Welcome to our new first aid questions area. This page has been created to allow you submit your own first aid questions. Our team will then review your question and post the answer here (after debating amongst ourselves!).

You can submit a new first aid question by using the comment feature at the bottom of this page. Questions can be anything to do with first aid or related topics such as first aid training. Our editorial team as a combined experience of nearly 30 years of working as first aid trainers and instructors.

Your first aid questions

What would one do if someone collapses in the gym?

Strenuous exercise can cause a number of medical conditions and problems. These include cardiac arrests (where the heart stops beating), faints, diabetic emergencies and seizures.

Whenever you find someone collapsed you should assess the casualty using the mnemonic DR ABC. Firstly check for Danger, then check for a Response. If you don’t get a response from the casualty then they are unconscious and this is a medical emergency. You should then open the Airway and check to see if they are Breathing normally. You can find out how to do this in module two of ourfree online first aid course.

If they are breathing, you should place the casualty on their side with their head tilted back. This is known as the recovery position and helps protect the airway against vomiting. If they are not breathing you should call an ambulance immediately and then start performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). It is important to complete all the links in the Chain of Survival as quickly as possible.

I’ve always wondered what would be the course of action if a person started having a seizure. I’ve heard so many advices – some of them even contradictory – that I’m overwhelmed with information and would not know what to do. What is the correct way to help someone in a situation like that?

I know what you mean! Take a look at our page ‘How to deal with a seizure’ – https://www.firstaidforfree.com/first-aid-tip-how-to-deal-with-a-seizure-convulsion/ – this should cover all the first aid information you need to know! You main priorities are to keep the person safe and protect the airway after the seizure stops.

What if the victim is breathing ,but became unconscious because of D.M? then how to differentiate?

If someone is unconscious but breathing then they should be placed into the recovery position. This helps protect the airway from the tongue and any vomit. You can learn how to place someone in the recovery position by taking our free online first aid course. The priority is to manage the airway rather than worry about the diabetes mellitus, however you should pass any information you have onto the ambulance crew.

Is it ok/recommended to rub the inside of an uncooked potato on a burn?

Unfortunately this is definitely a first aid myth! The priority with a burn is to cool the area to prevent further damage to the tissues. This is best achieved by using cool running water for at least 10 minutes. After cooling a burn the next step is to prevent infection by covering the burn with a non-fluffy dressing. Clingfilm is an ideal dressing to use as long as its clean!

I have heard that chewing an aspirin tablet is effective during a heart attack. would it be recommended to have an aspirin in my first aid bag? also if i think someone is having a heart attack, can i give that person an aspirin?

Yes! Chewing an aspirin can reduce the chances of death from a heart attack by over 20%! You should encourage the person to chew a 300mg aspirin (not swallow). However, don’t give someone an aspirin if they have a serious allergy to it.

In the case of burns, it says if there is no running water then improvise. If the only source of water was a lake, which would be the priority- cooling the burn or preventing infection from the dirty water?

The priority is definitely cooling the burn as this will reduce the tissue damage and slow the burning process. Infection is a longer term complication which can be managed by health care professionals later in the healing process. So yes – improvise with any water available!

On coming upon a casualty, we are advised to get the person into the recovery position ..is there any danger if there is a possible spinal injury?

The priority with any casualty who is unconscious is to manage their airway and keep them breathing. All unconscious casualties should be placed into the recovery position to protect their airway. There is always a risk of causing further injury, however this is far outweighed by the benefit of keeping them breathing!

Which is the recovery position? Right side or left? The first image shows a female lying on her left side, while the short British Red Cross video shows a man lying on the right side. Considering the ease at which the stomach content may come out from the mouth, on which side should the victim be positioned? Please, Help clarify

It doesn’t matter – you can place someone into the recovery position on either side. The priority is to get them on their side with their head tilted back to protect the airway. If you suspect the patient has injuries then a general rule is always to place the injured side down however this might not always be possible (for example, in a confined space)

Does CPR break ribs?

Broken ribs are quite a common occurrence in CPR. When someone’s efforts at resuscitation are intense, the chances of the victim’s ribs getting broken are not low.

Even if an individual experiences a routine cardiac arrest, it can still lead to broken ribs due to the immense force put on the chest cavity while giving CPR. This especially stands true for older adults and those who suffer from osteoporosis. As the latter have fragile bones, it increases their risk of having their bones broken due to CPR.

Although broken bones may sound like a big deal, it’s necessary to look at the bigger picture in this scenario. Since CPR helps in saving someone’s life, cracked bones are a minimal injury to suffer in this regard as it’s something that heals in a couple of weeks.

Therefore, experiencing rib fractures or broken ribs is not uncommon during the procedure of CPR.

What is the success rate of CPR?

There are a lot of factors involved that aid in determining the success rate of CPR when someone is suffering from cardiac arrest. These factors include the person’s overall health, age, and the speed at which CPR is initiated.

As per the American Heart Association (AHA), the survival rate as far as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is concerned is around 10%. The survival rate, however, could be improved if the victim receives bystander CPR right away.

In fact, bystander CPR has the possibility of doubling or tripling the chances of a person’s survival when they experience cardiac arrest. Reports also suggest that the survival rate could be as high as 40% or even higher in case bystander CPR is performed quickly and efficiently.

The situation determines how long CPR should be performed till it can be announced as unsuccessful. According to the AHA, continuous CPR should be performed till the emergency medical services arrive at the location or until an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available to be used.

How do I get something out of my child’s eye?

If something jagged or large gets into the eyes of your child or is embedded inside their eyes in a way that causes them to bleed, you need to take your child to the emergency department right away.

However, if smaller objects such as sand get in their eye, the best way to get rid of them is through water, which helps in flushing the objects out.

If your child is young, get them on your lap with their face lifted upwards. Hold their eye open and pour lukewarm water into it from a cup. Cold water shouldn’t be used as it will instinctively cause them to close their eyes.

Since the natural reaction for a child is to cry in such a situation, it’s good to encourage them to do so as tears can help in naturally washing away whatever is stuck in their eye. You can also put your child in the shower and let the water do its job as you hold their eye open.

You can also carefully look into their eyes by holding apart the upper and lower eyelids to look for the object. After this, make use of a wet and clean cotton ball to attract the object and slowly get it out.

How can I get a splinter out?

Getting a splinter out can be a more traumatic experience for children than it is for adults. Therefore, trying a gentler approach is recommended before getting any of the sharp tools out such as needles or tweezers.

Distraction often comes in handy in such scenarios, which is why it’s best to keep the laptop or TV on while you get to work to remove the splinter. In case the splinter is small and some of it is protruding out of the skin, you can make use of sticky tape to pull the splinter out of your child’s skin.

In case the approach with the sticky tape isn’t possible, take a pair of tweezers to get a better grip on the end of the visible splinter.

If the splinter is completely embedded within the skin of the person, get your hands on a sterilized needle to carefully scrape away the skin till there is enough of the splinter exposed so it can be removed with the help of tweezers.

FAQs

Conclusion

Having a first aid box at home is one of the earliest things that’s taught to us as kids. We’re advised to store most of the essential items that one might need during medical emergencies at home.

However, there are often times when certain situations arise that we don’t know how to handle or tackle, regardless of how big or small they are. We hope these answers help you get a better understanding of what to do in the respective situations so you can help yourself and also those around you.