Burn Injury
Contact with any source of heat can cause a burn or scald injury.
Clothing over the area may retain the heat and cause further injury.
Symptoms and signs
- Severe pain
- Red, peeling or blistered skin or blackened if caused by electricity
- Watery fluid weeping from the injury
- Patient may be pale, cold and sweaty, feeling unconsciousness, and complaining of sickness or vomiting
- Swelling of the injured area may appear later
First aid
- Separate heat source from the person.
- Cool the injured area Immediately cool the affected area for 20 minutes or first aid burn gel may be used in place of water.
- If any clothing is wet with hot liquid or affected by a chemical splash, remove it quickly and carefully.
- Separate all accessories.
- Position patient if the patient is feeling faint lay them down.
Caution:
- Do not use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause a person's body to become too cold and cause further damage to the wound.
- Do not break blisters. Broken blisters are more vulnerable to infection.
- Do not try to remove any fabric that is stuck to a burn.
- Do not apply creams, ointments, lotions or butter to any burn injury because infection may occur and complicate the injury.
- Do not place small children or babies in a cold bath or shower for a full 20 minutes, as this can cause hypothermia.
- Remember that any substance applied to a burn injury may have to be removed later in hospital.
Heat stroke
Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia in which the body temperature is elevated dramatically.
Victims of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent organ damage. First and foremost, cool the victim.
- Get the victim to a shady area, remove clothing, and apply cool or tepid water to the skin (for example, you may spray the person with cool water from a garden hose), fan the victim to promote sweating and evaporation, and place ice packs under the armpits and groin.
- If the person is able to drink liquids, have them drink cool water or other cool beverages that do not contain alcohol or caffeine.
- Monitor body temperature with a thermometer and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101 to 102 F (38.3 to 38.8 C).
- Always notify emergency services (911) immediately. If their arrival is delayed, they can give you further instructions for treatment of the victim.