This section outlines exactly what steps to take, what to avoid, and what not to do at all. The entries on first aid and wilderness survival focus on specific causes of death and survival rates. Those dealing with scams and threats relate to financial loss and personal liberty. These two sets of figures aren’t interchangeable. Items are listed in descending order based on how common each situation is and how much difference proper action can make to someone’s chances of survival. These guidelines are primarily meant for you, your spouse, and close family members. Since 79.2% of cardiac arrests happen at home, you’ll most likely be helping someone you love. Friends and coworkers come next. Helping strangers can still be worthwhile, but this category ranks lowest in priority; doing so may even expose you to fraud or legal complications. Therefore, protective actions and legal safeguards are highlighted first in these entries. Only actions that must be taken within minutes are included here. Recognizing scams or handling blackmail situations requires longer-term responses and thus fall outside this section. Detailed anti-fraud rules and seven common scam types are covered in Section 8, Item 3. If someone threatens to release private photos or intimate videos, refer to Section 8, Item 32. Should money already have been transferred, call 110 or 96110 immediately to request a stop on the payment, as explained in Section 8, Item 2. The entries are grouped by topic, with item numbers shown in parentheses. CPR and choking: If someone collapses and stops breathing (Item 1), avoid rushing to help an elderly person who has fallen (Item 2). In cases of choking where speech is impossible (Item 26) or when an infant can’t cry due to blockage (Item 43), proper CPR techniques apply (Item 44). Sudden medical emergencies: Watch for facial drooping or weakness on one side (Item 3), sudden dizziness or loss of balance (Item 4), sudden vision loss in one eye (Item 5), intense eye pain and swelling (Item 6), chest pressure or pain (Item 7), tearing pains elsewhere (Item 8), the worst headache imaginable (Item 9), confusion following a head injury in seniors (Item 10), sudden leg swelling (Item 11), allergic reactions leading to shock (Item 15), seizures (Item 16), and sudden tremors in diabetics (Item 17). Wounds and burns: Apply direct pressure to stop bleeding (Item 12), treat dog or cat bites (Item 13), cool burns with water (Item 14), and never remove foreign objects from wounds (Item 40) or move suspected fractures (Item 41). Poisoning, fires, and accidents: Cut power first if someone is electrocuted (Item 18), respond to carbon monoxide alarms (Item 19), handle accidental ingestion of cleaners, pesticides, or medicines (Item 20), flush chemicals off skin (Item 21), recognize heat exhaustion without sweating (Item 22), give mildly salted water to heatstroke victims (Item 23), crawl low during fires (Item 24), spot drowning victims (Item 25), and check building safety after earthquakes (Item 30). Wilderness survival: Stay put if lost in remote areas (Item 27), watch for shivering and slurred speech as signs of hypothermia (Item 28), never cut or suction venom after snake bites (Item 29), handle encounters with bears, wild boars, or stray dogs (Item 31), seek shelter during thunderstorms (Item 32), ascend high altitudes gradually (Item 33), remove ticks carefully (Item 34), and always boil wild water before drinking (Item 35). Conflicts and aftermath: Defend yourself if robbed in isolated areas (Item 36), intervene cautiously if witnessing a fight (Item 37), and claim compensation for injuries or expenses incurred while saving others (Item 39). Sexual assault and HIV exposure: Seek immediate medical care after possible HIV exposure (Item 38) or sexual assault (Item 42).
English, Russian and Spanish use dlgrv’s unofficial translations. Newly revised entries appear in the Chinese original until a checked translation is available. The author’s latest Chinese text is authoritative. Translation revision: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · b25fa8a
Cardiac arrest often happens at home, and timely bystander compressions are associated with a higher chance of leaving hospital alive. Start compressions if the person is unresponsive and is not breathing normally; occasional gasps do not count as normal breathing. Stack your hands and press hard on the chest while someone else calls 120 and finds an AED.
Cost
This costs nothing. A CPR course from the Red Cross or a h…
Benefit
Combined from 79 studies involving 142,740 people (meta-analysis). For people whose heart stops outside the ho…
This approach is mainly for older family members and acquaintances. First crouch beside them, call to them, and check for normal breathing. If they are unresponsive and are not breathing normally, follow item 1 (Press hard on the chest). Even with normal breathing, do not lift them: a stroke or faint may have caused the fall, and forcing them up could make things worse. Ask whether they remember how they fell. If their lower back or back hurts, or a fracture is suspected, do not move them; call 120 where they are.
Cost
No money is required. Kneeling down to ask a few questions…
Benefit
The Ministry of Health’s “Technical Guidelines for Intervention in Elderly Falls” states two key points: “Fall…
Sudden facial drooping, weakness in one arm or unclear speech: any one of these is a reason to call 120 immediately. When a stroke can be treated with clot-dissolving medicine, earlier treatment gives a better chance of recovery. Do not give up emergency care after 4.5 hours or if onset time is unknown; doctors must assess eligibility. Record the onset time. Emergency personnel should take the patient to a hospital that can provide thrombolysis.
Cost
No cost at all. These three steps are easy to remember: as…
Benefit
A meta-analysis pooled individual data from 9 randomized trials of intravenous thrombolysis involving 6756 pat…
Out of 736 stroke cases, 14.1% showed none of the classic FAST symptoms at onset — no facial droop, no arm weakness, no slurred speech. Relying solely on those three signs would miss many cases. Adding checks for unsteady gait, double vision, or inability to touch the nose reduces that omission rate to just 4.4%. Any sudden dizziness, double vision, or failure to touch one’s nose should prompt an immediate call to emergency services and precise timing documentation.
Cost
No cost involved. Besides the three FAST signs — facial dr…
Benefit
The University of Kentucky Stroke Center in the United States reviewed 736 medical records of acute ischemic s…
Sudden loss of vision in one eye may mean a retinal blood vessel is blocked. The longer it stays blocked, the less retina can be saved. This is a form of stroke; seek medical help immediately even if sight returns after a few minutes. A study of minor stroke and transient ischemic attack found that same-day assessment and treatment reduced further strokes within 90 days from 10.3% to 2.1%. Go straight to emergency care; do not wait until tomorrow.
Cost
No direct cost. However, emergency evaluation and vascular…
Benefit
The American Heart Association's 2021 scientific statement on central retinal artery occlusion (where the main…
This may be an acute glaucoma attack: fluid cannot drain from the eye, pressure rises and damages the optic nerve. The longer the delay from onset to lowering eye pressure, the greater the chance of a lasting visual-field defect. In patients at one South Korean hospital, half the affected eyes had defects a year later. Seek emergency care the same day if these symptoms suddenly appear.
Cost
No cost at all. An emergency eye exam includes measuring i…
Benefit
An ophthalmology hospital in Wuhan compared two periods of patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma.…
If chest pain, tightness, or pressure lasts more than 15 minutes without relief, call 120. For severe pain accompanied by cold sweats or shortness of breath, call even if the pain has only lasted a few minutes. For those whose vessels were dilated within 55 minutes of arriving at the hospital, the 30-day mortality rate was 2.8%. For those exceeding 55 minutes, it was 9.7%. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
A national survey on acute coronary syndrome was conducted in Israel. The subjects analyzed were patients with…
Sudden severe tearing pain in the chest, back or abdomen: call 120 and explicitly describe it as “tearing.” In-hospital mortality for type A aortic dissection treated with medicine alone and no surgery was 58%. Typical signs are often absent, so the doctor must consider the diagnosis. Also report a large blood-pressure difference between the arms or a pulse that cannot be felt on one side.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) collected 464 cases from 12 centers. Aortic disse…
About 6% of severe headaches reaching peak intensity within an hour involve bleeding from a blood vessel on the brain’s surface; seek emergency care immediately. Age 40 or older, neck pain or stiffness, or a witnessed loss of consciousness each warrant further investigation. Onset during exertion, an instantly peaking headache or inability to bend the neck forward also count. Most people assessed will not have bleeding, but the study missed no hemorrhage cases when it used these criteria.
Cost
An emergency visit itself costs very little. A head CT in…
Benefit
Ten Canadian emergency departments conducted a prospective cohort study on 2,131 patients with “severe headach…
After an elderly person hits their head, blood usually accumulates by the third week. The impact is often just a minor bump, and more than half of patients cannot recall having been injured. For this condition, the recurrence rate after surgery can reach 33%, and the mortality rate can reach 32%. If you notice an elderly person suddenly becoming confused, walking unsteadily, feeling constantly sleepy, or having weakness in one hand, first look back to ask if they have fallen or hit their head in the last two or three months, and then proceed to a CT scan.
Cost
A single cranial CT scan costs roughly 200–300 RMB.
Benefit
The Chinese Medical Association Neurosurgery Branch and others have released the "Chinese Expert Consensus on…
If one leg suddenly becomes swollen and painful, seek hospital assessment as soon as possible. If sudden breathlessness or chest pain occurs too, call 120 immediately. Among people with confirmed pulmonary embolism, 17.4% died from any cause within 3 months. Travel seated for over 4 hours roughly doubles clot risk; get up and walk periodically. If worried about clots, ask a doctor before departure whether to use compression stockings.
Cost
An ultrasound of the leg veins (lower extremity venous ult…
Benefit
The International Cooperative Pulmonary Embolism Registry (ICOPER) enrolled 2,454 patients with confirmed acut…
Press firmly on the wound with your hands or clothing, and have someone call 120 at the same time. If direct pressure cannot stop bleeding from an arm or leg, apply a tourniquet; use pressure only on the neck or torso. Among battlefield casualties, 90% survived when a tourniquet was applied before shock, versus 10% after shock. All 5 who needed one but did not receive one died. Place it above the wound, tighten until bleeding stops, record the time, and leave it in place for emergency personnel.
Cost
A twist-style tourniquet costs anywhere from a few dozen t…
Benefit
11 Level 1 trauma centers in Texas, USA, received 1,026 cases of limb vascular injuries over 6 years. Among th…
Once rabies symptoms develop, the fatality rate is nearly 100%, so wound washing and vaccination after a bite are both essential. Alternate soap-water washing with running clean water for 15 minutes, then seek vaccination that day, as early as possible. A bite penetrating the skin or saliva licking broken skin is category III exposure and also requires a passive immunization product. Exposure category depends on the type of contact and severity of exposure.
Cost
Washing costs nothing. A full course of rabies vaccine cos…
Benefit
According to the 2023 guidelines issued by China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and…
Children whose burns were cooled under cool running water for 20 minutes within 3 hours needed skin grafts less often. Use cool water, not ice water; ice can worsen the injury. Do not tear off clothing stuck to the wound. After cooling, cover it with a clean damp cloth or plastic wrap and seek hospital care. Do not apply toothpaste or sesame oil. If cooling was delayed, doing it within 3 hours can still help.
Cost
No cost involved. It requires 20 minutes of time.
Benefit
Australia tracked 2,495 children with burns. For children who were rinsed with cool running water for 20 minut…
If a sudden full-body rash occurs, combined with difficulty breathing or dizziness, treat it as anaphylactic shock. Immediately call 120, state directly that you "suspect anaphylactic shock," and request that emergency services bring epinephrine. Antihistamines and steroids act slowly and cannot replace epinephrine. People who have experienced one severe allergic reaction should ask a doctor if they can be prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector; it can be injected into the mid-outer thigh, even through clothing that is not thick.
Cost
No cost involved. However, people with known severe allerg…
Benefit
Epinephrine is the preferred drug (first-line drug) for grade two and above anaphylactic shock, and guidelines…
Move nearby objects that could injure the person, place them on their side with the mouth facing down and time the seizure. Do not hold them down or put anything in their mouth; this can injure teeth and the jaw. Call an ambulance if it lasts over 5 minutes, is their first seizure or they do not wake afterward. Use the same approach for a child with a fever-related seizure; do not undress the child or sponge them with cold water.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
Avoid dental and jaw injuries caused by prying the mouth open or inserting hard objects. Avoid fractures cause…
Only if the person is alert and able to swallow, give 15 grams of sugar, for example as sugar cubes or a small carton of juice. Check glucose again after 15 minutes and repeat if it is still low. Below 3.0 mmol/L is clinically significant hypoglycemia. An episode severe enough to require someone else’s help can be fatal. If the person is unresponsive or cannot swallow, give nothing by mouth and call 120 immediately.
Cost
No cost involved. Just keep a few sugar cubes or a small c…
Benefit
A blood sugar level below 3.0 mmol/L qualifies as clinically meaningful hypoglycemia. If a person shows change…
First, turn off the power, or use a dry wooden stick to move the electrical source away before touching the victim. Pulling them by hand directly can turn one victim into two. If the victim isn’t breathing normally after being freed from the current, immediately perform chest compressions as described in step 1 of this section — don’t hesitate to act just because it’s an electrical injury. Never attempt to handle situations involving downed high-voltage lines or nearby electrical equipment on your own; instead, move to a safe distance and wait for utility workers to cut the power.
Cost
No cost involved.
Benefit
This approach prevents rescuers from getting electrocuted as well, avoiding a situation where one victim becom…
If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected, for example because the alarm sounds or people indoors have headache, dizziness and nausea, take everyone outside first and then call for help. Flu-like symptoms that worsen indoors and improve outside are an important clue. China reported 11523 carbon-monoxide deaths in 2018, most in winter; during the three winter months, about 70% occurred at home.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
The US CDC describes CO symptoms as flu-like. NHS states that symptoms worsen in the affected room and improve…
Do not induce vomiting if cleaning agents, pesticides, or medications are accidentally ingested, as vomiting may cause throat injury or choking. For accidental ingestion of strong acid or strong alkali cleaning agents, the China CDC recommends drinking an appropriate amount of milk or egg white first; take the container with you to the hospital immediately. If splashed on the skin or eyes, rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, keeping the eyelids open during eye rinsing and avoiding rubbing. Mixing disinfectant with toilet cleaners produces chlorine gas.
Cost
No cost involved. Simply keep detergents, disinfectants, p…
Benefit
The response protocols provided by the Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control of the China CDC ar…
Step 1: Immediately remove any contaminated clothing, shoes, and socks; the areas covered by clothing often suffer the most severe injuries. Step 2: Flush with large amounts of flowing, room-temperature water; do not use hot water, and continue for at least 15 minutes for both skin and eyes. For skin wounds, the Hunan Provincial Emergency Management Department specifies 20 to 30 minutes; follow the longer duration. Step 3: Flush eyes by holding the eyelids open, and proceed directly to an ophthalmology department after flushing.
Cost
No cost involved. On your first day at work, locate the ey…
Benefit
These three on‑site actions are vital. First, promptly removing contaminated clothing prevents further absorpt…
Reddened, hot skin, slurred speech, and confusion are signs of heatstroke. Body temperature can rise above 41 ℃ within 10 to 15 minutes, and the mortality rate for severe cases is extremely high. Immediately move the person to a cool, ventilated area, remove their clothing, and use cool water and wet towels to lower their temperature, while simultaneously calling 120. Do not feed any water to anyone who is not fully alert.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
United States National Weather Service: Heatstroke is a "serious medical emergency." Its manifestations includ…
Only those who are fully alert should drink; drink small amounts of cool, light salt water or sports drinks frequently. Do not gulp a large amount at once. Avoid alcohol and high-sugar drinks, as they cause more water loss. Cool the body down before rehydrating; do not feed even a single sip to anyone who is not fully alert or speaking unclearly.
Cost
No cost involved. A bottle of sports drink costs just a fe…
Benefit
The hourly volume below is preventive advice for people doing physical labor or vigorous exercise in heat who…
Crawl on the ground, moving from under the smoke toward the exit. Before opening a door, first touch the doorknob and the door panel; if they are hot or if smoke is seeping through the cracks, do not open it, and switch to a second route. If you do open it, move slowly, and close it immediately if thick smoke appears. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, and do not turn back once you have exited to retrieve belongings. If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll, using your hands to protect your face.
Cost
Installing one or two standalone smoke detectors at home c…
Benefit
FEMA’s official fire escape guidance matches these steps exactly: “Drop to the ground and crawl under smoke to…
First shout for help and call 110/120. Reach with a pole or throw something that floats from shore; do not enter the water yourself. Once the person is ashore, if they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR immediately. Trained rescuers should give both compressions and rescue breaths. If you do not know how, cannot, or are unwilling to give breaths, continue compressions and follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is resisting the urge to j…
Benefit
WHO estimates about 300,000 drowning deaths worldwide each year, 92% in low- and middle-income countries. Drow…
First ask, "Are you choking? Can you speak?" If they can still cough or make sound, let them cough on their own. For those aged 1 year and older who cannot speak, stand behind them and perform 5 back blows followed by 5 abdominal thrusts; for pregnant women and very obese individuals, switch to chest thrusts. Repeat until the object is expelled or the person collapses; if they collapse, perform CPR and have someone else call emergency services at the same time. Do not reach into the mouth to retrieve unseen objects.
Cost
No cost involved. To perform the technique: make a fist wi…
Benefit
Original text from the U.S. National Library of Medicine: First ask, "Are you choking? Can you speak?" "If the…
Stay where you are or beside the vehicle; it is your largest source of shade. The order is: with a signal, send your location before calling → shelter from sun and cold → conserve water → do not wander → signal with a mirror, smoke, or three fires. Before entering, tell someone your route, destination, return date, vehicle model, and license plate.
Cost
Before venturing into such areas, inform someone of your p…
Benefit
The National Park Service's Mojave Desert page contains three original sentences. One is "At least 1 gallon (a…
Body temperature below 35°C is hypothermia. The person may shiver, stagger and be mildly confused; severe cases may stop shivering. Remove wet clothing, dry and wrap them in a sleeping bag, blanket or thermal blanket, warming the torso first. If alert and able to swallow, give a hot sweet drink; do not give alcohol. If unresponsive and not breathing normally, perform CPR as described in this section’s item 1 (firm chest compressions).
Cost
An emergency thermal blanket costs just a few dollars, plu…
Benefit
The US National Weather Service states that a temperature of 95°F (35°C) or lower is hypothermia, and advises…
Sit down and do not move; immobilize the bitten limb. First, remove rings and watches to prevent them from constricting as swelling occurs. Get to a hospital with anti-venom as quickly as possible; the serum is the most effective way to prevent or reverse most toxicity. Do not cut the wound, do not suck the wound with your mouth, do not apply ice, do not massage, do not use a tourniquet, and do not walk around. If you can take a photo of the snake, do so, but do not try to catch it.
Cost
No cost involved. The key is knowing in advance which near…
Benefit
The WHO original text contains three sentences. One is: 'Immediately and completely immobilize the bitten body…
First, assess the type of building you are in. For buildings constructed according to seismic fortification standards that require using stairs or passing through a lobby to exit, seek shelter in place: protect your head and neck, crawl under a sturdy table, and hold onto the table leg. For single-story houses, old brick buildings, or self-built houses without seismic fortification, the exit is only a few steps away; go outside. Under no circumstances should you jump from buildings, use elevators, or attempt to descend stairs while shaking. Once outdoors, stay away from tall buildings, overpasses, utility poles, glass curtain walls, and billboards.
Cost
No cost at all. Just take a moment beforehand to see how m…
Benefit
The mnemonic for the China Earthquake Administration's science popularization film "Earthquake is Coming, Shou…
If you encounter a bear, do not run; it runs up and down slopes like a racehorse. Do not climb trees either, as both black bears and brown bears can climb. Stand your ground, speak to it continuously in a low voice, and wait until it stops moving before slowly backing away sideways. If a brown bear pounces on you, lie down and play dead, clasping your hands behind your neck; if a black bear pounces, run into a car or a building, and if you cannot escape, fight back. If bitten or scratched by a dog, rinse the wound and get an injection according to Article 13.
Cost
No cost involved. When heading into the mountains, bring a…
Benefit
The original guidelines issued by the U.S. National Park Service on bear encounters contain six key points: “D…
There is no safe place outdoors within the range of a thunderstorm. Get inside a hard-top vehicle or a building; being under a convertible, motorcycle, tent, gazebo, tree, or protruding rock does not count. Avoid open areas, ridges, mountain tops, isolated large trees, bodies of water, and iron railings; if a group cannot get away, spread out. Retreat as soon as you hear thunder; it is only considered safe 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder has passed.
Cost
No monetary cost. The downside is that your trip gets inte…
Benefit
There is no safe place outdoors within the range of a thunderstorm. It is only considered safe 30 minutes afte…
The calculation is based on the altitude at which you sleep, not the maximum altitude reached during the day; sleeping at or above 2,450 meters carries a risk of altitude sickness. After exceeding 3,000 meters, each night's sleeping altitude should increase by no more than 500 meters, and for every 1,000-meter increase, stay an extra day to adapt. If you experience headaches or nausea, do not sleep at a higher altitude, and descend if symptoms worsen after rest. If you are unsteady while walking or short of breath even while still, descending and using oxygen are more effective than taking medication.
Cost
It requires an extra day or two for acclimatization. Preve…
Benefit
Sleeping at or above 2,450 meters carries a risk of altitude sickness. High-altitude cerebral edema and pulmon…
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull steadily outward. Do not apply petroleum jelly or burn it: this can irritate it and force pathogen-containing fluid into the skin. Do not twist or jerk, which can break off mouthparts in the skin. Record the removal date. If fever or a rash appears in the following weeks, seek medical care and mention the tick bite.
Cost
A pair of fine-point tweezers.
Benefit
CDC advises using clean fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pulling it…
All microorganisms capable of causing disease through drinking water are killed within seconds at the boiling point. Boiling for an additional minute merely provides a margin for error; at common travel altitudes, you do not need to boil longer because of the altitude. If boiling is not possible, use a filter or disinfection tablets, as both have pathogens they cannot cover; if you can boil, then boil. Clear-looking stream water may still contain parasites.
Cost
You’ll need to carry extra weight in the form of a stove a…
Benefit
All microorganisms capable of causing disease through drinking water are killed (inactivated) within seconds a…
If you are cornered face to face and your safety is threatened, protect your life first; do not risk fighting or chasing over money. Recovering property after the robber leaves with it may still qualify as self-defense, depending on the situation and means used. Once safe, record appearance, accent, license plate, and escape direction, then call 110.
Cost
The cash you have on you. The real challenge is keeping yo…
Benefit
Your life is worth more than money, while the offender risks a serious conviction for a few hundred yuan. Arti…
The moment you join in, intervening to stop a fight becomes participating in a fight; what you should do is step back and leave. Active participants in group fights are sentenced to up to 3 years. Those involved in large-scale fights with many people, causing serious disorder on roads, or using weapons, are sentenced to 3 to 10 years. If you are willing to call the police, retreat to a safe distance and dial 110, stating the location, the number of people, whether knives or clubs are being used, and whether anyone is lying motionless.
Cost
No money is required. The hard part is resisting the urge…
Benefit
Article 292 of the Criminal Law of China: "Whoever organizes a crowd to engage in fighting shall be sentenced…
If you suspect an HIV exposure, 72 hours is the deadline for starting post-exposure medication. Start within 2 hours if possible, preferably no later than 24 hours. Continue the medicines for 28 days. After 72 hours this preventive option is no longer available, so do not wait until tomorrow to decide.
Cost
A full 28‑day course of PEP can cost thousands of yuan;
Benefit
The official position of the Beijing Municipal People's Government's AIDS science popularization column is: pr…
If you are injured while saving others, do not simply accept it as bad luck. For those injured while performing an act of bravery, treatment comes first, followed by fee collection; medical expenses are to be paid by the perpetrator, and if the perpetrator has fled or is unable to pay, basic medical insurance applies. In cases where there is no perpetrator, if you submit a claim, the person you saved shall provide appropriate compensation according to the law. Simultaneously, apply for recognition of the act of bravery; if injured and meeting the criteria, benefits shall be implemented according to work-related injury insurance.
Cost
There is no direct expense. However, submitting the applic…
Benefit
Article 183 of the Civil Code states: “Anyone who suffers harm while protecting another person’s civil rights…
Pulling out an embedded object can cause severe bleeding and make the injury harder to assess. Call 120, press around the object to control bleeding and stabilize it. If internal organs protrude from an abdominal wound, do not push them back; cover them with a clean damp dressing. Do not seal an open chest wound. If it is not gushing blood, it may be left open; pressure must not seal it completely. Sealing can collapse the lung.
Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is resisting the instinct…
Benefit
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ 2025 first-aid guidelines advise pressin…
Treat any limb injury as a possible fracture first; being able to stand or move does not rule it out. Keep the injured part still, supported by hand or by a stiff board in its original position, and apply cold for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Do not try to realign it yourself; if bone has pierced the skin, stop the bleeding first and do not push the bone back. An X-ray can miss a fracture. If the film looks normal but the doctor still suspects a fracture or a ligament injury, follow the doctor’s advice to come back for a repeat exam or an MRI.
Cost
No cost. Use a rigid board, a rolled-up magazine, or cloth…
Benefit
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released its 2025 International First Aid…
Traces left on your body, clothes, and in the room are the most critical evidence for identifying the perpetrator. Therefore, try not to bathe, wash clothes, or clean the room before the forensic examination, and call 110 as early as possible. Emergency contraceptive pills are available at pharmacies; the earlier they are taken, the more effective they are. Go to the hospital within 72 hours so that a doctor can determine whether you need PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis).
Cost
Reporting to the police is free. Emergency contraceptive p…
Benefit
A prosecutor from the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate stated: "Whether it is a minor or an adult, if…
If the child can still cough or cry out, let them cough on their own while you watch closely. If they cannot cry out and their face turns purple, call 120 immediately. Place the child face down on your forearm and deliver 5 back blows between the shoulder blades using the heel of your hand; if nothing is dislodged, turn them over and perform 5 rapid chest thrusts in the center of the chest. Alternate between these two methods, but do not press on the abdomen; if the child becomes unresponsive, switch to CPR.
Cost
No cost. Watch a demonstration once or take a short infant…
Benefit
The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics issued 2025 pediatric basic life support gui…
If there is no response and no normal breathing after slapping the soles of the feet, turn on speakerphone to call 120 without stopping your hands. Use two thumbs with the hands encircling the chest; if you cannot encircle, use the heel of one hand. Compress to a depth of approximately 4 cm at a rate of about 2 compressions per second. For every 30 compressions, cover the child's mouth and nose with your mouth and deliver 2 breaths. Most infant cardiac arrests are caused by the inability to breathe; performing CPR with rescue breaths increases survival rates.
Cost
No cost. Infant CPR takes one hands-on class, half a day t…
Benefit
The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have released the 2025 guidelines for Pe…
A button battery lodged in the esophagus can cause severe burns in as little as 2 hours, even when the child initially looks fine. Two or more magnetic beads can attract each other across the bowel wall and may compress it until it perforates. If ingestion is suspected, go to hospital immediately for an X-ray. Do not induce vomiting, wait for the objects to pass, or wait for symptoms.
Cost
The preventive steps cost nothing;
Benefit
US poison database figures for 1985–2009 showed a 6.7-fold rise in the proportion of button battery ingestions…
Someone who passes out from drinking may choke on their own vomit or gradually stop breathing. Keep them on their side with someone watching continuously; do not leave them alone to sleep. Call 120 if they cannot be woken, their breathing becomes slow or irregular, they have seizures, or their skin becomes cold or bluish. Do not force coffee on them, give them a cold shower, or stimulate their throat to make them vomit.
Cost
No monetary cost. Someone needs to stay for several hours,…
Benefit
The UK's National Health Service lists signs of alcohol poisoning including confusion, slurred speech, inabili…
First apply direct hand pressure to stop bleeding and call China's 120. Wrap the severed part in clean damp gauze, put it in a sealed bag, and place the bag in ice water. Do not let it touch ice or soak directly in water. Without cooling, a severed finger can wait only about 4–6 hours. More than 80% of replanted fingers survive.
Cost
No monetary cost. Keep clean gauze and a few sealable plas…
Benefit
The US National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus first-aid page advises direct pressure to stop bleeding and…
Hold the crown without touching the root. If dirty, rinse gently with milk or saline, put it back in its socket if possible, and bite on a clean cloth. If it will not go back, store it in milk and see a dentist immediately; do not wrap it in tissue and leave it dry. About 20% of teeth reinserted immediately later fused to the bone, compared with over 80% left dry for more than an hour. Do not reinsert baby teeth.
Cost
No monetary cost for these steps. Milk or saline can be fo…
Benefit
The UK's NHS dental injury page says to hold the crown, the white part normally visible above the gum, without…
Stools that turn black, stick to the toilet, and smell very bad usually indicate bleeding in the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Go to the emergency department the same day. People who have only black stools, without vomiting blood, are more likely to delay seeking care. Those who delay have lower hemoglobin and more often need a transfusion. If you feel dizzy, break into a cold sweat, faint, vomit blood, or vomit material that looks like coffee grounds, do not drive yourself; call 120.
Cost
Registration and blood tests cost from a few dozen to arou…
Benefit
Six hospitals prospectively registered consecutive patients arriving at the emergency department with upper ga…
