2. Sucking Out Snake Venom
According to Hollywood, you have to suck the venom out of a poisonous snake bite in order to save someone’s life.
The truth, though, is that there is absolutely no evidence that such a drastic tactic would actually work. Instead, the only thing you’re likely to accomplish by sucking snake venom out of someone else’s bit is getting poisoned yourself.
QUIZ: Will a Bite From This Snake Kill YOU?
Medical professionals suggest keeping the person as still as possible and putting a loose bandage (never a tourniquet!) over the wound. Unfortunately, without medical attention, the person in question is likely to get really sick or die as a result of their wound.
Photo by Luca Boldrini
3. Cauterizing a Wound is Not an Easy Fix
Someone’s arm or leg has been amputated or seriously wounded. Perhaps you even chopped off their arm a la “The Walking Dead” because it became infected.
All you have to do is start a fire, get something really hot and press it against the open wound, right? Wrong. Cauterizing a wound is something that should be done under controlled circumstances and only during the direst situations because the reality is that it could kill someone such as effectively as letting them bleed to death.
When you cauterize a wound, you leave the person in question highly susceptible to infections. Therefore, unless you have absolutely no other choice and are turning to cauterization as a last ditch effort, it is best to leave this technique where it belongs: in fictional movies and TV shows.
Photo by Jayphen