First aid myths
| Joe Mulligan, a first aid specialist from the British Red Cross, helps debunk some of the many myths still surrounding first aid.
Myth: | | |  | |
| If your child is choking, put your fingers in their mouth or hang them upside down by their feet.
According to a recent Red Cross survey, this is what 53 per cent of parents with children under eight would do. Yet placing fingers into the throat could cause vomiting or damage the child's throat.
"Hanging a child upside down is not an effective way to treat choking," says Joe. "Not only can it be very traumatic, it could also result in head injury if the child is dropped."
Fact:
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| Stand or kneel behind your child and give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check the mouth quickly after each one and remove any obvious obstruction. If the obstruction is still present; give up to five abdominal thrusts.
Place a clenched fist above the naval and pull inwards and upwards. Check the mouth quickly after each one. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and abdominal thrusts, dial 999 (or 112) for an ambulance. | | |  | |
| Continue until help arrives and resuscitate if necessary.
Tips on dealing with choking
Myth:
The best thing to put on a burn is butter.
According to the survey, nearly one in five parents with young children would treat a child with a large burn by applying things such as butter, ice or margarine.
"Putting butter or margarine on a burn is absolutely useless," says Joe. "And once the person gets to casualty, the substance will have to be removed, which could be painful." Nor should ice be used, as this can produce a cold burn on top of the hot burn.
Fact:
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| Place the burned area under cold water for ten minutes to reduce pain and distress and possibly give a better cosmetic result. Then wrap it in clingfilm or a clean nonfluffy cloth to reduce the risk of infection and allow the area to continue cooling. This also helps reduce the discomfort caused by contact with the air.
"As a general rule, we advise anyone with a burn larger than a 50p piece to go down to casualty," says Joe. "Some small burns, however, can be very deep, so if in doubt always seek medical advice." | | |  | |
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Tips on treating burns
Myth:
Treat a nosebleed by tilting the head back and pinching the nose.
Tilting the head back will encourage the blood to run down the back of the throat and possibly into the stomach, inducing vomiting. Some people also say you should place a cold object on the base of the neck but this is an old wives' tale.
Fact:
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| Sit the person down, reassure them and pinch the tip rather than the hard bit of the nose. Discourage them from coughing or swallowing until the bleeding stops. It may be helpful to place a bowl on the floor to catch any dripping blood.
It’s even better to lay the person on their side in the recovery position, preferably on the floor. If they become unconscious, you should check regularly that they are still breathing. | | |  | |
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Tips on dealing with bleeding
Myth:
Remove an object embedded in a wound as soon as possible.
The object in the wound could be blocking further blood loss, so if you pull it out you could be dealing with a major haemorrhage.
Fact:
The aim is to build a 'bridge' over the object while keeping pressure on the wound. Apply padding to either side of the object, then bandage over without pressing on it. Call for an ambulance.
Tips on dealing with bleeding
Myth:
If you give the kiss of life, you should see immediate results.
Fact:
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Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) includes rescue breaths and chest compressions.
"People rarely respond immediately to CPR," says Joe. "However, this does not mean you are not possibly helping to save their life. The first few minutes are critical. CPR helps to keep the key organs alive until the ambulance arrives, so you should not give up." | | |  | |
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