First Aid for Burns
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Symptoms
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Burns are categorized as first, second, or third degree, according to how serious they are.
- 1st degree: The burned area looks red. Only the outer layer of skin is damaged.
- 2nd degree: The burned area is blistered, swollen, weepy, or puffy.
- 3rd degree: The burned area is dry, pale white or charred black, swollen, or breaks open.
Severe burns, meaning a large area, severe blistering, any charring, or electrical burns are a medical
emergency. CALL 911! |
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Immediate Action
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- Stop the burning. Put out flames or remove the victim from the source of the burn.
NOTE: If the person's clothing is on fire, quickly help the person to the ground with the burning side facing up. Use a blanket to smother the flames, making sure you direct the flames away from the person's head.
- Cool the burn. Immerse the burned part in cold water, or hold it under cold running water for at least 10 minutes. If the area is large, cover it with a folded sheet or towel soaked in cold water.
Do NOT put ice on the burned skin.
- Cover the burn. Use dry, sterile dressings or a clean cloth. If a large area of the body is burned, cover it with clean, dry sheets or other cloth. DON'T touch a burn with anything but a clean
covering.
Call the doctor if:
- The burns involve more than one body part or cover more than 10% of the body.
- The burn is caused by electricity or chemicals.
- The burn appears to be a third degree burn.
- The burn is on the head, face, hands, feet, or genitalia.
- The burn victim is a child, elderly person, or person with diabetes.
- The burn victim is having difficulty breathing.
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Follow-up Care
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| Mild burns
If only a small area is burned, and it is only red or slightly blistered, it is safe to treat at home. Sunburn is nearly always a first-degree burn. Leave a first-degree burn alone for 24
hours. In general, do not put lotions or ointments on a burn, because it will hold the heat in and cause more damage; it might even lead to infection. However, after a mild burn has been run under cold
water, pure Vitamin E may help the burn to heal.
For a second degree burns: do NOT break the blisters. If the blisters do break, clean the area by running it under water and then apply an antibiotic
ointment like Polysporin. Don't touch the wound with your hands or anything that isn't sterile. Cover with a sterile dressing, and change the dressing every day.
If a second-degree burn is on the
face, hands, feet, genitals, or a joint and is more than one inch in diameter, call the doctor. Severe burns
- Seek medical attention immediately!
- Do NOT remove dry, burned clothing or clothing that is stuck to the burns.
- If clothing has been soaked in hot grease or oil or boiling water, remove it immediately.
- Do NOT put ice on the burned skin.
- Do NOT apply ointments or lotions, butter, or baking soda.
- Raise a burned arm or leg above the victim's heart to keep it from swelling.
- If the person is conscious and not vomiting, give him or her frequent small sips of water.
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Future Prevention
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- Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home. Check batteries regularly.
- Install at least one approved smoke detector near the sleeping area.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Have it inspected every year.
- Set your water heater at 120 degrees or lower to avoid burns.
- Don't smoke in bed.
- In the kitchen, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
- Supervise children closely. Keep children out of the "traffic path" and check their location before moving any hot liquids in the kitchen. Keep all hot liquids at a safe distance from children.
- Make sure any food or liquid you put within a child's reach is not too hot.
- Don't hold a child when drinking or holding a hot liquid.
- To prevent scalding due to spills, use a "fill-through-the-spout" teapot, the kind without a lid and with a whistle in the spout.
- Keep all cords from dangling over the edge of counters, especially slow cookers, coffee pots, fat fryers, and anything else that could contain hot liquids. Buy appliances with short cords.
- Teach children to stay away from the stove. Consider marking a "No-Zone" with colored tape on the floor in front of the kitchen stove.
- Don't use area rugs in the kitchen; if they slip, they can cause falls and scalds.
- Smother burning food or grease with a lid or pot.
- Never leave anything flammable near the stove or any other heat source.
- Secure loose cords out of the way. Don't use multicord or octopus plugs. (They may overheat and cause fires.)
- If you use a space heaters, keep it out of the reach of children and away from curtains.
- Store all flammable liquids in their original containers.
- Children playing with matches, lighters or other ignition sources are responsible for about 10 percent of home fire deaths. Watch children and keep matches and lighters out of their reach. Teach children to stay away from candles, fireplaces, space heaters and fireworks. Never leave children under the age of 11 alone in the home, even for a minute.
- Store all flammable liquids in their original containers.
- Store garbage and recycling materials in covered containers.
- Keep fire extinguishers in your home and discuss their correct use with your family. An extinguisher must fit the fire. Some are designed to handle burning wood, paper, cloth and plastics. Other extinguishers are designed for flammable liquids or electrical equipment. Place extinguishers where the risk of fire is greatest, including the kitchen and near the clothes dryer.
- Make and practice a Family Fire Escape Plan. Identify two exits from each room. Teach children to drop to the floor and crawl to the nearest exit if they smell smoke or see flames. Teach children to stop, drop and roll if clothes catch on fire.
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More Info
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