【Medical Q&A】What should I do if I get burned?

Author: Zuo Yu, deputy chief physician of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

Reviewer: Li Xiangmin, Chief Physician, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University

Generally speaking, the treatment of burns is divided into three steps. Step 1: Get away from the heat source as soon as possible. If a fire occurs, quickly take off the burning clothes or roll on the ground to put out the fire, and wash or soak the burned area with plenty of cold water to remove contamination and relieve pain. Step 2: Observe vital signs (consciousness, breathing, pulse, blood pressure), and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately if there is a problem, and call the "120" emergency number. Step 3: The treatment of burns can be summarized in five words, namely, flush, remove, soak, cover, and send. Specifically, different types of burns have the following different treatment methods.

1. Chemical burns ① First confirm the nature of the chemical: acid, alkali or phosphorus burns. For drugs such as quicklime that react violently with water and release heat, do not rinse with water immediately. Use clean gauze to remove the source of injury as much as possible, and then rinse with water. ② Chemical burns on the face: Check the eyes (especially the cornea) for damage first, and rinse first. ③ Acid-base neutralization may release a lot of heat during treatment, so cold water should be used as the main rinse.

2. Four words for electric burns: Cut off the power supply! ! Do not touch the patient before cutting off the power supply to avoid electric shock.

3. In case of hot liquid burns, clothes soaked by hot liquid must be taken off immediately, and then rinse with cold water for at least half an hour.