Health Update: First aid facts

If children swallow household cleaning fluid, should you try to make them vomit? If you do not know the answer to this question, you will probably not know how to deal with many other common emergencies.

The latest edition of the authorised manual from St John Ambulance, St Andrew's Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross has just been published and a copy should be in every home. It contains the latest information on life-saving techniques such as mouth-to- mouth breathing and chest compression. Each section, whether it deals with bleeding, burns or poisons, is subdivided into easily accessible types, with many boxes stating clearly what you should not do.

First Aid Manual is published by Dorling Kindersley at pounds 7.99.