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5 First Aid Myths Most Australians Still Believe
Cutting a snake bite and sucking out the venom hasn't been recommended in Australia for decades, yet plenty of people still think it's the move. That's the trouble with first aid myths. They get passed down at the campsite or the kitchen table, they sound sensible, and they stick around long after the guidelines changed. Some of the most common first aid mistakes Australians make will actively make an injury worse.
We assemble and check thousands of home kits, and the phone tells us which first aid misconceptions are still doing the rounds. Here are five worth unlearning, each corrected against the Australian Resuscitation Council, the body that sets first aid guidance in this country.
Myth 1: Put butter, ice or toothpaste on a burn
Butter, ice, toothpaste: none of it belongs near a burn. ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.3 is clear: cool the burn with cool running water for at least 20 minutes, ideally within the first three hours.
Ice catches people out, because cold feels like the right instinct. It isn't. The guideline states plainly: "DO NOT use ice or ice water to cool the burn as further tissue damage may result." Cool running water draws the heat out without freezing the tissue underneath. Twenty minutes feels long at the tap, so set a timer and stay with it.
Myth 2: Cut the snake bite and suck out the venom
This is the most dangerous myth on the list. Cutting the bite, sucking the venom, or strapping a tourniquet above it does nothing useful and can do real harm. Australian snake venom travels to the bloodstream mainly through the lymphatic system, which is why the correct first aid is to slow that lymph flow down.
ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.1 recommends the pressure immobilisation technique: a firm pressure bandage over the bite and along the limb, then a splint to stop the limb moving. The same guideline is blunt about what not to do: "DO NOT cut or incise the bite," "DO NOT use an arterial tourniquet," and "DO NOT wash or suck the bite." Leave the bite alone and let the hospital take it from there.
The hard part is getting the bandage firm enough along the whole limb, which is why a purpose-built kit helps. A compression bandage with a printed pressure indicator takes the guesswork out of it. We stock snake bandages with a compression indicator for that reason, with a full walkthrough in our guide to the snake bite first aid kit.
Myth 3: Tilt the head back for a nosebleed
Tilting the head back is one of the most common first aid mistakes there is. It doesn't stop the bleeding, it just sends the blood down the throat. ANZCOR Guideline 9.1.1 says the opposite: lean the head forward.
Pinch the soft part of the nose just below the bony bridge, pressing both sides equally, and lean forward so blood drains out rather than down. Spit out any blood instead of swallowing it, because swallowed blood irritates the stomach and can trigger vomiting that restarts the bleed. Stay seated and keep the pressure on for at least 10 minutes, or 20 on a hot day or after exercise.
Myth 4: Only trained people can use a defibrillator
Plenty of people walk straight past a wall-mounted defibrillator in a cardiac arrest because they assume you need a certificate to touch it. You don't. A defibrillator is built for an untrained bystander, and hesitating costs survival. For every minute defibrillation is delayed in a shockable cardiac arrest, ANZCOR Guideline 7 puts the drop in survival at roughly 10 per cent.
The guideline could not be clearer: "AED use should not be restricted to trained personnel. Allowing the use of AEDs by individuals without prior formal training can be beneficial and may be life saving." The device talks you through every step and only delivers a shock if it reads a rhythm that needs one. Use it on anyone unresponsive and not breathing normally. If you're weighing one up for a workplace, club or home, our range of defibrillators covers the main brands and accessories.
Myth 5: CPR restarts a stopped heart
This is the one screen dramas get wrong, and it changes what people expect to happen. CPR rarely restarts a heart on its own. What it does is keep blood and oxygen moving to the brain, maintaining circulation until a defibrillator or paramedics arrive to deliver the shock or treatment that can actually restart the heart. That is exactly why it matters: stop, and the brain starts to die within minutes.
Knowing what CPR is really for is half of what not to do in a first aid emergency, because it stops people giving up too soon. ANZCOR Guideline 8 states: "All rescuers should perform chest compressions for all those who are unresponsive and not breathing normally." Hands-only compressions, pushed hard and fast over the lower half of the breastbone (the centre of the chest), keep that circulation going until help takes over. Rescuers trained and willing to give breaths are encouraged to, but compressions are the part that matters most, and the part anyone can do.
Where the myths come from, and why your kit matters
Most of these myths were once standard advice, overtaken by better evidence that hasn't reached everyone. The fix is the same every time: know the current ANZCOR guideline, and have the right gear within reach when seconds count.
If your home kit hasn't been checked in a while, the items that vanish first are the everyday ones: plasters, antiseptic wipes and burn modules raided between incidents and never replaced. Browse our home first aid kits to build or restock yours, or call us on 03 5443 2239 for a hand working out what suits your household. For the bigger picture, start with our guide to home and family first aid kits in Australia.