First aid practices about wounds and burns in rural areas: an example from western Turkey

Traditional methods are still widely accepted and used by most people worldwide.

This study was conducted to determine first-aid practices about wounds and burns in rural areas.

This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited a total of 176 people who agreed to participate. During the data collection, a questionnaire prepared by the researcher in line with the literature information was used. Analysed data are presented as percentage distributions, mean and chi-square tests.

The most frequently encountered situations requiring first aid are sharp object injuries 31.2%, blunt injuries 30.1%, burn injuries 25.5%, and sudden loss of consciousness 13.0%. About 59.1% of them used traditional practices (scrubbing, mixing cattle feces with ash, smashing olives, wrapping tarhana(traditional turkish soup) in sprain injuries. For burn injuries, 34.1% of them used traditional first-aid practices (such as applying honey, oil, yogurt etc.).

The results of this study indicate that the most common situations requiring first aid were injuries caused by sharp objects, blunt force trauma, and burns. Traditional methods were frequently used, particularly for closed injuries, burns, and insect bites. There is a pressing need for public education on evidence-based first-aid practices and further research into the safety and effectiveness of traditional remedies.