First aid myths

A recent study revealed that a third of all Britons admit they are not confident carrying out basic first aid, with many not even sure how to properly treat common household injuries, such as cuts and burns - a worrying statistic considering that most accidents occur in and around the home.

Dr Patricia Macnair, Community physician and BBC Health journalist, said: “There is still a worrying lack of basic first aid knowledge out there, and some of the traditional old wives tales and treatment myths can actually make a bad situation much, much worse”.

“Good immediate care of an injury, especially wounds and burns, can make a huge difference to how quickly and how well someone recovers from an accident.”

Here are the top five most common first aid myths still heard today and how they should actually be treated:

Myth 1: Sucking out a bee sting

Insect stings can be annoying and painful but in some cases they can lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Only bees leave a stinger behind when they sting a victim, wasps and hornets do not.

Sucking out a bee sting is ineffective and definitely not recommended. Not only is it unpleasant and unhygienic for both victim and first-aider; squeezing a bee stinger can increase the amount of venom delivered and could even trigger an allergic reaction in the person administering the first aid!

The best way to reduce any reaction to bee venom is to remove the bee stinger as quickly as possible with a pair of clean tweezers and then treat with an antihistamine bite or sting cream.

It is important to remember to seek medical attention if the victim has been stung multiple times, or if there are stings inside the nose, mouth, or throat. If there is any concern that the victim may be developing anaphylaxis, call 999 immediately.

Myth 2: Lean your head back with a nosebleed

Nosebleeds can be very scary, but usually look at lot worse than they seem. Children get nosebleeds more often than adults, typically either from tearing the nasal membrane (picking their noses) or from playground trauma (a football in the face). When adults get nosebleeds, it could be an indicator of a more severe medical problem.

When treating a child or adult with a nosebleed, asking them to lean their head back is definitely not the best treatment. This could cause the patient to choke or swallow their own blood, which can lead to vomiting.

Instead, ask the patient to lean forward and use the thumb and forefingers to pinch the soft tissue either side of the nose cartilage. If there is still blood flowing, adjust the grip.

After 5 minutes, release the pressure to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, repeat for a further 10 minutes. Remember: do not let go to check bleeding until the 10 minutes are up.

If a nosebleed doesn't stop after the second or third try, it is time to see a doctor. If at any time the person feels light-headed, dizzy or weak, seek medical attention.

Myth 3: Raw steak on a black eye

Putting a raw steak on an eye injury will do absolutely nothing to ease a black eye, and could potentially contaminate the eye with whatever germs reside in the meat, including E.coli!

Treatment to ease the bruise of a black eye is all about the cold, so ice wrapped in a clean tea towel works just fine! If you insist on pulling something out of the fridge, try a bag of frozen peas – peas are cleaner and will stay colder and work better than any steak.

Myth 4: Butter on Burns

Once again, food and first aid just do not mix. Butter and oil are great for frying food because oils hold in the heat, so unless you want to make a burn much worse, please leave the butter and oil in the kitchen!

You should seek to cool the area as quickly as possible – running it under cool water for about 10 minutes before applying an antiseptic to ward off infection. Alternatively, make sure your first aid cabinet has a specifically developed product like the Acriflex Cooling Burns Gel, which will quickly ease the inflammation, protect against infection and support your skin’s healing process.

Remember, you must never ignore a serious burn: if it’s larger than a postage stamp or has penetrated beyond the first layer of skin you should always seek medical advice.

Myth 5: Drinking Alcohol to Warm Up a Cold Victim

Images of St. Bernard dogs racing through the snow-covered mountains with barrels of brandy lashed to their thick necks have perpetuated the myth that strong alcoholic spirits can help a person in shock or who is a victim of cold weather.

Whilst a toddy of alcohol can momentarily make you feel flush and warm inside, it can actually exacerbate the causes of hypothermia in cold weather. This is because alcohol leads to a flush of warm blood to the skin. Once the blood is at the surface of the skin, it is quickly cooled, speeding up the symptoms.

Some cold exposures are worse than others. Wet victims lose body heat much faster than dry victims and windy conditions cause victims to lose heat very quickly as well.

If you suspect a person is suffering exposure to the cold, firstly move the person to a place that is warm and dry and remove any wet clothing. If the person shows any symptoms of hypothermia including confusion, excessive trembling or slurred speech, then seek urgent medical attention.

This article was published on Mon 2 November 2009