Insights from a paramedic: These unusual household items could save your life
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Just when you thought you had heard it all, here’s something new for everyone to think about— these three household items could save your life or the life of your loved ones in an emergency.
Nikki Jurcutz, a former paramedic who worked with Ambulance Victoria for eight years, has shared her insights on why she always has honey, hair removal cream and cling wrap in her home.
'These unexpected items could save your child,' she said.
Let’s dive into these potential life-savers and discover how they can save lives.
Honey
In an accidental button battery swallowing—a serious medical emergency—honey can lessen the risk of the battery potentially burning a hole through a child’s oesophagus.
'Honey can make a significant difference in the damage caused,' she explained.
'However, using honey as first aid treatment isn’t part of the guideline treatment in Australia (yet!), but other countries such as America have implemented the guideline “10mL of honey for every 10 minutes for children over one year old”,’ she explained.
But she emphasised: ‘Do NOT delay getting to the hospital to give honey.’
'Every day there is at least one Australian child admitted to hospital from swallowing one of these (button batteries),' she shared.
Hair Removal Cream
If a child has a hair tourniquet—or when a strand of hair wraps tightly around their fingers or toes—applying a small amount of hair removal cream to the area can help loosen the gripping hair. Leave it for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
‘If the tourniquet doesn’t appear too deep and there isn’t damage to the skin, you can try this treatment,’ Nikki stated.
However, if the hair remains wrapped around their fingers or toes, the child must be immediately taken to the emergency department.
Cling Wrap
After completing first aid on a burn, Nikki said the area should be covered with cling wrap to protect against further damage.
'It’s important to use something that won’t stick to the burn, as this can cause further damage when you go to remove the cover. Using something non-stick to cover the burn is so important,' she explained.
'Something as simple as cling wrap does an excellent job,' she added.
She also emphasised not to use the cling wrap around the affected limb and only to cover the area.
‘The cling wrap is used to protect the burn until it can be assessed by a medical professional. It’s good because it’s non-stick, so [it] won’t cause more damage to the burn when peeled off,’ Nikki stated.
Nikki is now dedicating her time to sharing health education on her social media page and website, and her recent video about the unexpected items that could help improve your home first aid experience has been viewed over 300,000 times.
Many of her followers were grateful for the life-saving tips she shared, with one writing: ‘Love the fresh content always! It blows my mind how much people don’t know.’
‘I wasn’t aware of the honey/battery swallow one, thank you,’ one person commented.
It’s great to know that Nikki’s insights are being shared with those who may not know what to do in an emergency. By sharing the story, we can all remind ourselves to stay informed and prepared.
Members, do you have any first-aid tips or stories to share? Let us know in the comments below!
Nikki Jurcutz, a former paramedic who worked with Ambulance Victoria for eight years, has shared her insights on why she always has honey, hair removal cream and cling wrap in her home.
'These unexpected items could save your child,' she said.
Let’s dive into these potential life-savers and discover how they can save lives.
Honey
In an accidental button battery swallowing—a serious medical emergency—honey can lessen the risk of the battery potentially burning a hole through a child’s oesophagus.
Honey can lessen the risk of the battery potentially burning a hole through a child’s oesophagus. Credit: Arwin Neil Baichoo/Unsplash
'Honey can make a significant difference in the damage caused,' she explained.
'However, using honey as first aid treatment isn’t part of the guideline treatment in Australia (yet!), but other countries such as America have implemented the guideline “10mL of honey for every 10 minutes for children over one year old”,’ she explained.
But she emphasised: ‘Do NOT delay getting to the hospital to give honey.’
'Every day there is at least one Australian child admitted to hospital from swallowing one of these (button batteries),' she shared.
Hair Removal Cream
If a child has a hair tourniquet—or when a strand of hair wraps tightly around their fingers or toes—applying a small amount of hair removal cream to the area can help loosen the gripping hair. Leave it for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
‘If the tourniquet doesn’t appear too deep and there isn’t damage to the skin, you can try this treatment,’ Nikki stated.
However, if the hair remains wrapped around their fingers or toes, the child must be immediately taken to the emergency department.
Cling Wrap
After completing first aid on a burn, Nikki said the area should be covered with cling wrap to protect against further damage.
'It’s important to use something that won’t stick to the burn, as this can cause further damage when you go to remove the cover. Using something non-stick to cover the burn is so important,' she explained.
'Something as simple as cling wrap does an excellent job,' she added.
She also emphasised not to use the cling wrap around the affected limb and only to cover the area.
‘The cling wrap is used to protect the burn until it can be assessed by a medical professional. It’s good because it’s non-stick, so [it] won’t cause more damage to the burn when peeled off,’ Nikki stated.
Nikki is now dedicating her time to sharing health education on her social media page and website, and her recent video about the unexpected items that could help improve your home first aid experience has been viewed over 300,000 times.
Many of her followers were grateful for the life-saving tips she shared, with one writing: ‘Love the fresh content always! It blows my mind how much people don’t know.’
‘I wasn’t aware of the honey/battery swallow one, thank you,’ one person commented.
It’s great to know that Nikki’s insights are being shared with those who may not know what to do in an emergency. By sharing the story, we can all remind ourselves to stay informed and prepared.
Members, do you have any first-aid tips or stories to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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