First aid skills are necessary for everyone. But if you don’t have enough knowledge of how to help an injured person, you may even make it worse.
Bright Side created a list of the most common mistakes that people make when they provide first aid.
First of all:
- Make sure you’re not in danger.
- Check the person’s pulse, breath, and check the pupils’ size in light and dark, as they should become smaller when it is light.
Warning! If signs of life are absent, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately.
10. In case of severe bleeding:
The main mistake: applying a tourniquet immediately.
The first thing you should do is stop the bleeding. That’s why you need to clamp the artery that is closest to the wound. Then you should apply a compressive bandage using sterile wipes or, if the wound is very deep, stuff it with wipes and fix a tampon with a bandage.
A tourniquet should be applied only in case of emergency. It’s applied to the skin above the wound and as close to the wound as possible.
- Important: The tourniquet should be loosened for 10-15 minutes every hour and don’t forget to press the artery. Then, the tourniquet should be tightened again, but not for more than 30 minutes.
9. In case of a nosebleed:
The main mistake: tilting the head back.
Make the person sit down, tip his or her head slightly forward to let the blood flow, and press the soft part of the nose with your fingers for no more than 10 minutes. The person should spit out all of the blood so as not to cause vomiting.
- Important: Do not clog the nose with cotton pads or tampons. This is necessary only if the bleeding doesn’t stop in 15 minutes. Call a doctor immediately in this case.
8. In case of hypothermia:
The main mistakes: rubbing with snow, oil, or Vaseline, causing the body temperature to rise quickly.
First of all, a person should be placed in a warm room and the frozen body parts should be covered. Ensure that the person is wearing dry clothes and wrap him or her up in warm blankets. What is more, it’s important to supply a person with sweet drinks and a hot meal.
- Important: Remember to never treat a person using alcohol. Alcohol expands the blood vessels and this causes heat loss.
7. In case of cardiac arrest:
The main mistake: performing the same actions for people of different ages.
An indirect heart massage for adults is performed with 2 hands: the base of the palm presses on the chest and the thumb of the hand should be facing the person’s chin or legs. The same actions, but with the whole palm, should be performed for teenagers. And finally, to perform an indirect heart massage for a baby, you should press with 2 fingers.
- Important: You can perform an indirect heart massage only when the person is placed on a straight and sturdy surface.
6. In case of a burn:
The main mistake: removal of the clothes and piercing the burn bubbles.
To help a burning person, you should make them lie down and extinguish the flame using your clothes, only if the material is nonflammable. Then, call a doctor.