Experts from West China University of Political Science and Law said: There is a kind of burn that is not so "hot", but it is just as painful!

Heating equipment and supplies do bring a lot of warmth in winter, but they also bring some safety hazards. For example, from time to time, hospitals will receive a few patients who were burned by low-temperature heaters and heat packs. The news occasionally reports that improper use of heating equipment has caused fires, electric shocks and other safety accidents. So today I will share with you some knowledge about low-temperature burns and how to use heating equipment and supplies correctly.

There are 7 main types of heating equipment

1. Liquid-filled radiator

The medium (such as thermal oil, etc.) filled inside is heated by an electric heating tube, and then the heat is dissipated through the heat sink to increase the ambient temperature. For example, the oil heater that everyone is familiar with.

2. Convection heater

The surrounding air is heated by the heating element, and then the surrounding temperature is raised by air convection. For example, skirting boards and electric heaters.

3. Fan heater

The heat is heated by a heating wire or a PTC heater, and then the heat is sent out by a fan, such as an electric heater or a fan heater.

4. Radiant Heater

Through sealed light-emitting heating tubes, the temperature of the surrounding environment is raised by radiation. Small suns and bird cages belong to this category.

5. Warm Baby (Warming Patch)

The reaction principle is to use the primary battery to accelerate the oxidation reaction (which is a common chemical reduction reaction) and convert chemical energy into heat energy.

6. Electric hot water bottle (electric warmer)

There are three types: electrode type, electric heating wire type, and electric heating rod type. Because electrode type electric heaters are prone to leakage and explosion, they are prohibited from production and sale by the state. Currently, the electric heating wire type electric heaters with high safety are allowed to be sold.

7. Electric Blanket

It is a contact electric heating appliance that weaves or sews a special soft-cable electric heating element with standard insulation performance into a blanket in a coiled snake shape, and emits heat when powered on.

There is a kind of burn called low-temperature burn!

1. About low temperature burns

Our body temperature is usually 37℃. When we touch an object with a temperature of over 70℃, we will feel "hot" and will consciously and quickly avoid it. This is also the human instinct to protect ourselves.

However, when the temperature of the object in contact is between 45℃ and 60℃, people will not feel "hot", and the body's protection mechanism will not be activated. If we only come into contact with this low temperature for a short time, there will be no problem, but if it comes into contact with human skin for a long time, it will cause skin damage and even further cause deep tissue damage, resulting in low-temperature burns.

2. These heating products may cause low-temperature burns

There are two conditions for causing low-temperature burns. The first is that the temperature is higher than body temperature, approximately in the range of 45℃-60℃, and the second is that the contact time is long.

Products that are commonly used in winter, such as hot water bottles, heat packs, heated mouse pads, heated scarves, and small suns, make people feel warm by generating continuous heat. They are generally used for a long time. For example, a hot water bottle can be used for a whole night, and a heat pack can be used for five or six hours. If used improperly, they can easily cause low-temperature burns.

3. Symptoms of low-temperature burns

Burns are generally divided into three degrees: I, II, and III. Low-temperature burns can not only cause relatively shallow injuries such as I and shallow II, but also cause deep II or III degree burns. The specific manifestations are as follows:

①Redness of the skin and the appearance of erythema

This is the most common manifestation of low-temperature burns, and it also belongs to the range of first-degree burns. Some people stick to the heating pad for a long time, even if they stick it through spring and autumn clothes, their skin will turn red after removing it. In fact, this is a low-temperature burn.

② Blisters appear on the skin

This is an advanced manifestation of low-temperature burns, which belongs to the range of second-degree burns. According to the size of the blisters and the depth of the burns, it can be divided into superficial second-degree and deep second-degree. Although the initial manifestation of low-temperature burns is erythema, the skin is just red on the surface, but if these heating products are continued to be used, the burns may continue, and the deep skin will continue to be burned, which may cause blisters.

③Eschar changes appear on the skin

This is a manifestation of deep injury caused by low-temperature burns, which belongs to the category of third-degree burns. The skin in the injured area becomes dry and hard, and feels like a harder leather jacket, with no elasticity and no obvious pain.

4. How to deal with low temperature burns

① When using heating products, if you feel a little "hot" or itchy, you should be alert to the possibility of low-temperature burns and must stop using them immediately;

② If the skin becomes red or has erythema, the affected area needs to be cooled immediately. The specific operation is: use room temperature water or gel products to cool down for at least 30 minutes. Room temperature water refers to 6℃-20℃. Do not use ice water or ice cubes for cold compresses, which may cause frostbite.

③If blisters have appeared on the skin, you can first disinfect it with iodine, and then go to the hospital for further treatment. Never prick the blisters with a needle yourself, as this will cause further infection and cause trouble.

Here is a special reminder: even if it is a low-temperature burn, especially a burn with a wound, you should not apply toothpaste, sesame oil, incense ash, or aloe vera gel. These folk remedies will only aggravate the infection of the wound and make subsequent treatment more complicated.

Question: "Can I use burn ointment to treat it?

A: There are many burn ointments on the market, and you should carefully distinguish them. Some are regular medicines, while others are so-called secret recipes passed down from generation to generation. They do not have approval numbers or manufacturers, so they are counterfeit and should not be used. It should be noted that all burn ointments only have a slight effect on wound recovery and cannot reverse the life-threatening pathological process of severe burns.

Question: "If blisters appear on the waist and abdomen, how can I take care of them in daily life when I wear more clothes in winter? Can I take a bath?"

Answer: If the blisters have been treated in the hospital, the wound will be simply bandaged. Try not to get the wound wet during the recovery period. Also be careful when taking a bath to avoid causing wound infection.

Warm baby is prone to low temperature burns

Everyone knows that hot packs cannot be applied directly to the skin, but there are still many precautions that many people don’t know.

1. Choose the product category properly. Warming patch products can be divided into body warming patches, thermal insulation patches, hand warmers, foot warming patches, uterus warming patches and other types. Depending on the usage, the heating temperature and heating time are different. If the product category is not selected correctly, it will bring potential dangers. For example, the heating temperature of foot warming patches is relatively high, and it may cause low-temperature burns when used on the body.

2. Avoid using the product on the same part of your body for a long time, and pay attention to your skin condition at all times to prevent local temperature from being too high, which may cause low-temperature burns. Also, do not use a heating pad while using an electric blanket or other heater.

3. People with diabetes, blood circulation disorders, and low skin thermal sensitivity should be extra careful when using. The nerve endings of these people are insensitive and are not suitable for heating with heating pads. Children, the elderly, and those who cannot take care of themselves should use it under special care.

4. Do not use products that have pockets falling off. If you find pockets falling off when using a heating pad (that is, the heating pad feels like it has fallen apart), stop using it.

The reason for the bag falling is that the breathable film and processing technology are not up to standard. The heat of the warming patch is released through redox reaction. The bag falling will cause the breathable film to be too permeable, and the heat will be released in a very short time. This will cause the duration of heating to be significantly reduced, and most importantly, the instantaneous excessive heat will cause burns.

Source: West China Hospital, Sichuan University