Packing Tip - Leave antiboiotic ointments at home; pack Vaseline and Bandages!
 

Every time i pack for Europe i scour my bathroom for some antibiotic cream in case i cut myself abroad. Turns out i should leave the cream at home and just pack vaseline and bandages.
Here's some quote from NYTimes Science Section:
"Most partents and school nurses have a time-honored approach to treating a small wound: clean it up, stop the bleeding and then let it get some air.
the point of this approach, as described in medical texts, is to lower the odds of infection and speed the healing. But over the years researchers have found that this method is simply wrong"
"Exposing the wound to the air is a terrible mistakes, experts sya, because it creates a dry environment that promotes cell death.
A handful of studies have found that when wounds are kept moise and covered, blood vessels regenerate faster and the number of cells that cause inflammation drop more rapidly than they do in wounds allowed to air out. It's best to keep the wound moist and ocvered for 5 days."
"Another mistake is applying antibiotic ointments says a Mayo Clinic dermatologists - these ointments may keep the wound moist, but they can also lead to swelling and an allergic reaction called contact dermitis. Simple Vaseline, applied twice a day works fine.
And as awful as removing scabs may sound, it may actually be a good idea, the Mayo way said - that's the general feeling.
So i'm leaving the antibiotic cream at home and stocking up bandages and Vaseline.

Also, using antibiotics for every little scratch is the reason why we now have superbugs.

I seem to remember the wording on the tub of Vaseline used to read "the First Aid Kit in a Jar".

Marvellous stuff, and apart from all the healing uses, it's great for really dry skin on feet and hands, and a tiny slick under the eyes at night keeps all those little lines and wrinkles at bay and is so much cheaper than all those expensive eye creams!

I'm never without my little pot of petroleum jelly!

Another thing to use on deeper wounds is superglue. My brother in law who gets numerous cuts on his job has been swearing by it for years. Now emergency rooms have started to use it.

Superglue! Add that to my packing list! Could work well with broken bones as well i guess.