First aid for burns

Burns are a global public health problem, accounting for an estimated 180 000 deaths annually. Burns occur mainly in the home and workplace.

Burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals.

Thermal (heat) burns occur when some or all of the cells in the skin or other tissues are destroyed by:

• hot liquids (scalds)

• hot solids (contact burns)

• flames (flame burns).

Depending on the depth of skin damage there are four degrees of burns: First-degree burn is accompanied by redness, swelling and soreness of the affected areas (pass through 2-3 days).

At the second-degree burn on the red edematous skin appear bubbles filled with clear or unclear fluid (the healing lasts 5-6 days or more).

Third-degree burn is characterized by the necrosis of all layers of the skin with the formation of the scab resulting from the coagulation of proteins.

For the fourth-degree burn the characteristics are the necrosis of the skin and deeper lying tissues and sometimes their incineration. Burn shock develops as a result of absorption by the body of the products of decay of tissues from the affected areas.

First aid for burns:

What to do:

• Stop the burning process by removing clothing and irrigating the burns.

• Extinguish flames by allowing the patient to roll on the ground, or by applying a blanket, or by using water or other fire-extinguishing liquids.

• Use cool running water to reduce the temperature of the burn.

• In chemical burns, remove or dilute the chemical agent by irrigating with large volumes of water.

• Wrap the patient in a clean cloth or sheet and transport to the nearest appropriate facility for medical care.

What not to do:

• Do not start first aid before ensuring your own safety (switch off electrical current, wear gloves for chemicals etc.)

• Do not apply paste, oil, haldi (turmeric) or raw cotton to the burn.

• Do not apply ice because it deepens the injury.

• Avoid prolonged cooling with water because it will lead to hypothermia.

• Do not open blisters until topical antimicrobials can be applied, such as by a health-care provider.

• Do not apply any material directly to the wound as it might become infected.

• Avoid application of topical medication until the patient has been placed under appropriate medical care.