QUESTION: First aid: how to act in case of choking and the Heimlich maneuver?

A properly stocked home first aid kit is the key to your readiness for any unexpected situations, injuries, and sudden deteriorations in health. To ensure that medical supplies and products remain effective, they should be stored in a special organizer in a dry, dark, and out-of-reach-of-children place, with expiration dates checked regularly.

To properly prepare for providing first aid, assemble a basic set of dressing materials, which should include sterile bandages of various widths, gauze pads, and an elastic bandage. Also, make sure to include hemostatic agents, bactericidal patches of various sizes, cotton pads, blunt-ended scissors, and tweezers for removing small splinters.

An essential element of the first aid kit is products for the antiseptic treatment of wounds and burns, such as chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, and special burn gels. Additionally, it is worth including medical gloves to ensure your own safety when coming into contact with the victim's biological fluids, and a non-contact thermometer for measuring temperature.

Make a detailed list of the contents of the first aid kit indicating the expiration dates and include a memo on how to provide first aid for common household injuries. If your family members have chronic conditions, supplement the kit with the necessary profile medications prescribed by the attending physician so that they are always at hand when needed.