First aid

Forwards about what to do in an emergency: snake and dog bites, burns, seizures, choking, drowning and heatstroke.

• Claim 11 · First aid

  Tie a cloth, cut and suck the venom, or see a healer

  Dangerous

  Cloths, cutting, sucking, ice, pastes and rituals do not remove venom; antivenom in hospital is the only specific treatment.

• Claim 12 · First aid

  Turmeric on a dog bite; no vaccine if the dog looks healthy

  Dangerous

  Turmeric and chilli harm the wound. Wash it for 15 minutes and start the vaccine the same day, even if the dog looks well.

• Claim 18 · First aid

  Put ghee, toothpaste or ice on a burn

  Dangerous

  Ghee and toothpaste trap heat; ice is ruled out. Cool the burn under running water for 20 minutes.

• Claim 21 · First aid

  Smell a shoe or onion, a key in the hand, something in the mouth

  Dangerous

  Nothing held to the nose or put in the hand stops a fit, and anything in the mouth can injure. Time it; call after 5 minutes.

• Claim 22 · First aid

  Give water or a banana to push down what is choking

  Dangerous

  Someone who cannot cough cannot swallow. Give five back blows, then five thrusts; nothing to eat or drink.

• Claim 23 · First aid

  Hang a drowning victim upside down to drain the water

  Dangerous

  Drowning is lack of oxygen, not a stomach full of water. Do not hang or press; start CPR with rescue breaths.

• Claim 24 · First aid

  An onion in the pocket prevents heatstroke; raw mango drink cures it

  Dangerous

  An onion does nothing to body temperature, and no drink cures heatstroke. Cool with water and fanning; call 112.

Every verdict is held against four tiers of evidence. How this site works.