First Aid Myths That Could Cost a Life—What We Actually Do

“Should I put butter on a burn?” “Do I need to give rescue breaths during CPR?” “Isn’t it dangerous to move someone having a seizure?” If you’ve ever typed a question like that into a search bar, you’re not alone. As first aid instructors and practitioners, we hear these same questions over and over. And honestly, some of the answers might surprise you—because a lot of what we think we know about first aid is either outdated or just plain wrong. In this article, we’re going to set the record straight on the techniques that actually work, the ones that don’t, and why the difference can be a matter of life or death.

“Do I really need to push that hard during CPR?”

Yes, you do. And harder than you probably think. The American Heart Association recommends adult chest compressions that are at least 2 inches deep, but no more than 2.4 inches (AHA). That’s a lot more forceful than what you see on TV. Many people worry about cracking ribs, but a broken rib heals; a brain without oxygen doesn’t. And for the love of all things, don’t stop to check for a pulse every few seconds. High-quality CPR means full chest recoil between compressions and minimizing interruptions, with a chest compression fraction above 80% (AHA). That means you should be pushing almost nonstop. If you’re doing Hands-Only CPR—which we recommend for teens and adults who suddenly collapse—you’re just calling 9-1-1 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100 to 120 compressions per minute (AHA Hands-Only CPR). That’s the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.” For infants and children, the ratio changes: 30:2 with a single rescuer, 15:2 with two rescuers, and the depth is shallower—about 1.5 inches for infants and 2 inches for kids (UC Davis Health CPR). But the principle is the same: push hard, push fast, and don’t stop.

“Should I use an AED? I’m afraid I’ll shock someone who doesn’t need it.”

This is one of the most common fears, and it’s completely unfounded. An AED is designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver a shock only if a shockable rhythm is detected (AED guidance). It won’t shock someone who doesn’t need it. So if a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally—or only gasping—that’s your cue to grab the AED and use it (AED guidance). The pads go on the upper right chest below the collarbone and the lower left side below the armpit for adults and kids 8 and up; for infants and small children, one pad goes on the center of the chest and the other on the back between the shoulder blades (AED guidance). After a shock, or if no shock is advised, you immediately resume CPR for about 2 minutes before the AED reanalyzes (AED guidance). Here’s the kicker: in a study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, victims who were shocked with a bystander-applied AED had a 66.5% survival rate, compared to 43% for those who got their first shock after EMS arrived (AHA PAD study). That’s a 23.5 percentage point difference. If you have the chance to use an AED, use it. You cannot make things worse.

“Is it true you should put butter on a burn?”

No, a thousand times no. This is one of those folk remedies that refuses to die. Butter, grease, or any ointment can trap heat and increase the risk of infection (Mayo Clinic burns). What you should do is run cool—not cold—water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pain eases (Mayo Clinic burns). That’s it. Then you assess the burn. If it covers a large area, or involves the face, hands, feet, genitals, or a major joint, you need emergency care (Mayo Clinic burns). In fact, any burn larger than the person’s palm requires emergency medical attention (Red Cross burns). So skip the butter, use cool water, and if it’s big, call for help.

“What if someone is having a seizure? Should I hold them down or put something in their mouth?”

We get this one a lot, and the answer is a hard no on both counts. You should never put anything in the mouth of someone having a seizure—they cannot swallow their tongue, and you’re more likely to cause injury (Epilepsy Foundation). What you should do is stay with them, keep them safe from hazards, and turn them onto their side to keep the airway clear (Epilepsy Foundation). That’s the “recovery position” adapted for a seizure. You call 9-1-1 if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, if another seizure starts without full recovery, or if the person is injured or has trouble breathing (Epilepsy Foundation). And here’s a myth-buster: you don’t need to call an ambulance every single time someone has a seizure—only when those criteria are met. But if in doubt, call.

“For a severe bleed, should I remove the blood-soaked dressing and start over?”

No, don’t remove the original dressing. If blood soaks through, add another pad on top (Red Cross bleeding). The goal is to keep steady, firm direct pressure on the wound until bleeding stops or EMS arrives (Red Cross bleeding). And you have to act fast—a person can die from severe blood loss in less than 5 minutes (Red Cross bleeding). That’s not a lot of time. In fact, life-threatening external bleeding can occur when blood loss reaches about half a standard soda can’s volume—less in a child—or when blood flows continuously or spurts (Red Cross bleeding). So if you see that, call 9-1-1 and apply pressure immediately. If it’s on an arm or leg, and you’re trained, you can use a tourniquet; for other sites, wound packing might be an option if you know how (Red Cross bleeding). But the key is pressure, pressure, pressure—don’t stop to check if it’s still bleeding.

“Is it okay to give someone with a diabetic emergency some juice?”

Yes, but only if they’re alert and able to swallow. In a diabetic emergency—whether it’s low blood sugar or high—you can give a fast-acting sugar source like glucose tablets, about 7 ounces of orange juice, or milk (Red Cross diabetic emergencies). But watch for signs like confusion, cool, clammy skin, sweating, dizziness, weakness, shakiness, a fast heartbeat, or a fruity, sweet breath odor (Red Cross diabetic emergencies). If they’re not alert, don’t give anything by mouth—call 9-1-1 and monitor them until help arrives.

“What about heatstroke? Can I just give them water and wait?”

No, heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency. If their body temperature is 103°F or higher, call 9-1-1 and cool them rapidly with cool cloths or a cool bath (NOAA Heat Safety). Do not wait to see if they improve. Heat exhaustion, on the other hand, can be managed by moving to a cooler place, loosening clothing, applying cool, wet cloths or a cool bath, and offering sips of water (NOAA Heat Safety). But heatstroke is different—it’s a medical emergency, and you need to act immediately.

“Do I need to call poison control even for a small child who swallowed something?”

Yes, absolutely. The Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222, connects you to a poison center 24/7, and it’s free and confidential (Poison Help Line). U.S. poison centers manage about 2.1 million human exposure cases each year, and about two-thirds are treated at the exposure site (AAPCC). So you don’t always need to go to the ER. But you need to call. And if someone has signs of poisoning—headache, dizziness, weakness, trouble breathing, abnormal skin color, a strange breath odor, burns around the mouth, seizures, or changes in responsiveness—call 9-1-1 right away (Red Cross poison exposure).

“What if I see someone overdose on opioids? What can I do?”

First, call 9-1-1. Then, if you have naloxone, give it. Naloxone rapidly reverses an opioid overdose by restoring breathing, usually within 2 to 3 minutes, and it’s available over the counter (CDC Naloxone). Signs of an opioid overdose include unconsciousness, slow or stopped breathing, and pinpoint pupils (CDC Overdose Response). If you see those signs, don’t hesitate—call 9-1-1 and give naloxone if you have it.

“Should I use the recovery position for someone who is unconscious but breathing?”

Yes, but only if they’re breathing normally. Place them on their side to keep the airway open and clear (NHS recovery position). But check first—gasping is not normal breathing (NHS recovery position). If they’re not breathing normally, you need to start CPR.

“Is it true that most cardiac arrests happen in hospitals?”

No, actually most happen at home. In the U.S., about 73% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes (AHA CPR Facts & Stats). And more than 350,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year (AED guidance). But only about 40% of those get bystander CPR before help arrives (AHA CPR Facts & Stats). That means a lot of people are dying because nobody acted. You can change that. Learn Hands-Only CPR. It’s just two steps: call 9-1-1, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest (AHA Hands-Only CPR). You don’t need to give rescue breaths. You don’t need to worry about doing it perfectly. Something is always better than nothing.

“What about snakebites? Should I suck out the venom?”

Definitely not. For any snakebite, call 9-1-1 immediately, keep the injured area still and lower than the heart, and don’t waste time trying to catch or kill the snake (Red Cross snakebite). Wash the wound with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry dressing while you wait (Red Cross snakebite). And don’t apply ice or a tourniquet unless you’ve been trained and it’s a life-threatening bleed—snake venom is a different story.

“How do I know if a stroke is happening?”

Use F.A.S.T.: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 9-1-1 (American Stroke Association). If any of those signs is present, even briefly, call 9-1-1 immediately. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke, and every 3 minutes and 14 seconds, someone dies of stroke (CDC Stroke Facts). But about 4 in 5 strokes are preventable (CDC Stroke Facts). So knowing the signs and acting fast can save a life.

“What if someone is having an allergic reaction? Do I need to give epinephrine right away?”

Yes, if they have an epinephrine autoinjector and you’re trained to use it. Epinephrine is the first-line emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, and delayed epinephrine increases the risk of severe or biphasic reactions (AAAAI). Food allergy affects about 1 in 13 children in the U.S.—roughly 2 students per classroom (CDC Food Allergies). And eight foods cause most serious reactions: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts (CDC Food Allergies). Anaphylaxis can cause swelling of the face, neck, tongue, or lips, hives, and trouble breathing (Red Cross anaphylaxis). If you have an autoinjector, place it on the outside of the middle of the thigh and hold for about 3 seconds after it clicks (Red Cross anaphylaxis). Then call 9-1-1.

“What about choking? Should I slap them on the back?”

Yes, but only if they can’t speak, breathe, or cough. Give up to 5 back blows between the shoulder blades, then up to 5 abdominal thrusts (Red Cross choking). Abdominal thrusts—the Heimlich maneuver—are done by standing behind the person, wrapping your arms around their waist, and pulling sharply inward and upward just above the belly button (Red Cross choking). If they become unresponsive, lower them to the ground and start CPR with 30 compressions (Red Cross choking).

“Should I worry about frostbite? How do I rewarm it?”

Frostbite is a real danger in cold weather. It’s an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, and it can cause loss of fingers, toes, and limbs (Red Cross frostbite). Signs include numbness, cold to the touch, waxy appearance, and white, yellow, blue, or red skin (Red Cross frostbite). To rewarm, immerse the affected part in clean, lukewarm water no warmer than about 99°F to 104°F (37°C to 40°C) until normal color and warmth return, and don’t break blisters (Red Cross frostbite). Don’t rub the area—that can cause more damage.

“What about hypothermia?”

Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it produces it, dropping body temperature below 95°F (35°C) (Mayo Clinic hypothermia). First aid: move the person to a warm place, remove wet clothing, and warm the center of the body first (Mayo Clinic hypothermia). Don’t give alcohol or caffeine, and don’t rub the skin.

“Is it true that for a nosebleed, you should tilt your head back?”

No—that’s an old myth that can cause blood to pool in the throat. Instead, sit slightly forward and pinch the nostrils together continuously for 10 to 15 minutes (Red Cross nosebleeds). Call 9-1-1 if bleeding is severe, doesn’t stop after about 15 minutes of pressure, or if the person also has a head, neck, or spine injury (Red Cross nosebleeds).

“What’s the deal with shock? Should I raise their feet?”

Shock is a progressive, life-threatening condition where the circulatory system fails to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to tissues (Red Cross shock). Signs include rapid, weak heartbeat, rapid breathing, pale, gray, cool, or moist skin, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and excessive thirst (Red Cross shock). First aid: call 9-1-1 and have the person lie flat; if there’s no evidence of trauma, raise the feet about 6 to 12 inches (Red Cross shock). But don’t raise the feet if there’s a head injury or breathing problems.

“What about asthma attacks?”

Asthma is a chronic condition where triggers cause airway inflammation and narrowing (Red Cross asthma). Common triggers include respiratory infections, exercise, allergies, air pollution, temperature extremes, and stress (Red Cross asthma). During an attack, help the person use their quick-relief medication, and call 9-1-1 if they can’t talk in full sentences or don’t improve after medication (Red Cross asthma).

“Is there anything else I should know?”

Yes: don’t be afraid to act. The biggest mistake you can make in an emergency is doing nothing. Whether it’s CPR, an AED, or just calling for help, your actions can make the difference. And remember, we’re here to help you learn. Take a class, refresh your skills, and share this knowledge with others.

Sources

• AHA - https://cpr.heart.org
• AED guidance - https://www.redcross.org
• AHA PAD study - https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.883488
• Mayo Clinic burns - https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-treating-burns/
• Epilepsy Foundation - https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/default/files/2025-03/EFA441_SeizureFirstAid_Wheelchair_05-2024_web.pdf
• Red Cross bleeding - https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/bleeding-life-threatening-external