10 First Aid Mistakes Indians Commonly Make — And How to Avoid Them

We mean well. But sometimes, our instincts, old habits, and inherited home remedies are doing more harm than good in an emergency.

Imagine this: someone at home suddenly gets a bad burn from hot oil. Pehli instinct kya hogi? “Ghee lagao, thanda hoga.” Or a child cuts their knee? “Haldi aur tel.” Or someone faints in the heat? “Paani peela do.” — even if they’re unconscious. We have all grown up watching these responses. Some of them come from genuine wisdom. But many of them, when tested against modern emergency medicine, are not just wrong — they are actively dangerous. This article addresses the 10 most common first aid mistakes made in Indian homes, schools, and workplaces — and what you should do instead.

7L+ Severe burn injuries in India annually (WHO)

4 min Window before brain damage begins in cardiac arrest ~85% People have never received formal first aid training

01. Burns

Applying Ghee, Butter, or Oil on a Fresh Burn

This is possibly the most widespread first aid myth in India. The logic seems sound — ghee is cooling, soothing. Amma ne kaha tha, dadi ne bhi. But fat-based substances — ghee, butter, mustard oil, coconut oil — trap heat inside the burned tissue, preventing it from dissipating. This worsens the depth of the burn and creates a warm, moist environment where bacteria thrive, massively increasing infection risk.

❌ What We Do:- Apply ghee, butter, toothpaste, or mustard oil immediately on the burn.

✅ What to Do Instead

Hold the burned area under cool (not ice-cold) running water for a full 20 minutes. Cover loosely with a clean cloth. Nothing else on fresh burns.

02. Unconscious Person

Giving Water or Food to Someone Who Is Unconscious

Ek unconscious insaan ko paani pilane ki koshish karna — yeh ek bahut hi dangerous galti hai. When a person is unconscious, their gag reflex is compromised or completely absent. Attempting to give them water, juice, or any liquid can cause it to enter the airway instead of the stomach, leading to aspiration pneumonia or choking — both of which can be fatal.

❌ What We Do:- Try to pour water, lemon water, or juice into the mouth of someone who fainted or collapsed.

✅ What to Do Instead

Place the person in the recovery position (on their side), check breathing, call 108, and never give anything by mouth until they are fully conscious and responsive.

03. Nosebleed

Tilting the Head Back During a Nosebleed

This is almost reflex in India — naak se khoon aaya, sar peeche karo. It feels intuitive. But tilting the head back causes blood to flow down the throat into the stomach, which can trigger nausea and vomiting. In more serious bleeds, it can be aspirated into the lungs. The blood doesn’t stop — it just goes somewhere you can’t see it.

❌ What We Do:- Tilt the head back, block the nostril with a cloth, and lie down.

✅ What to Do Instead

Lean slightly forward, pinch the soft part of the nose (below the bridge) firmly for 10–15 minutes without releasing. Breathe through the mouth. Do not stuff cloth deep inside the nostril.

04. Cardiac Arrest / CPR

Not Performing CPR Because “We Weren’t Trained”

Someone collapses. No pulse, not breathing. And the people around them stand frozen — “Hum doctor nahi hain, kya karein?” — waiting for the ambulance. Every minute without CPR reduces survival chances by 7–10%. By the time an ambulance arrives in an Indian city (average 10–15 minutes), the damage may be irreversible. You don’t need to be a doctor to start compression-only CPR. You just need to know how.

❌ What We Do:- Wait for an ambulance or doctor without attempting CPR, fearing we’ll “do something wrong.”

✅ What to Do Instead

Call 108 immediately. Begin hands-only CPR — push hard and fast on the centre of the chest, 100–120 compressions per minute. Imperfect CPR is far better than no CPR. Consider getting CPR certified.

“Ek certified CPR training course sirf 4–6 ghante ka hota hai — lekin wo aapko zindagi bhar ke liye ek life-saver bana deta hai. Kya aap tayaar hain?”

05. Fractures

Moving Someone With a Possible Spine or Neck Injury

Accident ho jaata hai — bike crash, roof se girna, car accident — aur loving bystandards turant victim ko uthane lagte hain. “Araam dila rahe hain.” But if there is a spinal or neck injury, moving the person incorrectly can cause the fractured vertebrae to damage the spinal cord, turning a survivable injury into permanent paralysis.

❌ What We Do:- Immediately lift, drag, or reposition someone after a fall or accident to make them “comfortable.”

✅ What to Do Instead

Do not move the person unless they are in immediate danger (e.g. fire). Keep them still, reassure them verbally, and call 108. Stabilise the head gently only if trained to do so.

06. Wounds & Cuts

Pouring Neat Dettol or Antiseptic Directly Into a Wound

Every Indian home has Dettol. And the moment someone gets a cut, in goes the brown liquid — full strength, directly into the wound. The stinging sensation is almost treated as proof it’s “working.” But concentrated antiseptic kills not just bacteria — it also destroys fibroblasts, the cells responsible for wound healing. Used full-strength inside wounds, Dettol and similar antiseptics slow recovery and can cause chemical burns to tissue.

❌ What We Do:- Pour undiluted antiseptic liquid directly into open cuts, abrasions, or wounds.

✅ What to Do Instead

Rinse the wound thoroughly with clean running water for 5+ minutes. Use diluted antiseptic or povidone-iodine (Betadine) around — not inside — the wound. Cover with a sterile dressing.

07. Choking

Hitting a Choking Person on the Back While They Are Upright

Koi khaate khaate fansa gaya. Instinct kya hai? Uthke seedhe khade ho kar peethe pe maaro. But back blows given to someone upright and leaning back can actually dislodge the object further into the airway. The correct technique positions the person leaning forward so gravity assists — and the force of the blow helps expel, not push down, the obstruction.

❌ What We Do:- Slap the person’s back while they are sitting or standing upright, or push fingers into their throat.

✅ What to Do Instead

Have the person lean forward significantly. Give up to 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If ineffective, move to abdominal thrusts (Heimlich manoeuvre). Call 108 if the object doesn’t clear.

08. Seizures / Fits

Holding Down or Putting Something in the Mouth During a Seizure

“Jab kisi ko mirgi ka daura aata hai, toh joota sunghaao, haath pakdo, aur mooh mein chamach daalo” — ye sab ek dum galat hai. A person having a seizure cannot swallow their tongue (that’s a myth). Forcing something into their mouth — a spoon, cloth, finger — can break teeth, cause jaw injuries, and result in the rescuer being bitten. Restraining the person can cause fractures as their muscles convulse powerfully.

❌ What We Do:- Restrain the person, insert a spoon or cloth in their mouth, make them smell a shoe, or splash water.

✅ What to Do Instead

Clear the area of hard objects. Cushion the head. Turn the person gently on their side after convulsions reduce. Time the seizure. Call 108 if it lasts more than 5 minutes or they don’t regain consciousness.

09. Snake / Animal Bite

Cutting the Wound and Sucking Out Venom After a Snakebite

Rajasthan has a significant incidence of snakebites — particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. And the deeply ingrained response is: kaato aur chuso. This is dangerous on two levels: cutting the wound increases infection risk and can damage nerves and blood vessels; and sucking venom orally is ineffective — it doesn’t remove significant venom — while risking absorption through mouth sores or cuts in the rescuer. Tying a tight tourniquet above the bite is equally harmful — it concentrates venom and can cause tissue death.

❌ What We Do:- Cut the bite site, suck out venom, apply a tight tourniquet, apply chilli powder, or attempt traditional remedies.

✅ What to Do Instead

Keep the person calm and still (movement speeds venom spread). Immobilise the bitten limb at or below heart level. Remove jewellery near the bite. Rush to hospital immediately — anti-venom is the only effective treatment. Note or photograph the snake if safely possible.

10. General

“It’s Not That Serious” — Delaying Emergency Care

Perhaps the most dangerous mistake of all — and it doesn’t involve any action. It’s the decision to wait. “Theek ho jaayega,” “doctor ki zaroorat nahi hai,” “let’s see how it goes.” Delayed response in cardiac arrest, stroke, severe bleeding, head injuries, and allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can turn a treatable emergency into a fatality. The golden hour in trauma medicine — the first 60 minutes after injury — is not a metaphor. Time is tissue. Time is brain. Time is life.

❌ What We Do:- Minimise symptoms, avoid “bothering” a doctor, try home remedies first, and delay calling for emergency help.

✅ What to Do Instead

When in doubt — call 108. Describe what you see clearly. It is always better to call and be told it’s minor than to wait and lose the window for effective intervention. Learning BLS (Basic Life Support) helps you recognise what qualifies as a true emergency

Quick Reference: All 10 Mistakes at a Glance

#	Situation	❌ Common Mistake	✅ Correct Action
01	Burns	Ghee / butter / oil	Cool water 20 mins
02	Unconscious person	Force liquids orally	Recovery position + 108
03	Nosebleed	Head tilted back	Lean forward, pinch 10–15 min
04	Cardiac arrest	Wait for ambulance only	Start CPR immediately
05	Accident / fall	Move person immediately	Keep still, call 108
06	Cuts / wounds	Neat Dettol inside wound	Rinse with water first
07	Choking	Back slaps upright	Lean forward + back blows
08	Seizure / fits	Restrain + mouth insertion	Clear area, cushion head, side position
09	Snakebite	Cut, suck, tourniquet	Keep still, hospital immediately
10	All emergencies	“Theek ho jaayega” delay	Call 108, act within golden hour

According to the American Red Cross, individuals with first aid training are significantly more likely to take correct action in an emergency, reducing fatality and disability rates. In a country like India — where the average emergency response time can exceed 10 minutes in cities and much longer in rural areas — the first responder is almost always a bystander. That bystander could be you.

The solution is straightforward: formal, hands-on first aid training. Not a YouTube video. Not a WhatsApp forward. An actual, simulation-based course with certified instructors who correct your technique in real time. G Emergency Care Services — Rajasthan’s only AHA-certified training centre — offers exactly this through our First Aid CPR Training and Basic Life Support (BLS) programmes.

Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.

Join a certified First Aid & CPR training programme at G Emergency Care Services — and make sure the next time an emergency happens, you respond with confidence, not instinct.

Enroll in First Aid CPR → Explore BLS Training

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Disclaimer: This article is for educational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In any medical emergency, always call 108 (Rajasthan Emergency Services) or visit the nearest hospital immediately.