I’m a paramedic – here’s why you need to add a bottle of BEER to your first aid kit
MOST parents will carry around a basic first aid kit for their accident-prone youngsters, even if it just contains some plasters.
But now, a paramedic has recommended parents add a bottle of beer to their kit.
The addition will be especially helpful as we approach summer when we’re more likely to be spending time outdoors when we might not have any water on us.
Posting to the Tiny Hearts Education Instagram page, paramedic Nikki Jurcutz said the drink can replace water when treating burns.
“As you out and have no water to treat a burn?” she asked. “Try using a can of coke, or even a beer.”
When it comes to treating burns it’s important to cool down the affected area as soon as possible.
According to the Red Cross, cooling the burn will reduce pain, swelling and the risk of scarring.
The sooner and longer a burn is cooled with cold running water – or beer – the less the impact of the injury.
If you don’t have access to cold running water, you can pour other cold liquids such as milk, soft drinks or beer over the burn to cool it, Nikki said.
About 250,000 people suffer a burn every year in Britain, with nearly 175,000 having to visit A&E for medical treatment.
Just over 16,000 are admitted to hospital for specialist burn care.
Treating burns and scalds
According to the NHS, you should follow this first aid advice for treating a burn:
- immediately get the person away from the heat source to stop the burning
- remove any clothing or jewellery that’s near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies, but do not move anything that’s stuck to the skin
- cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 to 30 minutes – do not use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter
- make sure the person keeps warm by using a blanket, for example, but take care not to rub it against the burnt area
- after cooling the burn, cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it – a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on your hand
- use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
- raise the affected area if possible – this helps to reduce swelling
- if it’s an acid or chemical burn, dial 999, carefully try to remove the chemical and any contaminated clothing, and rinse the affected area using as much clean water as possible