‘I’m a neurologist – here are three things I don’t do as a doctor’

A neurologist has issued a warning about three things he would never do. His advice is based on his experience working in healthcare.

In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, neurologist Dr Baibing Chen, said he has seen how “devastating” the consequences can be. Dr Chen, who is better known online as Dr Bing, said: “Here are three things I don’t do as a doctor because I’ve seen how devastating the consequences can be.”

The first is using his hands to “unjam” a stuck lawnmower. Dr Bing said he has seen “many fingers cut off” as a result.

He said: “Number one, I’ll never use my hands to unjam a lawnmower that’s stuck. I don’t care if it’s turned off or unplugged, those blades can hold tension and the second the obstruction gives, they can snap free and spin.

“And the problem is your reflex is faster than your judgement and people reach in and it suddenly releases and the injury happens instantly and there is no time to react. I’ve seen many fingers cut off and hands destroyed that way.”

His second warning was about using water on a grease fire. Using water can cause explosive, spreading flames.

Instead, you should turn the heat off and smother it. Dr Bing continued: “Number two, I never use water on a grease fire.

“A grease fire happens when oil or fat overheats and catches fire, usually in a pan on the stove. And when you add water, it doesn’t just put it out, but it flashes into steam and violently spreads burning oil everywhere.

“A small flame can become a fireball in seconds, and what you have to do instead is to smother it. You turn off the heat, you cover it with a lid so that you remove the oxygen from the burning fire.”

Finally, he told people not to use metal bristle brushes when cleaning grills. Dr Bing added: “I’ll never use metal bristle brushes to clean grills.

“Those tiny little wires can break off easily and stick to the grill’s surface, and they can end up on food and get swallowed without you knowing. I’ve seen them lodge in the throat and in the intestines, and this is not a small problem.

“And it can turn into a surgical emergency very quickly, so be smart out there, guys.”