In times of desperation, seeking the wrong medical treatment can not only fail to provide relief, but also harm loved ones. Especially with emergency first aid methods, if not done correctly, they can be fatal. Here are some reminders to avoid falling into these traps.
1. Hot Compress for Sprained Foot - More Pain, More Swelling
Dr. Wang Chen, Chief Orthopedic Surgeon at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital: Applying hot compress immediately after spraining your foot will make your ankle even more painful and swollen.
It is recommended to immediately stop weight-bearing activities, stabilize the injured area, and use cold compress within the first 24-48 hours to control bleeding. Topical medications should be used after 1-2 days of injury.
If the injury appears to be minor, try to rest the injured area and continue cold compress for 24 hours until the swelling and pain subsides. Seek medical assistance if necessary. After 48 hours, hot compress can be used.
It is important to note that individuals with sensitive or dulled sensory nerves (such as diabetes or stroke patients) and those with abnormal blood circulation should be extra cautious when using cold or hot compress. If there are open wounds or the skin is especially sensitive to temperature, avoid cold or hot compress.
2. Removing Fish Bones by Patting the Back, Drinking Vinegar, or Swallowing Rice Balls - Choking
Dr. Xue Tao, Chief Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital: If there is an object stuck in the throat, causing choking, difficulty breathing, coughing, or even respiratory arrest, never pat the back or insert your fingers into the throat. It not only has no effect, but also pushes the object deeper into the airway.
Drinking vinegar cannot soften fish bones because it cannot stay in the esophagus. Forcibly swallowing rice balls is not only ineffective, but also dangerous because swallowing rice balls when fish bones are stuck in the throat or esophagus will only make the fish bones penetrate deeper.
The correct approach is to place a tongue depressor (at home, you can use chopsticks or a toothbrush) on the two-thirds front of the tongue and gently press it down, observing the entire mouth and throat. If the bone is visible, use your hand or tweezers to remove it directly.
If the bone is not visible or the person cannot speak, seek medical assistance immediately.
3. Tilting the Head Back for Nosebleeds - Pneumonia, Choking
Dr. Huang Zhichun, Chief Otolaryngologist at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital:
Tilting the head back not only does not help stop the bleeding, but also causes the nosebleed to flow back into the throat, esophagus, trachea, and stomach, causing discomfort and nausea.
Patients with excessive nosebleeds may also vomit the swallowed blood.
Bending forward and tilting the head back repeatedly can further increase nosebleeds.
If the bleeding is severe, tilting the head back can also cause blood to be aspirated into the trachea and lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia and even the risk of suffocation.
The correct approach is to sit down, slightly lean the body forward, open the mouth, and breathe through the mouth. Pinch both sides of the nostrils with the thumb and index finger, and press gently towards the back of the head for 10 minutes, with slight pain as the appropriate pressure.
If the bleeding persists, slightly move the position of the pinch until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding does not stop, seek medical assistance immediately.
4. Applying Toothpaste, Egg White, or Soy Sauce to Burns - Infection
Dr. Xiong Meng, Chief Burns and Plastic Surgeon at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital: Applying these substances to wounds without proper medical guidance not only does not treat burns or scalds, but can sometimes cover up the wound, making it difficult for doctors to immediately determine the size and depth of the wound.
It not only increases the patient's pain, but also promotes bacterial growth and wound infection. The wound must be cleaned before treatment.
For small to moderate superficial burns, cold therapy can relieve further damage caused by heat to the wound, quickly alleviate pain, and is simple and easy to perform.
The specific approach is to rinse the burn or scald under tap water or immerse it in clean cold water (the water temperature should be tolerable for the patient, generally 15°C to 20°C, ice cubes can be added in summer), or apply a clean, cold water-moistened towel or gauze pad to the wound. However, extremely low temperatures for cold therapy are also not good for the wound.
There is no specific time limit for cold therapy. Generally, it should be done until the pain significantly subsides, which is usually around 0.5 to 1 hour or longer. If the situation is more severe, immediately take the patient to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment.
5. Tightly Bandaging to Stop Bleeding - Tissue Necrosis in Limb Extremities
Jia Dacheng, Senior Emergency Expert at Beijing Emergency Center: When accidentally cutting a finger, most people would tightly wrap the wound with gauze or adhesive bandages.
This hinders blood circulation, and prolonged application can cause limb swelling and discoloration, and in severe cases, tissue necrosis in the limb extremities.
The correct approach is to have the injured person sit or lie down, elevate the injured area, clean the contaminated wound with clean water, and if the bleeding is fast, stop the bleeding first.
Cover the wound with sterilized gauze or clean, breathable, non-sticky, and absorbent dressings, apply pressure with your hand for 5-10 minutes. If the blood soaks the gauze, it is best not to remove it, but add more dressings on top.
After stopping the bleeding, wrap the wound with a bandage or cloth strips. You can also use your fingers to press the arterial blood vessels near the wound towards the bone to stop the blood flow.
This method is suitable for limbs, but because it affects blood supply, it should not exceed 10 minutes.
6. Turning the Body Upside Down to Control Water Flow after Drowning - Secondary Death
Dr. Xu Changsheng, Attending Physician at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital Emergency Center: There are many methods for rescuing drowning victims, and water control and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are two common ones. However, whether to perform water control or CPR first depends on whether the drowning victim has breathing and heartbeat.
After the drowning victim is salvaged, the rescuer can check the victim's pulse and listen for breathing. If there is still breathing and the heart has not stopped, water control should be performed first. Otherwise, CPR should be performed first.
Water control involves placing the drowning victim in a lateral position, patting the back to control the water and other debris. This method helps prevent suffocation caused by vomiting, as there is often a vomiting reflex after drowning.
The method of turning the victim upside down on the back of a cow or a large pot is not recommended. Because in freshwater drowning cases, most of the water inhaled by the drowning victim is in the bloodstream, not in the stomach.
Using this method on a drowning victim without a heartbeat or breathing can likely delay the best rescue time and cause secondary death.
7. Pinching the Philtrum to Revive Someone from Unconsciousness - Ineffective, Delayed Treatment
Dr. Xu Changsheng, Attending Physician at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital Emergency Center: Pinching the philtrum aims to wake someone up through pain stimulation.
However, there are many causes of unconsciousness, such as cerebral infarction, cardiovascular diseases, and hypoglycemia. Pinching the philtrum is not suitable for all cases of unconsciousness.
If someone is unconscious and has no pulse, CPR should be performed first. For elderly people, whether they have mastered the correct method and have enough strength to perform it is a problem. Therefore, the best solution is to immediately call emergency services (e.g. 120).
