Via practica 6/2011

Myths and superstitions in first aid and emergency medicine

As in every field of human activity, also arise in the first aid and emergency medicine various “guaranteed practices” without scientific background or justification. Despite this fact, health care professionals spread them without anlysis and lay people accept them with faith. Health care profesionals are not immune to unverified procedure and laity people believe doctors and nurses to know how to give first aid. Seventeen the most frequent false recommendations are listed and discussed in the article. Every one of them may worsen situation of injured or ill person.

Keywords: the first aid, myth in first aid, obsolete pratices, evidence based medicine