How to identify (Not all may be present)
Severe pain
Red, peeling, or blistered skin (or blackened if caused by electricity)
Watery fluid weeping from the injured area
The patient may be pale, cold and sweaty, feeling faint and dizzy, and complaining of nausea or vomiting
Swelling of the injured area may appear later
Immediate first-aids
Stop the burning process as soon as possible.
This may mean removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Do not put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well.
Cool the burn under cold running water for at least ten minutes.
Cooling the burn will reduce pain, swelling, and the risk of scarring. The faster and longer a burn is cooled with cold running water, the less the impact of the injury.
After the burn has been cooled, cover it with cling film or a clean plastic bag.
This helps prevent infection by keeping the area clean. Cling film or plastic won’t stick to the burn and will reduce pain by keeping air from the skin’s surface.
Call 1990 if necessary.
If you can’t call 1990, get someone else to do it.
The burn may need urgent medical treatment. If you’re in any doubt, seek medical advice and always seek medical advice for a baby or child who has been burned.
Do & Don’t
Do:-
Use a shower or cold bath to cool a burn.
A shower is a good way of flooding the burn with cold water to help the cooling. Focus the water on the site of the burn rather than the whole limb or body. The water should be cold and at low pressure.
Keep yourself or the person warm.
Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops below 35C (95F).
Sit upright as much as possible if the face or eyes are burnt.
Avoid lying down for as long as possible, as this will help reduce swelling.
Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Burns will often be painful even after cooling them. You can give an appropriate dose of painkillers and reassure the person who has been burned to help them remain calm.
But, always check the manufacturer's instructions when using over-the-counter medication.
Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
Always seek medical advice for a baby or child who has been burned.
Seek medical advice
Always seek medical advice if a baby or child has been burned. Because burns can be very dangerous, depending on the age of the child and the size, depth, and location of the injury. Even small burns can be potentially life-threatening to a baby or child, so always seek medical advice.
Seek immediate medical advice if an adult has burned their face or genital area, or if you are in any doubt about how severe the burn is.
Don’t:-
Put butter, cream, or toothpaste on a burn.
Butter, cream, or toothpaste will not cool the area. Butter and cream contain oils. Oils retain heat, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to do. Toothpaste often contains menthol, which may give a superficial feeling of cooling, but does not effectively help a burn.
If you put anything on top of a burn and it later needs to be removed in hospital, it may cause further pain and damage.
Use ice to cool the burn.
Because ice could damage the skin. Use cold water to cool the burn. If you don't have access to cold running water, pour other cold liquids such as milk, soft drinks, or beer over the burn to cool it.
Remove clothes or any fabric that stuck to the burn.
It may cause more damage.
And also, don’t break blisters or remove peeled skin.
You can remove clothing that is near the burn but not stuck to it.
Put a plaster over a burn to make sure it doesn't get infected.
Don’t use any adhesive bandages as they’ll stick to the skin and can cause further damage.
After cooling, cover the burn with cling film or a clean plastic bag to help prevent infection.
Put their whole body under a cold shower or in a cold bath.
Because it could induce hypothermia.
And also, don’t place small children or babies in a cold bath or shower for a full 10 minutes, as this can cause hypothermia.
First-aids for other kinds of burns
Chemical burns
1️. Quickly remove any contaminated clothing.
Avoid contact with any chemical and further injury to the patient.
If the chemical is a powder brush it off, avoiding contact, before flushing with water.
2️. Cool the injury
Flood the burned area with copious amounts of water and continue for up to 20 minutes.
3️. If a chemical solution has splashed into the eyes,
Hold the affected eyelids open to ensure water washes thoroughly under the lids to remove any trapped chemical.
Bitumen burns
1️. If a limb or finger is involved, flood the area with cool water for at least 20 minutes.
2️. Cover any exposed burns with a non-stick dressing.
3️. Do not apply lotions or ointments.
4️. Do not pop blisters.
5️. Do not attempt to remove the bitumen.
6️. Seek medical assistance.
Burns involving the mouth or throat
1️. Remove the patient to a safe area.
f in a closed area, and if safe for the first aider, it is vital to remove the patient to a place free of the risk of further injury and preferably into the fresh air.
2️. Cool the injury
If smoke or toxic gases may have been inhaled including carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust, chlorine, ammonia, or hydrochloric acid remove the patient from any enclosed or restricted area into an open area, pour running water over the burn for 20 minutes.
If there is any breathing difficulty allow the patient to find the position enabling easy breathing with the head and chest raised.
Clothing on fire
1️. Smother the flames with a coat or blanket and set the patient onto the ground to remove oxygen from the burning area.
2️. The rule is to STOP, DROP and ROLL the patient before checking for burns and cooling the injury.
References
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/treatment/
https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/burns
https://www.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid/first-aid-library/burns/
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