Six Dangerous First Aid Myths

First aid misinformation is unusually sticky. It gets passed on by people who mean well, it sounds plausible, and nobody finds out it is wrong until the day it matters. Most of it was also taught as correct at some point, which is why it persists: your grandmother is not making it up, she is repeating what she was told in 1974.

The six at a glance

Myth 1: Lie a heart attack casualty flat on the floor

Wrong. Lying flat makes breathing harder for someone whose heart is already struggling. Help them into a half-sitting position — head and shoulders supported, knees bent — which eases the work of breathing and takes some strain off the heart.

Call 999. Do not let them drive themselves anywhere, and do not let them “walk it off”. Keep them still and calm; exertion increases the demand on a heart that cannot meet it. If they become unresponsive and are not breathing normally, start CPR and send someone for a defibrillator.

The related myth: that a heart attack always looks like the films — sudden, dramatic, clutching the left arm. Symptoms are often subtler, and can present differently in women and in people with diabetes. Persistent central chest discomfort, breathlessness, sweating, nausea or pain spreading to the jaw, back or arms all warrant a 999 call.

Myth 2: Tilt the head back for a nosebleed

Wrong, and it makes things worse. Tilting back sends blood down the throat, which causes nausea and vomiting and makes it impossible to judge how much blood has been lost.

Instead: sit them down, lean them forward, and pinch the soft part of the nose — not the bony bridge — for 10 to 15 minutes without letting go to check. Breathe through the mouth. Letting go every thirty seconds to see whether it has stopped is the commonest reason a nosebleed takes half an hour instead of ten minutes.

Seek medical help if bleeding has not stopped after 10 to 15 minutes of firm pressure, if it is heavy, if it follows a significant head injury, or if the person is on anticoagulant medication.

Myth 3: Tie a tourniquet round a bleeding limb

Not your first move. An improvised tourniquet applied by an untrained person — a belt, a tie, string and a pencil — can cause tissue damage without actually controlling the bleeding, which is the worst of both outcomes.

The answer for almost all bleeding is firm, direct pressure on the wound with a dressing, bandage or clean cloth, held continuously. If blood soaks through, add another layer on top rather than removing the first — peeling off a soaked dressing tears away the clot that was starting to form. Call 999 for severe bleeding.

Tourniquets do have a genuine place in catastrophic limb bleeding — but as a trained intervention with a proper commercial device, applied by someone who knows how tight is tight enough and who records the time.

The related myth: that you should always elevate a bleeding limb above the heart. Elevation is no longer emphasised as a primary measure; direct pressure is what controls bleeding.

Myth 4: Put butter, cream or ice on a burn

Wrong, all three. Butter, oils and creams hold the heat in, which is the opposite of what you want. Ice damages already-injured tissue and can worsen the burn.

The NHS is specific: hold the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible and ideally within three hours. Twenty minutes is far longer than most people’s instinct, and it is the single most common thing people get wrong — most stop at two or three.

Then:

• Remove clothing and jewellery near the burn, unless it is stuck to the skin — then leave it
• Lay cling film over the burn — laid on, not wrapped around, because the area will swell
• Do not use plasters or sticky dressings
• Do not burst blisters
• Keep the person warm — prolonged cooling of a large burn can drop body temperature, especially in children

Call 999 or go to A&E if the burn is large or deep, on the face, hands, feet, genitals or over a joint, if it goes all the way round a limb, or if it was caused by chemicals or electricity.

Myth 5: Reach into a choking person’s throat and pull the object out

Wrong. A blind finger sweep tends to push the obstruction further down and can injure the airway. Only remove something you can clearly see and easily grasp.

The sequence is: encourage them to cough; if coughing becomes ineffective, give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades, then up to five abdominal thrusts, alternating until it clears. If they become unconscious, call 999 and start CPR. For an infant under one, back blows then chest thrusts — never abdominal thrusts.

We cover this in detail in what to do when someone is choking, including the honest position on anti-choking devices — which is another thing this page used to get wrong.

Myth 6: Make them vomit if they have swallowed something harmful

Wrong, and dangerous. NHS guidance is explicit: “do not try to make someone sick if you think they’ve swallowed something harmful – they could choke and stop breathing.” Corrosive substances also injure a second time on the way back up.

The other half of this myth is giving them milk or water to “dilute” it. The NHS is equally clear: “do not give the person anything to eat or drink.”

What to do instead:

• Call 999 if they are seriously unwell, unconscious, having difficulty breathing or having a seizure; call 111 if you are unsure whether the substance is harmful
• Find the container or packaging and take it with you — knowing exactly what it was changes the treatment
• If they are unresponsive but breathing, put them in the recovery position
• If they are not breathing normally, start CPR
• If they vomit on their own, keep a sample for the medical team

Five more that are still doing the rounds

• “Put something in the mouth of someone having a seizure.” No. They cannot swallow their tongue, and you risk broken teeth and bitten fingers. Protect their head, clear the space, time the seizure, and call 999 if it lasts more than five minutes, repeats, or it is their first.
• “Rub a frostbitten or very cold limb to warm it.” No. Rubbing damages tissue. Warm gradually and get medical help.
• “You can be sued for giving first aid.” Not a realistic concern in the UK for someone acting reasonably within their training in an emergency. Doing nothing is not the safer option.
• “You need training to use a defibrillator.” No. An AED gives spoken instructions and will not shock someone who does not need it. Training makes people more likely to fetch one, which is the actual barrier.
• “Move someone out of the road / off the machine first.” Only if there is immediate danger you cannot remove. Moving someone with a possible spinal injury can cause permanent harm.

Why myths survive

Guidance changes as evidence accumulates — the burns cooling time is a good example, and so is the move away from elevation for bleeding — and people carry what they learned decades ago. Resuscitation Council UK published its 2025 Guidelines, superseding the 2021 set; someone trained in 2016 is working from something two revisions old.

That is exactly why HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training between three-yearly requalifications, even though it is not a legal requirement. See how long does a first aid certificate last? and what is current in UK resuscitation guidance.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should you cool a burn under running water?

Twenty minutes, under cool running water, as soon as possible after the injury and ideally within three hours. Ten minutes is the most common under-estimate. Do not use ice, butter, creams or oils, and do not burst blisters.

Should you tilt your head back or forward for a nosebleed?

Forward. Tilting back sends blood down the throat and can cause vomiting. Sit down, lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose — not the bony bridge — for 10 to 15 minutes without releasing to check.

What position should someone having a heart attack be in?

Half-sitting, with head and shoulders supported and knees bent. Lying flat makes breathing harder. Call 999 immediately, keep them still and calm, and stay with them.

Should I give water or milk to someone who has swallowed a poison?

No. NHS advice is to give the person nothing to eat or drink, and not to try to make them sick. Call 999 if they are seriously unwell or 111 if you are unsure, and find the packaging to take with you.

Is it wrong to use a tourniquet?

For everyday bleeding, yes — firm direct pressure on the wound is the correct first response. Tourniquets have a role in catastrophic limb bleeding, but as a trained intervention using a proper device, not an improvised one.

Should you put something in the mouth of someone having a seizure?

No. A person cannot swallow their tongue, and putting anything in their mouth risks broken teeth and injury to you. Protect their head, move hazards away, time the seizure, and call 999 if it lasts more than five minutes, repeats, or is their first.

Do you need training to use a defibrillator?

No. An AED talks the user through the process and will not deliver a shock unless it detects a shockable rhythm. Training matters because people who have handled one are far more likely to actually fetch it and use it under pressure.

Should you remove a dressing that has soaked through?

No. Add another dressing on top and keep applying pressure. Removing the first one tears away the clot that has started to form.

Why does first aid guidance keep changing?

Because it follows the evidence. International resuscitation and first aid guidance is reviewed on a rolling basis, and UK guidance is updated accordingly — the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Guidelines superseded the 2021 set. This is why refresher training matters even when a certificate is still in date.

Can I be sued for giving first aid in the UK?

It is not a realistic concern for someone acting reasonably and within their training in an emergency. In practice the greater risk to everyone involved is a bystander who does nothing because they are worried about doing the wrong thing.

Make sure your first aiders are current

If your team was trained some years ago, a refresher will catch exactly these. Call 0845 838 4643 or use the enquiry form on this page.