Important for the General Public

Injured by a knife: the best way to help

Knife attacks are on the rise—at least that’s how it feels. Even injuries that look harmless can be life-threatening. That’s why it’s important to be able to provide first aid, even as a layperson.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

If the current situation teaches us anything, it’s this: These days, it’s all too easy to become a victim of a knife attack. The most recent such incident was likely prevented only by the thoughtful, level-headed actions of ÖBB train attendant Hussein Al Tamro in Tyrol. This makes us wonder: If things had turned out differently—would you actually have known how to help the injured?

How long has it been since you took your last first-aid course? Knives are tools that are readily at hand. Consequently, they can just as quickly become weapons, as brutal attacks throughout Austria—such as last year’s assault in Carinthia or the one last weekend in Vienna— or incidents that can quickly escalate into such attacks, as was the case recently inTyrol, repeatedly demonstrate.