The question “What to do when burns and scalds” is not only about having to treat your own burn wounds, but especially if you are providing first aid. If you need to provide a burn, it is especially important to keep calm and as soon as possible Eliminate the cause, ie switch off the heat or electricity source Here you read what you can do with burns.
What to do in first degree burns
In light burns, the affected area should be cooled under running cold water until the pain subsides. Recommended is a water temperature of about 20 degrees. Prolonged cooling or the use of ice bags is not helpful as the skin can be additionally damaged by the cold. Painkillers (analgesics) help against the burning of the injury. In mild sunburns, cortisone ointments or cooling gels and creams (for example, with aloe vera) are effective. In a large-scale sunburn so-called prostaglandin inhibitors act against inflammatory processes.
What to do in case of burns grade 2a
First, affected areas should be covered dry, ideally with sterile compresses. Blistering should only be opened by a doctor. Do not open fire blisters with needles or similar instruments, even if you have previously used a lighter to kill possible pathogens. Too big is the risk of additional contamination of the combustion. Home remedies such as onions, toothpaste or raw potatoes have no proven benefits and should be avoided. If in doubt, call the emergency doctor or seek medical help immediately, especially if the burn does not cause any pain, indicating a 3rd degree burn.
Higher degree of combustion – what to do?
Higher grade burns must always be treated by a doctor. Provide first aid in a severe burn, keep calm, calm down the casualty, and dial the emergency call immediately. Try to eliminate the cause of the burn without endangering yourself. For chemical burns, the burns should be rinsed with water. Remove clothing from scorched body parts. Cooling of the burn injuries is not recommended, as frostbite threatens and the person affected is undercooled.
What to do when burns unconscious patients
Especially in car accidents with burning vehicles, the accident victims often suffer serious injuries and lose consciousness. After the rescue service has been notified, always check your own safety and ensure that the person is still breathing and has a pulse. Otherwise, you should immediately begin resuscitation until the ambulance arrives. If the injured person can be addressed and he can move on his own, wrap him in a rescue blanket from the emergency box of your car. This avoids progressive hypothermia (hypothermia). This destabilizes the circulation, coagulation disorders and an increasing risk of infection can be the result.
Treatment in the clinic
Grade 2b or higher burns are treated early in a hospital to avoid damaging effects on the whole body. Surgeons remove dead tissue (necrosis) and transplant healthy skin. If extensive transplantable tissue is missing in the case of extensive skin damage, certain skin cells (keratinocytes) can be replicated on an artificial dermal replacement in the laboratory. After a few weeks, the “artificial skin” can then be brought to the wound.
Infusion therapy and intensive care
Concerned patients will be given fluid into the vein (infusion therapy) to compensate for the loss through the burn wound. Especially in patients who develop signs of a burn shock (especially rapid heartbeat, drop in blood pressure), the circulation must be stabilized and maintained. In severe cases, the burned victim is put into an artificial coma and artificially ventilated. At the same time, painkillers are continuously administered to the patient (analogue sedation).
wound care
Surgical treatment usually starts after the third or fourth day in severe burn injuries. Until then, the burnt skin areas are cleaned. Special substances (iodine ointment, silver nitrate solution) prevent infection of the burn wound. Locally effective antibiotics (eg fusidic acid) kill wound germs. Only in severe cases are antibiotics administered that are distributed throughout the body (systemically). A comprehensive antibiotic therapy is necessary when the pathogens enter the circulation and trigger life-threatening blood poisoning there (sepsis after burning).
What to do in case of respiratory tract burns (inhalation trauma)
Burns of the airways are not always recognizable to a layman. Affected cough, get bad air and may have a whistling breath sound (Stridor). Even traces of soot on the face and burned hair indicate respiratory damage. By inhaling toxic gases, some sufferers are confused. Immediately call the ambulance service for these signs and do not leave the injured person alone. The ambulance will administer painkillers and tranquilizers and deliver oxygen through a mask before transporting the patient to a suitable facility.
Burn injuries centers
Large-scale and life-threatening burns are treated in specialized centers. There are high ambient temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity. Factors that support recovery, because the high fluid loss, the patients can no longer regulate the body temperature independently.
In Germany there are currently 36 wards for seriously burnt adults and children. According to the German Society for Burn Medicine, patients have to be relocated to a burn injury center,
- which have (deep) second-degree burns on more than 15 percent of the body surface.
- who have third-degree burns on more than ten percent of the body surface.
- burns in complicated areas (face, neck, genital area, hands, feet, armpits).
- whose respiratory tract has been damaged (inhalation trauma).
- who have pre-existing conditions or are under eight or over 60 years old.
- which were burned by electricity.
In 2013, there were 2050 admissions to these specialized institutions in Germany. Over 60 percent of the patients were between 20 and 59 years old. Almost ten percent of the patients admitted were children.
Burns – what do you do afterwards?
After mild burns, care for the affected and possibly scarred skin area with moisturizing lotions or fatty ointments. Protect the damaged skin from too much sun. Because even excessive UV radiation damages the tissue. For treated second- or third-degree burns, wear compression clothing to prevent further water retention. In scars, in addition to classic silicone-containing gels, so-called silicone gel sheets have proven particularly useful. These patches can be stuck on any scarred area of the skin, left over and even over-painted if desired.
After very severe burn injuries, which were associated with a long hospital stay, a rehabilitation makes sense. Physio, ergo and psychotherapies help the patient to reintegrate into normal life. The former burn injuries are controlled over a longer period of time. For example, it is possible to recognize early rejection reactions of the transplants. Further aesthetic operations can follow.
The healing process in a burn is individually different depending on the extent, depth and condition of the affected person. Light burns heal without consequences, moderate burns usually leave scars, while heavy burns have to be treated intensively. But no matter how hard you judge a burn injury, the question “What to do in case of burns “ always arises and can be answered in case of doubt only by a doctor (dermatologist, resident surgeon, ambulance).