5 First Aid Myths That Could Do More Harm Than Good

Have you been told that you should tilt your head back when your nose is bleeding? Or that you should restrain someone who’s having a seizure?

In this post we debunk 5 First Aid Myths that you may not know were myths.

1. Abdominal thrusts (including the Heimlich manoeuvre) are recommended for the management of choking patients with an ineffective cough in Australia and New Zealand 

   FALSE – As per the Australian and New Zealand committee on resuscitation (ANZCOR) guideline 4 – Airway, section 4.0 – Management of Foreign Body Airway Obstruction (Choking), “the use of abdominal thrusts for foreign body airway obstruction is not recommended and, instead back blows and chest thrusts should be used.” 
    

2. Patients with nose bleeds should be encouraged to apply pressure on the soft part of the nose on both sides for at least 10 minutes and position their head up and backwards as if looking towards the sky 

   FALSE – As per ANZCOR guideline 9.1.1 – First Aid for management of bleeding, section 3.0 - Nose Bleed (Epistaxis) dot point 2, “The person should lean with the head forward to avoid blood flowing down the throat.” 
    

3. Unconscious patients who are breathing should be left in the position they are found. 

   FALSE – As per ANZCOR guideline 3 – Recognition and First Aid Management of the Unconscious Person, section 3.0 – Management, “ANZCOR suggests that an unresponsive person who is breathing normally be positioned into a lateral, side-lying recovery (lateral recumbent) position as opposed to leaving them supine.” 
    

4. If someone’s having a seizure, you should hold their head to protect their airway 

   FALSE – As per ANZCOR guideline 9.2.4 – First Aid Management of a Seizure, section 3.0, “Avoid restraining the person during the seizure unless this is essential to avoid injury. 
   

5. Automated external defibrillators (AED) should not be used on pregnant women who are unconscious and not breathing (cardiac arrest). 

   FALSE – As per ANZCOR guideline 7 – Automated External Defibrillation in Basic Life Support, section 3.0 – Public Access to AEDs, “An AED can and should be used on pregnant women who are in cardiac arrest.”