Common Misconceptions About First Aid

1-8 May is observed as Traffic and First Aid Week. Çağatay Tuğrul Özseçen, Emergency Medicine Physician at Istanbul Okan University Hospital, noted that correct intervention in dangerous situations can save lives, while incorrect applications can endanger a person's life. He explained how to behave in emergencies and addressed common misconceptions. Özseçen initially stated that it is necessary to remain calm and conduct an initial assessment of the patient. He emphasized that intervention should only be undertaken if there is no one more trained than us at the scene of the incident. Correct initial assessment of the patient saves lives in most situations. If we do not fully know or are uncertain about the correct intervention to be performed in the situation we have identified, and if the patient/injured person is in a dangerous environment, the first action should be to remove them from that environment. Particularly in trauma cases, care should be taken to protect the spine and large bones during appropriate transport. It is also extremely important to remove any obstruction to breathing (ties, scarves, tight collars, dentures, foreign objects, etc.). After that, one should wait for health professionals or trained first aid providers to arrive. For this, either we should call ourselves (112) or, if we are intervening, we should designate someone to make the call and summon help.

Slapping an Unconscious Person (Incorrect)

A drop in blood pressure, lack of oxygen, severe grief or excessive emotional stress, hunger, or brief loss of consciousness can occur. Pulse and breathing should be checked, and if regular, the patient should be laid on their back with legs elevated and kept motionless. If the unconscious person is in a crowded or enclosed space, they should then be moved to a calm, open area.

Smelling Onions to a Person Having a Seizure (Incorrect)

Epilepsy patients experiencing seizures may exhibit involuntary contractions. Therefore, the priority should be to remove dangerous objects from the patient's surroundings. Inserting a tissue or cloth between the teeth can prevent the patient from biting their tongue. Smelling onions or cologne can obstruct breathing in unconscious and seizing persons. Seizures usually last no more than a few minutes, so in such a situation, health teams should be notified and one should wait.

Performing Chest Compressions in All Drowning Cases (Incorrect)

Drowning occurs when exposed to heavy smoke or lack of breath in water. The drowning person's pulse, heart rate, and breathing should first be checked. If there is a problem with these, trained personnel perform resuscitation and chest compressions.

Striking the Back Forcefully in Cases of Airway Obstruction (Incorrect)

Striking the back of someone with partial airway obstruction is one of the most common mistakes. A person having difficulty breathing and experiencing partial obstruction should be encouraged to cough. One should also warn and prevent those who want to strike this person's back, since the object obstructing the airway could move further down or become more firmly lodged due to the impact.

Attempting to Induce Vomiting in a Poisoned Person (Incorrect)

Attempting to expel poisonous material from the stomach through vomiting can cause greater harm to the patient. The most basic first aid method in poisoning through ingestion is rinsing the mouth with water. Particularly in cases where corrosive substances have been ingested, the patient should never be made to vomit and medical assistance should be sought.

Applying Toothpaste, Tobacco, Sugar, etc. to Burns and Wounds (Incorrect)

These materials are not medical products and using them outside their intended purpose is incorrect. Cleaning these materials from the burned, wounded, and sensitive area will be problematic for both health personnel and the patient. These types of interventions, performed with good intentions but actually incorrect, can cause more harm than benefit and put the patient at serious risk. For this reason, in most situations, perhaps the greatest help we can provide is to call health teams urgently and keep curious people away from the patient's side.