What are the contents and methods of basic first aid skills?

As someone who has been working in community first aid education for 5 years, I must say that the basic first aid skills that ordinary people need to master aren’t actually that complicated. They all revolve around the principle of “saving lives first, then treating injuries.” This includes knowing how to handle life-threatening situations such as cardiac arrest, severe bleeding, foreign objects stuck in the throat, burns, and other sudden emergencies. If you can actually use these skills when needed, they will already cover 90% of everyday first aid scenarios.

I encountered Aunt Zhang during a community outreach event before. She told me that last year, her grandson choked on peanuts, and the whole family panicked, trying to help him by patting his back and shaking him. Fortunately, a nurse who happened to be downstairs used the Heimlich maneuver to save his life. It’s really for this reason that I always encourage people to learn at least a few first-aid techniques; they can be incredibly useful in emergencies.

The most critical aspect is undoubtedly how to handle cardiac arrest—that is, what people commonly refer to as CPR combined with the use of an AED. The high school student who saved a person who had suddenly collapsed in a subway station last year had previously attended our public welfare courses. When encountering someone who has suddenly fallen unconscious and shows no breathing or chest movement, don’t just wait for the ambulance. The golden hour for treatment is only 4 minutes; waiting even one minute longer reduces the chances of survival by 10%. For chest compressions, locate the midpoint between the person’s nipples and apply pressure using your upper body strength. Keep your arms straight and press down about 5 centimeters deep, at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. If an AED is available nearby, use it immediately—the device provides clear voice instructions, so even if it’s your first time using it, you can follow the steps without worry about making any mistakes.

After discussing those life-threatening emergencies, let’s talk about the most common types of external bleeding we encounter in daily life. This ranges from minor cuts while chopping vegetables or scratches from falling off a bike, to more serious injuries such as cuts at construction sites or bleeding from car accidents. For minor bleeding, simply apply clean gauze or lint-free cotton balls and press the wound for three to five minutes; avoid applying things like toothpaste, baking soda, or mercurochrome to the wound—especially mercurochrome, which contains mercury and is no longer recommended for use today. If you encounter arterial bleeding that is gushing out, you need to find a wider strip of cloth and use it as a tourniquet around the side of the wound that is closer to the heart. Make sure to note the time you apply it. Loosen the tourniquet for two or three minutes every 40 minutes. I once knew a construction worker whose arm was cut by a steel bar; he was taken to the hospital with a tourniquet on, but the tourniquet was forgotten to be loosened en route. By the time he arrived at the hospital, his arm had gone dead from lack of blood flow and was almost had to be amputated—it was a real shame.

Another example is the Heimlich maneuver for foreign objects stuck in the throat. There is actually some disagreement regarding the appropriate approach. Many people believe that back slapping is sufficient in such cases, but the recommendations in different first-aid guides vary. Older guidelines advised back slapping as a standard procedure, but recent clinical studies have shown that for cases of partial obstruction where the person is still able to speak and cough, it is preferable to encourage them to try to expel the object on their own. Blindly performing back slapping may actually push the object further down； If someone has completely blocked their airway to the point where they are unable to speak and their face is turning purple, you should use the Heimlich maneuver. For adults, stand behind the person and place your fist, with the palm facing inward, about two finger widths above the navel. Use your other hand to grip this fist and perform rapid upward and inward thrusts. For children, you can lift them up by their legs and tap their shoulder blades. If you are the one who has become choked, you can use the edge of a table or the back of a chair to apply pressure in the same area. Don’t try any home remedies like trying to swallow rice or bread crumbs—these could be dangerous if the object stuck is a sharp piece of fish bone or bone, as it could pierce the esophagus or even the aorta, causing serious harm.

The rest are just routine, frequent minor first aid measures. For example, in the event of a burn or scald, immediately rinse the affected area under running cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. Wait until enough time has passed before removing the clothing; if the clothes are stuck to the skin, don’t try to tear them off forcefully—just cut around them. Avoid applying substances like soy sauce or toothpaste. Once, a child got scalded by hot water, and the grandmother, in a panic, applied half a bottle of soy sauce. When the child went to the hospital for treatment, he was in such agony that it caused him a lot of extra suffering. If you see someone suddenly pass out, don't try to move them around recklessly. First, go over to them and call out to see if they respond. Check their neck to see if there's a pulse. If it's just due to low blood sugar, giving them some sugar and letting them sit for a while will usually be enough. However, if you suspect a stroke or bleeding in the brain, moving them around could worsen the condition. In that case, call 120 immediately and wait for help.

Actually, these skills seem simple when discussed theoretically, but it’s still recommended that everyone attend two practical training sessions offered by local Red Cross organizations or non-profit first aid groups. Otherwise, you might panic when faced with a real emergency, because knowing how to use first aid techniques is what truly makes them useful.