Case Studies on Medical Kits

Keeping healthy on the road--and being prepared for medical emergencies--can be easier with a prepackaged kit. The options are many, ranging from small first-aid collections for a solo traveler to family packs and specialized kits for international travelers, white-water rafters, campers, automobile travelers and others. Here is a sampling of medical kits for the most mobile on your holiday gift list.

* The Travellers Health Kit contains basic supplies inside a 5- by 7-inch nylon zippered case. There are bandages, gauze, pill vials, aspirin, cough drops, nasal decongestant tablets and a travel health guide, “The Pocket Doctor.” Cost is $29.95 at Going in Style, Century City Shopping Center; (310) 277-0209.

* The Deluxe Survival Kit, for campers or cross-country skiers, has a three-day supply of food and water, first aid supplies and booklets, a cold pack, a thermal blanket, flashlight and other supplies. About $40 at Armstrong or, for other locations where it is sold, call Total Resources International; (909) 594-1220.

* The Sawyer Family First Aid Kit is intended for use by campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Included are large and mini bandages, electrolyte tablets, pain relief pills, gauze, tweezers, a forehead thermometer, antibiotic ointment and a state-by-state directory of emergency telephone numbers. About $25 at stores such as Big 5 and Oshman’s Sporting Goods or from Sawyer Products, (800) 356-7811.

* The Family First Aid Pack has 119 items, including bandages, gauze pads, antiseptic towelettes, a first aid guide, tongue depressors and tweezers, cold packs, sting relief pads and ointment packets. About $10 at Target or, for other locations where it is sold, call Total Resources International; (909) 594-1220.

* Dentanurse Dental First Aid Kit can help travelers tend to minor dental problems until they can return home to see their own dentist. It has temporary cement, a mixing pad and spatula and a dental mirror, plus instructions. Cost is $19.85 from Magellan’s Catalog of Travel Essentials; (800) 962-4943.

* The SteriPACK-1 is for travelers concerned about getting a disease from a contaminated needle in a foreign country. It contains four syringes and six needles, swabs and dressing. Cost is $19.95 from Travel Medicine, Inc.; (800)-TRAV-MED.

* The International Travel Medical Kit is packaged in a water-resistant nylon kit that weighs just six ounces. Inside are bandages, gauze pads, dressings, tape, burn dressing, pain relievers, indigestion tablets, oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal tablets, antibiotic packets and burn ointment, fungal cream medicine, razor blade and the “Pocket Doctor” paperback guide to first aid. Cost is $29.50 from Magellan’s Catalog of Travel Essentials; (800) 962-4943.

* The Auto Deluxe Kit includes booster cables, safety flares, first-aid supplies and an instruction book, food rations and water rations, a thermal blanket and supplies to fix a flat and burst hoses. About $45 at Armstrong; or, for other locations where it is sold, call Total Resources International; (909) 594-1220.

* Personal Traveler Kit is a small, lightweight first-aid kid designed for people traveling solo. There are medications, wound management materials, water disinfection tablets and oral rehydration salts. Cost is $39.95 from Travel Medicine, Inc.; (800) TRAV-MED.

* The Emergency Room Trauma Kit for Travelers is meant for use in developing countries, where needles or syringes might not be sterile. Inside are three syringes, suture nylon with a needle, an infusion set for intravenous medicine, towelettes, latex gloves and a guide on how to avoid blood-borne illness. Cost is $26.50 from Magellan’s Catalog of Travel Essentials; (800) 962-4943.

* Whitewater First Aid Kit is intended for use by travelers on open water and river trips. The case is watertight and unbreakable. Inside are dressings, thermometer, splint, bandages and other supplies. Each kit is designed for groups of up to six. Cost is $139.95 from Travel Medicine, Inc.; (800) TRAV-MED.

The Healthy Traveler appears the second and fourth week of every month.