8 First Aid Emergencies and How Not Make Them Worse

Emergencies don’t come with warning bells. They strike at unexpected moments and your response, or lack thereof, could determine how things come out in the end. How much do you think you know about first aid and proper emergency response? Put yourself to the test and seriously ask yourself: what would I do in these situations?


A child pulls a pot of boiling water off the stove or sticks their hand on a hot burner.
The best action is to rinse gently with cool water and coat the burn with antibiotic ointment. If the burn is on a sensitive area of the body such as the face or if there are a lot of blisters, then go to the ER and do not pop the blisters. You also want to seek medical assistance if a burn completely circles a limb or is larger than your hand.

Someone is having a seizure.
Prying the mouth open or moving them could lead to injuries such as muscle tears. The only reason they should be moved is if they are in an unsafe place and will likely fall off something and hurt themselves. You may want to unbutton the top of their shirt or their belt to help them breathe and try to time the seizure activity. If the person is a known epileptic, emergency services only need to be called if it lasts for longer than five minutes. Never hold someone having a seizure unless you are preventing them from injury!

You sprain your ankle.
For an ankle sprain you want to apply ice. Heat will actually increase the swelling and could slow down the healing process. If it is painful to put any weight down on the foot then it may be a fracture and you should see a doctor.

You are bitten by a snake.
These are all myths that can actually be quite dangerous and lead to more injury than is actually necessary. If you cut the wound even slightly you may slice tendons or nerves that cause more damage. Tourniquets often lead to the blood circulation being cut off and could lead to the loss of a limb. The safest response is to immediately splint the wound or wrap it in something clean and get to the ER right away.

Your nose suddenly starts bleeding.
For a nose bleed, lean forward and pinch just underneath the bone. If the bleeding does not stop within five minutes seek medical attention.

Your three-year-old gets a hold of the Flintstones vitamins and eats the whole bottle.
Children die every year from an overdose of iron and children’s vitamins are a main source of iron. For poisons in general, you want to keep the product that was swallowed and call poison control immediately. Depending on what was swallowed different actions will need to be taken, so you must remain calm enough to speak clearly and hear what you are instructed to do for the child.

Someone starts to choke across the dinner table.
The Heimlich maneuver will force air up through the body and help dislodge whatever is choking the person, but only in the case of a full blockage. If some air is getting through, then encourage them to continue coughing and stay close by, but you do not need to take action unless they start to have breathing trouble or turn blue. Do not give them anything to drink, as the fluid will take up what little space is left for air to pass through. In most cases a partial blockage can be coughed out, but if it becomes a full blockage then once again the Heimlich maneuver will be necessary. Do not perform the Heimlich on a child less than a year old

Your child suddenly has an extremely high fever.
While there may be some truth to the old wives tale of sweating out a fever, it is not a good thing to try with a child. Sudden high fevers can lead to febrile seizures, so putting them in a cool bath (not cold!) and giving them something like children’s Tylenol to break the fever (if they are old enough for medication) is a better course of action. If you cannot get the fever down or if it goes above 104 Fahrenheit, you should seek medical attention.