with the horse supplies and told her the price and she said thanks as she ran over there to grab some. 

I grab 2-3 rolls ever time I go to Wally-World so I have enough for the humans and the animals.


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## tc556guy (Apr 28, 2011)

I inspect my car first aid kit annually
I went through the first aid box in the house last week and threw out everything that was unserviceable and ran to the pharmacy for replacements.
Came to a couple hundred bucks before the various loyalty discounts they gave me.
Finally got around to putting a first aid box in the FFL area. It isn't much size-
wise, but I figure if things are that bad that its contents are inadequate its only a 30 second run into the house for a much bigger assortment of stuff.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

I keep my medical tapes (plastic transpore, paper micropore, silk, foam, and fabric) in a sealed plastic tote. I have tape that is over 10 years old, and it still sticks as well as it did the day I got it. The key is storing it in a dark cool place. I also keep my Coban there (the self-sticking tape) and it seems to have held up well, too.

As for individually sealed sterile dressings, I keep those packaged in zip lock bags with an oxygen absorber. Air, heat, and sunlight tend to dry out the wrappers, making them prone to small leaks which then ruins the sterility. When the wrapper gets brittle, I move the dressing from my sterile supply to my clean supply, good for cleaning superficial wounds or applying topicals. 

I keep my major medical "stash" separate from my general use first aid kits. The general use kits get enough use that supplies turn over pretty quickly (I am a bit of a klutz!) Like others have posted, I resupply my kits from my stash, and then put new replacements into the stash.

I really believe expiration dates are a legal thing, not a medical thing. I've seen medications and other items used right up to the expiration date, but then have to be thrown away the day after because it was "expired" (you can't convince me that the item is not just as good the day after it expires, but because of legalities, we can't use it and have to buy new - so more profit for big pharma! No wonder health care is so expensive - but that is a rant for another time! ) 

Although some medications will lose potency over time, many things will still maintain at least some effectiveness well past the expiration date. In a SHTF situation, I would rather have old Neosporin ointment than none at all- even if the antibiotic properties are weakened, it will still be a moderately effective barrier to prevent infection. One good way to tell if older items are still effective is to watch for changes in how the item looks or smells. For example, old aspirin will get a very strong unpleasant odor. Toss those! Old ointments may become runny, lumpy, or change color. Again, toss those! 

Does anyone wonder what happens to outdated medical supplies? In many cases, they are donated to third world countries, where they don't care about the dates, but are just grateful to get supplies - and the outdates work just fine.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Good question but it all depends on what kind of first aid items you are talking about and under what conditions are this kits kept; heat has a tendency to dry band aids and tapes and in a hot weather and in a vehicle only time will tell. I still have my Army kit, going back to the 1970`s but those bandages are treated with Vaseline and in a waterproof seal plastic bag. My medical supply at home is kept in a cabinet and so far I haven`t notice any damage to them;iodine,alcohol,mercurochrome, antiseptic creams ,etc. seem to last a long time and Vaseline and vinegar last forever so as long as you keep them away from the heat you should have no problems just keep a good kit next to your work location. kitchen and vehicle right next to a good fire extinguisher.


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## tc556guy (Apr 28, 2011)

readytogo said:


> Good question but it all depends on what kind of first aid items you are talking about and under what conditions are this kits kept; heat has a tendency to dry band aids and tapes and in a hot weather and in a vehicle only time will tell. I still have my Army kit, going back to the 1970`s but those bandages are treated with Vaseline and in a waterproof seal plastic bag.


Your kits actual contents date from the 1970s, or just the carrier you store the med stuff in?


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

As for tape and dressings - judge by either using it or the packaging. Creams rarely last over 5 years due to oil base compounds. They separate and the secondary breakdown productions will likely affect the potency of the active ingredient. Yep... even neosporin goes bad. May not be an issue with polymixin since most bacteria have a degree of resistance, but with mupirocin you may just be selecting for resistant bacteria by underdosing. 

Here is the run down on medications, for those of you that store some medications with your kits. 
US law passed in 1979 requires drugs to retain 90% potency and maintain sterility of the original packaging prior to its expiration date. It is a legal guarantee. Many drugs do continue to maintain potency, but some do not. Drug companies are not required to demonstrate actual shelf life. Neither are clothing retailers, or automobile manufacturers. It's really doesn't make sense and its not the way of the capitalist. 

Drugs in the SLEP program (DOD program) have the best long term (nonacademic studies) but you have to be privy to this information. There are also academic publications that have research drug shelf life and stability as well. Prepper pass around a lot of good info, but there is quite a bit of bad word of mouth and misinterpreted info as well based on personal, financial or political ideology. 

Rather than go through the long list of drugs that do hold potency 5-10 years past expiration. These are some good rules of thought to follow. 

*Liquid medications do degrade quickly and will precipitate over time. I personally dont use them much past the expiration. 
*Epinephrine - quickly degrades within a month after its expiration. There are great studies in the journal of wilderness and environmental medicine. You do not want to need epi and give an expired epipen. There is a saying, its better to have something rather than nothing. Giving expired epi is pretty much giving nothing. If you stab them repeatedly with the inch long 14 gauge needle though, they will make some of their own endogenous epinephrine. 
• Drugs that have a narrow therapeutic index- This means there is very little difference between the amount of the medication needed to treat someone and the amount needed to kill someone. If you give 1 tablet of the the expired medication that is now at 70% potency. It may do nothing where as it did something at 90% potency. Double the dose and the person drops dead. This category includes Anticonvulsants, warfarin, digoxin. 
The following drugs have been a burden to drug manufacturers because of their short stable shelf life. Dilantin, phenobarbital, Nitroglycerin, Procan SR, Theophylline, Thyroid preparations (I know many of you prep and store it… it doesn't last (its already in the mcg concentrations), Paraldehyde, oral contraceptives, and Insulin. In general, steroids are in such small concentrations that it doesn't take much degradation below the 90% threshold to render them ineffective. 

• Eye drops - eyes are particularly sensitive to any bacteria that might grow in a solution once a preservative degrades.

* Inhalers - any propellant leak will drastically change the metered dose. There are plenty of studies demonstrating improvement of stability and shelf life of inhalers with newer hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant. These are already pushing the limits of shelf life because inhalers are not cheap. Insurance drives the train and tend to go with the cheaper product with the longest shelf life so they have to refill less. Not a good idea to push these either since they usually are life saving to those that need it. 

For some of these, you just have to pony up the dough and pay out of pocket to keep extra around. Some of the above, just might not be worth it - even with the mantra, something is better than nothing.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

I replace each FAK every 5 years.. I will typically keep the compression bandages and toss all the boo-boo items


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## prepperking22 (May 21, 2016)

Definitely medical tape. Seems to last longer than the adhesive on bandages. I check in on my first aid kits every year or so also, just replacing those items that need to be. Definitely beats having to replace the entire kits. I also keep a supply of aloe vera plants for burns and have been making my own ointments, much cheaper than store bought and I can store them in sealed containers that have a great shelf life.


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