Basic First Aid Every Home Should Know: Burns, Cuts, Choking and More

A pressure cooker lid slips, a child falls off a cycle, a knife skids while cutting vegetables. Most accidents at home happen on ordinary days, and most are minor. What the people nearby do in the first few minutes, though, can decide whether a small injury stays small.

This guide covers the basics. It is not a replacement for proper first aid training, which many hospitals, the Indian Red Cross Society and community organisations offer, and which is worth doing if you get the chance.

First, keep yourself safe

Before helping, take one second to check for danger: a live wire, a gas leak, a hot pan still on the flame, traffic on the road. An injured helper helps nobody. Switch off power at the mains, turn off the gas, or move away from the hazard first.

Knowing the numbers

• 112 is the national emergency number, linking police, fire and medical help in most of the country.
• 108 is the ambulance number in many states.
• Save these, and the number of your nearest hospital, in every family member's phone and on a paper near the door.

When you call, stay calm and give the exact address with a landmark, what happened, how many people are hurt, and whether they are awake and breathing. Do not hang up until the operator tells you to.

Burns and scalds

Cool the burn under gently running tap water for about twenty minutes. This is the single most helpful thing you can do, and it still helps if you start a little late.

• Remove rings, bangles or tight clothing near the area before it swells, unless they are stuck to the skin.
• Do not apply ice, butter, oil, toothpaste, turmeric or any home paste. They trap heat or cause infection.
• Do not burst blisters.
• After cooling, cover loosely with clean cling film or a clean, non-fluffy cloth.

See a doctor for any burn larger than the person's palm, any burn on the face, hands, feet, genitals or joints, any burn that looks white, charred or painless, and all electrical or chemical burns. Burns in babies, young children and elderly people need medical attention sooner.

Cuts and bleeding

For a small cut, rinse it under clean running water, press with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops, and cover it with a sterile dressing or adhesive strip.

For heavier bleeding, press firmly and directly on the wound with a clean cloth or pad, and keep pressing. If blood soaks through, add another pad on top rather than removing the first one. Raise the injured part above the level of the heart if you can. Call for help if the bleeding does not slow within about ten minutes of firm pressure, if the cut is deep or gaping, or if something is stuck in the wound (do not pull it out; press around it).

Ask a doctor about a tetanus injection after dirty wounds, rusty metal or animal bites.

Nosebleeds

Sit the person down and lean them slightly forward, not back. Pinch the soft part of the nose just below the bony bridge for ten minutes without letting go, while they breathe through the mouth. Leaning back only sends blood down the throat. Seek help if bleeding continues beyond about twenty minutes or follows a head injury.

Choking: know the signs

A person who is choking may clutch their throat, be unable to speak or cough effectively, or turn pale or bluish. If they can still cough strongly, encourage them to keep coughing.

If they cannot cough, speak or breathe, first aid courses teach firm back blows between the shoulder blades and abdominal thrusts for adults and older children, with different techniques for infants. These are best learned hands-on from a trainer, because the method and force matter. Whatever you do, call 112 straight away if the blockage does not clear, and do not put your fingers blindly into someone's mouth.

Falls, sprains and head bumps

For a twisted ankle or wrist, rest it, apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth for short periods, and keep it raised. Get it checked if the person cannot bear weight, if it looks misshapen or if pain is severe.

After a bump on the head, watch the person for the next day. Repeated vomiting, confusion, unusual sleepiness, a severe headache or fluid from the nose or ears means they need urgent medical care. Be especially careful with elderly people and anyone on blood thinners.

Poisoning and swallowed objects

If a child swallows medicine, a cleaning liquid, kerosene or a button battery, do not make them vomit and do not give salt water. Take the container with you and go to a hospital or call for help immediately. Button batteries in particular can cause serious harm within hours even if the child seems fine.

Signs that are always an emergency

• Chest pain or pressure, especially spreading to the arm, jaw or back.
• A face drooping on one side, weakness in an arm, or slurred speech, which can be signs of a stroke.
• Difficulty breathing, or lips turning blue.
• Unconsciousness, a seizure, or severe bleeding.

Do not wait to see if these pass. Call 112 or 108, or get to the nearest hospital.

What to keep in a home first aid kit

• Sterile gauze pads, a crepe bandage, adhesive strips and medical tape.
• An antiseptic solution, clean scissors and tweezers.
• A digital thermometer and disposable gloves.
• Any regular medicines family members need, with a written list of doses and allergies.

Check the kit every few months, replace used items and throw out anything past its expiry date.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put toothpaste on a burn?

No. Toothpaste, butter, oil and ice can all make a burn worse. Cool water for about twenty minutes is the right first step.

What is the difference between 112 and 108?

112 is the single emergency number that connects you to police, fire and medical help. 108 is the ambulance service number in many states. In an emergency, either will get you help.

Practise before you need it

Show everyone at home, including older children and domestic helpers, where the kit is kept and which numbers to call. Walk through what you would do for a burn or a fall once, calmly, on a normal day. When something does happen, that rehearsal is what people remember.