How to Treat Burns from Hot Water, Oil, or Hot Pots

What are the treatments for burns and scalds?

Suddenly burning the hand or skin by hot water, hot oil, or hot iron touch: what is the treatment?

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Burns and scalds are damage to the skin usually caused by heat. Both are treated in the same way.

Your hand or skin is burned by hot water, oil, or a hot pot:

· Immediately get the person away from the heat source to stop the burning

· Remove any clothing or jewellery that’s near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies, but do not move anything that’s stuck to the skin

Put the burned area under cool running water (not ice-cold) for 10–20 minutes. This helps stop the burn from getting deeper. Do not use ice, iced water, egg or any creams or greasy substances like butter

· Make sure the person keeps warm by using a blanket, for example, but take care not to rub it against the burnt area

· After cooling the burn, cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it—a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on your hand

· If pain is severe, you may take over-the-counter pain medicine like Ibuprofen or Paracetamol if you can normally take these safely.

· Raise the affected area if possible – this helps to reduce swelling

· If it’s an acid or chemical burn, dial 999, carefully try to remove the chemical and any contaminated clothing, and rinse the affected area using as much clean water as possible.

· After the burn cools, a little aloe vera gel or simple moisturizer may help soothe the skin

Do NOT:

Do not put ice directly on the burn.
Do not use toothpaste, egg, butter, oil, ghee, ink, mud, or turmeric.
Do not break blisters.

Go to a doctor or emergency room immediately if:

The burn is bigger than your palm or larger than about 3 inches (8 cm).
The burn is on the hand, face, feet, genitals, or over a joint.
Skin looks white, black, leathery, or numb.
There is increasing redness, pus, fever, or worsening pain.
The burn came from electricity or chemicals.

The size and depth of the burn will be assessed, and the affected area cleaned before a dressing is applied. In severe cases, skin graft surgery may be recommended.

For a small burn from hot water, oil, or a hot pot, cool the area under running water for 10–20 minutes, remove rings or tight items, and then loosely cover with a clean cloth or gauze. Do not use ice, toothpaste, butter, oil, or egg.

You can tell how serious the burn is by how it looks:

First-degree: red, painful, no blisters.
Second-degree: red with blisters and more pain.
Third-degree: white, black, charred, leathery, or numb skin—emergency.

If there is only redness and mild pain:

Cool with water.
Apply aloe vera or a plain moisturizer after cooling.
Cover lightly if rubbing hurts.
Usually heals in 5–10 days.

If blisters appear:

Do not pop or teat or inject blister fluids.
Keep the area clean and loosely covered with sterile gauze or a non-stick dressing.
If a blister breaks, wash gently with water and apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment.

Preventing burns and scalds

Many severe burns and scalds affect babies and young children.

Examples of things you can do to help reduce the likelihood of your child having a serious accident at home include:

· Keeping your child out of the kitchen whenever possible

· testing the temperature of bath water using your elbow before you put your baby or toddler in the bath

· keeping matches, lighters, and lit candles out of young children’s sight and reach

· keeping hot drinks well away from young children

Courtesy: Musafir Healthcare Bangladesh +8801862062660