If there is a slight burn without significant tissue damage, it’s important to rinse the skin with water for 20 minutes. Apply a sterile bandage and place ice or anything cold on top. When everything is done, you should call a doctor.
- Important: If a burn is severe, give the person some salt or mineral water.
5. Airway obstruction:
The main mistake: trying to use the Heimlich maneuver while saving an unconscious person.
If the person choked or fainted, lay them down on his or her back and sit on his or her hips. Then put your hands on the costal arch and press down. Then put the person on one side and remove the foreign object from his or her mouth with your fingers covered with a cloth.
If a child choked, put them on your left forearm (or right if you’re left-handed) with their head down and give 3 back blows, and then take their legs and turn them upside down.
- Important: If you use the Heimlich maneuver for a pregnant woman, you should press a bit above the rib cage.
4. In case of dislocation:
The main mistake: trying to put a joint back.
We can find out the type of a dislocation only with the help of an X-ray procedure. That’s why the only thing we can do is to not let the person move the injured part of the body. Don’t bend or unbend it. You can use any flat and narrow objects to bind the injured part and the nearest joints, so as to immobilize them. Bandages should be used to fix a brace lengthwise, excluding the injured part. If there are no suitable objects, an arm should be fastened to the body and a leg should be pressed and tightened to the other leg.
- Important: Do not apply bandages too tightly. The circulation should stay normal.
3. In case of poisoning:
The main mistake: lack of water.
To wash out the stomach, a person should drink 10-20 cups of plain water. And after 1.5-2 cups, the water should spill out. To cause vomiting, press on the base of the tongue with 2 fingers. The procedure may be repeated several times before the water becomes clear.
- Important: Don’t proceed with gastric lavage if a person is unconscious.
2. In case of a snakebite:
The main mistake: sucking a snakebite.
First, lay the person down so as not to allow the poison to spread quickly. Immobilize the limb: if a leg is injured, fasten it to another leg, if it’s an arm, press it to the body. If the person is unconscious, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Important: A tourniquet is useless in this case, as it doesn’t prevent the poison from spreading. It also can cause necrosis.
1. In case of lower abdominal pain:
The main mistake: taking painkillers or antispasmodics.
We are often recommended to take painkillers to reduce lower abdominal pain. But doctors advise against this because if we eliminate the feeling of pain, we can miss the signs of fatally dangerous diseases, such as acute appendicitis, bowel obstruction, or a perforated ulcer.
- Important: If you feel acute pain in your abdomen, call a doctor immediately.
Remember that you should always call a doctor or a rescuer in case of an emergency.
Moreover, we recommend you to take first aid courses so you can always be prepared to provide life-saving assistance.