First Aid for Drowning

1. Pull the victim out of the water quickly, clear dirt from the mouth, throat and nasal cavity to keep the airway unobstructed.

2. Drain water from the respiratory tract and stomach promptly. Lay the victim prone with the waist raised and head hanging down, then press the back with hands. Another method: hold the victim’s legs, rest their abdomen on the rescuer’s shoulder and walk quickly to drain water.

3. If breathing or heartbeat stops, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on site immediately.

4. Do not abandon rescue efforts easily if heartbeat and breathing fail to resume after short-term first aid. Continue resuscitation while calling for an ambulance.

Common Mistakes in Drowning Rescue

Failing to check for foreign objects in the child’s mouth results in persistent airway blockage. Laying the drowning victim flat and pressing the abdomen in a mistaken attempt to drain water from the body.

First Aid for Fractures

For minor fractures such as broken fingers or toes accompanied by severe pain, guardians may take the child to hospital directly. For severe fractures including open thigh fractures piercing the skin, inability to walk, loss of consciousness, massive blood loss or suspended breathing, follow the steps below:

1. Dial 120 for emergency help at once.

2. For heavy bleeding, apply compression hemostasis with clean cloth. Place soft clean padding directly on the wound and fasten tightly with wide bandages. Avoid tourniquets as improper use may cause limb necrosis and even amputation.

3. Lay the victim flat. Never move the victim blindly, nor pull or massage the injured area.

4. Examine the injury and immobilize the affected part with readily available materials like branches or wooden sticks to prevent worsening damage.

5. If no splints are available, suspend injured upper limbs with handkerchiefs, cloth strips or ties and fix them against the chest; bind injured lower limbs to the uninjured leg for stabilization.

6. Do not straighten deformed limbs or push exposed broken bone back into the wound to avoid infection.

Common Mistakes in Fracture Rescue

Hasty movement aggravates fracture damage. Over-tight hemostasis with rubber bands leads to tissue ischemic necrosis and possible amputation in severe cases.

First Aid for Scalds and Burns

1. Cool the burned area with running water for 10 to 15 minutes until pain and heat sensations subside.

2. If clothing sticks to the burn, do not tear it off forcefully. Cut the fabric open carefully with scissors while flushing with water.

3. For extensive burns, immerse the whole body in a bathtub (except in winter). Stop cooling immediately if shivering occurs.

4. Cover the cooled burn gently with sterile gauze. Do not pop blisters to prevent secondary infection.

Common Mistakes in Burn Rescue

Peeling off clothing right away causes severe skin damage and high infection risk. Applying condiment such as monosodium glutamate or soy sauce on burns accelerates wound infection.

First Aid for Airway Foreign Body Aspiration

1. Place the child face down with hips raised on the rescuer’s forearm, supported by the rescuer’s thigh. Ensure the child’s head is positioned lower than the torso.

2. Use the hypothenar eminence of the other hand to deliver 5 to 8 firm but moderate back blows between the child’s shoulder blades; use tapping instead of heavy pounding.

3. This maneuver can expel foreign bodies effectively. If the child’s coughing eases and normal breathing resumes, open the mouth to inspect. Remove visible foreign bodies from the mouth or throat with fingers.

4. Seek urgent medical treatment at the otolaryngology department if the above method fails. The foreign body must be extracted via laryngoscope or bronchoscope without delay.

Common Mistakes in Aspiration Rescue

Panicking guardians fail to place the child head-down and attempt to dig out the foreign body directly with fingers, which may push the object deeper into the trachea or lungs and even threaten life.