Recently, an internet user shared a video of a Chinese student surnamed Wang stabbing their mother at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Footage showed a foreign man being the first to rush forward and give aid. Many netizens sighed: a crowd of Chinese onlookers stood by, yet only a foreigner stepped in to help. This reflects a general lack of public awareness and practical ability for emergency assistance in daily life.

Liao Shaofang, Director of the Emergency Department at the First Hospital of Tsinghua University, and Zhao Xiaodong, Director of the Emergency Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital (304 Hospital), pointed out that when accidents happen, family members or bystanders equipped with basic first aid skills can buy critical time for professional medical rescue teams.

Accident 1: Heatstroke — Move the Victim to a Cool, Well-Ventilated Area

Heatstroke is prevalent in summer, usually triggered by prolonged exposure to intense sunlight or stuffy high-temperature environments, with typical symptoms including flushing and hot skin.

Specialist tips: Immediately move heatstroke sufferers away from heat to lie down in a cool, ventilated spot. Cover the forehead with cold towels, or place ice packs wrapped in plastic bags over major blood vessels on the forehead, neck, armpits and groin. Alcohol can be used to wipe the whole body for heat dissipation if available. After regaining consciousness, the patient must rest fully in a cool space and drink plenty of sugar-salt water to replenish lost body fluids.

Accident 2: Traumatic Bleeding — Compression Bandaging for Hemostasis

For external bleeding, first apply digital pressure to hemostatic points: locate the pulsing blood vessel above the wound and press firmly with fingers.

Facial bleeding: Press the facial artery between the jaw angle and chin tubercle with the thumb.

Forehead bleeding: Compress the temporal artery above the temporomandibular joint in front of the ear.

Occipital bleeding: Press the retroauricular artery slightly lateral and below the mastoid process behind the ear.

Forearm bleeding: Press the brachial artery against the humerus inside the biceps groove of the upper arm.

Palm and dorsum bleeding: Apply pressure to the radial artery at the usual pulse-check position.

Meanwhile, prepare supplies for alternative hemostasis methods such as compression bandaging: place sterile gauze and cotton over the wound and wrap tightly to stop bleeding. If rubber bands are used as tourniquets, loosen them for around 2 minutes every 30 minutes to avoid tissue necrosis.

Accident 3: Burns and Scalds — Local Cooling in the Early Stage

For children with burns or scalds, local cooling with running tap cold water for about 30 minutes is the optimal early treatment. It relieves pain and reduces tissue edema and blister formation. For chemical burns, thorough flushing washes away toxic substances to prevent systemic poisoning and deep tissue invasion. The water temperature should be tolerable for the patient, generally 15°C–20°C.

Do not apply toothpaste, soy sauce or other folk remedies to the wound, as they raise infection risks and complicate hospital debridement. For extremely large or deep burns, skip cold water flushing and send the patient to hospital at once.

Accident 4: Foreign Body Lodged in Throat — Expel the Object with Airflow

Choking on food is one of the most common household accidents.

For children

If the child can still cough without complete airway obstruction, encourage forceful coughing to dislodge the foreign body. If coughing fails, perform abdominal thrusts to generate powerful exhalation via elevated diaphragm pressure: let the child lean forward standing upright; stand behind them, cup both hands over the upper abdomen and deliver sharp compressive thrusts to boost thoracic pressure and blast the foreign body out of the trachea.

For adults (Heimlich maneuver)

Conscious patients (standing or sitting): Stand behind the victim, wrap both arms around their waist, clench one fist with the thumb side pressed against the upper abdomen above the navel, cover the fist with the other palm, and deliver 6–10 rapid inward and upward thrusts.

Unconscious patients lying supine: Straddle the victim’s hips and perform the same upward abdominal thrusts above the navel. Repeat after a few seconds if ineffective to trigger artificial coughing and clear the airway blockage.

Accident 5: Electric Shock — Never Pull the Victim with Bare Hands

The first step for electric shock rescue is cutting off the power supply before giving aid. If the power cannot be switched off, use wooden sticks or bamboo poles to separate the wire from the victim’s body. If this fails, drag the patient away from the current with dry rope loops.

Once the victim is disconnected from electricity, conduct a full physical examination focusing on breathing and heartbeat. Start CPR immediately if cardiopulmonary arrest occurs. For mild cases with clear consciousness and spontaneous breathing/heartbeat, lay the patient flat on site; forbid standing or walking temporarily to prevent secondary shock or heart failure.

Accident 6: Fractures — Impromptu Splinting with On-Site Materials

Specialists remind that any suspected fracture requires minimal movement of the injured limb and temporary immobilization with readily available materials. Proper emergency splinting eases pain, prevents secondary soft tissue damage and simplifies patient transport.

Improvised splints include wooden sticks, planks, tree branches, canes or hard cardboard, cut long enough to immobilize joints above and below the fracture site. If no rigid splints are available, bind the injured limb to the body with cloth strips: secure fractured upper limbs to the chest wall with the forearm suspended, or tie broken lower legs to the intact healthy leg.

Accident 7: Snake Bites — Carry Detoxifying Chinese Herbal Medicines for Outdoor Activities

A 17-year-old girl in Beijing was recently bitten by a pet cobra. Hiking and outdoor excursions have increased the risk of wild snake bites.

When bitten by a snake, stay calm and avoid running, which accelerates toxin absorption and spread for venomous species. Tie a belt, cloth strip, handkerchief or rope 3–5 cm above the wound to slow toxin diffusion, loosening the ligature for 2–3 minutes every 20 minutes. Squeeze blood out of the wound, rinse with cold water, pull out any retained fangs, and rush to hospital immediately.

Avoid keeping highly venomous pets such as poisonous snakes or large spiders at home. Pet snake owners and outdoor travelers should stock emergency supplies including snake antivenom. Many Chinese herbal medicines (Paris polyphylla, Dysosma versipellis, Rohdea japonica, Sophora flavescens, Taraxacum mongolicum, etc.) also have effective detoxifying properties.