Emergency treatment of burns and scalds at home

In daily life, burns and scalds are common. Such as firecrackers, cigarette butts, splashes of hot liquids such as boiling water and boiling oil, hot steam burns, etc. It is estimated that about 11 million people suffer from burns of varying degrees every year in the world. Especially children are active by nature, and are more likely to be in danger of burns and scalds when they grab things everywhere. Domestic literature reports: Among all accidental injuries to children, the incidence of pediatric burns (scalds) is the highest, accounting for 34%. Burns can cause people both psychological and physical trauma, especially deep burns above the second degree, which require a long treatment course, and the pain and hardship of the process are self-evident.

Therefore, early, timely and scientific intervention is particularly important for the prognosis of burns.

Minor Burns: 5 Key Steps

Step 1: Rush

Gently rinse or soak the burned area with clean running cold water to quickly dissipate heat and reduce damage to deep tissues. Depending on the degree of pain, the rinsing or soaking time can be appropriately extended. Remember not to apply herbs, toothpaste, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, etc. on the wound, as these items may cause bacterial infection of the wound and may increase the depth of the burn.

Step 2: Take off

After sufficient rinsing and soaking, carefully remove clothing in cold water. You can use scissors to cut open the clothes, but never forcibly peel off the clothes to avoid breaking the blisters. Because the blister epidermis protects the wound surface in the early stage of burns, it can relieve pain, reduce exudation, and prevent infection. Since the injured part will swell after a burn, be sure to remove rings, watches, belts, shoes or other tight clothing before the wound swells to prevent the limbs from being unable to be removed after swelling, resulting in poor blood circulation, causing limb ischemia and hypoxia necrosis or more serious consequences.

Step 3: Soak

For those who are in obvious pain, they can soak in cold water for 10-30 minutes. At this time, the main function is to relieve pain. Be careful not to use ice cubes directly for cold compresses, and wrap with a towel to prevent frostbite. However, for patients with large-area burns, children and the elderly, pay attention to the soaking time and water temperature to avoid hypothermia, which will reduce the skin's resistance and aggravate the burn damage.

Step 4: Cover

Use clean or sterile gauze or cotton cloth to cover the wound and slightly secure it. This can reduce external contamination and stimulation, help keep the wound clean and relieve pain. However, be careful not to secure it too tightly, so as not to affect blood supply and cause adverse consequences.

Step 5: Send

Complications of severe burns and scalds often do not appear immediately. Since the pain nerves are damaged, the deepest burns may only cause the slightest pain. Moreover, burns at the fire scene may also cause respiratory damage. Ordinary people tend to ignore or take chances, which eventually leads to irreversible and serious consequences. Therefore, those in serious cases need to call 120 immediately to be transferred to the hospital for regular treatment.

Treatment of severe burns

If the victim suffers deep burns or the burn area is large, he or she may go into shock or even die.

1. Call emergency number immediately

Do not hesitate to treat severe burns at home without authorization, and seek professional medical treatment immediately.

2. Do not forcibly remove any clothing from the burned area.

The affected area may be covered with clothing. If the clothing is stuck to the burn, do not try to tear it off or move it, as this may tear the skin off and cause bleeding. However, if the clothing is not tightly stuck to the skin, the clothing around the burn should be removed to prevent it from sticking to the burn area later.

3. Be alert to patients' symptoms of shock

Always monitor the patient for signs of shock, such as fatigue, rapid heartbeat, cold skin, confusion, and nausea. Keep talking to the patient to observe his consciousness. If the patient shows signs of shock, the lower limbs and head should be appropriately raised so that the blood in the upper and lower torso can quickly return to the heart to prevent hypovolemic shock.

4. Remove constraints early

After a burn or scald, the area and surrounding areas will swell. Rings, watches, belts, shoes or other tight clothing should be removed before the injured area swells to prevent serious consequences due to swelling.

Avoid secondary damage caused by burns

1. Do not apply ice directly to the affected area.

Too large a temperature difference can cause secondary damage. Just rinse with cold water or wrap ice cubes in a towel or cotton cloth and apply cold compress. Do not apply ice to the chest, perineum, abdomen, or soles of the feet without authorization.

2. Don’t use anything you imagine to smear the wound

Such as milk, vegetable oil, lard, miscellaneous ointments, etc. These things are not conducive to the release of heat in the affected area. Contact will delay the healing process and increase pain in the affected area. At the same time, it will also increase the risk of infection.

3. Do not squeeze the affected area or tear the blisters

Avoid direct contact of fingers with the affected skin to reduce the chance of bacterial infection. Do not squeeze blisters or tear off the epidermis around the affected area.

Source: Chongqing Emergency Medical Center

Audit expert: Aishanmu

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