Red Cross Blogs

Festive first aid tips

By Alix Miller
December 23, 2010 at 3:00 pm

Many of us love a Christmas pudding over the festive season but have you ever stopped to think about the dangers that could lurk within that little bowl of steaming loveliness?

Joe Mulligan, our head of first aid education, says: “Over the Christmas period, it is estimated that over 80,000 people will be injured due to accidents in the home, so it’s important that people have the necessary skills in order to help someone who may need first aid.”

Here are his first aid tips for common festive hazards:

DON’T LET THAT COIN CHOKE YOU

It’s traditional to put a coin in the pudding, which is supposed to bring wealth to the person who finds it, but what if they miss it and start choking? Cough it up! If you see someone choking, and that doesn’t work, tilt them forwards and give them up to five back blows in between the shoulder blades to dislodge the coin.

A FLAMING PAIN

Another tradition is to pour brandy over the pudding and set light to it. If you get burnt as a result, hold the burnt area under cold, running water for at least ten minutes and then loosely wrap it in some kitchen film. This will stop infection and also won’t stick when it’s removed. If in doubt about the seriousness of the burn, or if it’s a child who has been burned, seek medical help.

TAKEN A TUMBLE? REMEMBER YOUR ‘RICE’

In your excitement to reach the pudding first, be careful not to trip, slip or tumble over the Christmas tree. Falls account for a whopping 50 per cent of accidents in the home. If someone does fall and receive a sprain or strain, follow the RICE procedure:

• Rest the injured part
• Apply an ice pack or cold compress (frozen vegetables come in handy here)
• Provide comfortable support
• Elevate the injured part

If the pain is severe or they are unable to use the injured part, seek medical advice.

TAKE CARE CARVING

If you pay more attention to the Queen’s speech than carving the turkey, you could get a different cut to the one you were hoping for, and end up bleeding. If so, stop the flow of blood with a tea towel, unwanted Christmas sweater or something similar and put pressure on the wound. If it’s serious, call 999 as soon as possible and keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.

To learn more basic first aid skills, see our first aid tips and videos.

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Tags: First aid, first aid tips, UK

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