How to deal with burns in Children. Review on Dealing With Burns

Burns are common in children, especially if they are naughty as I was.

Types of Burns

Superficial burns, the mildest of the three, are generally caused by brief skin contact with hot water, steam, or hot objects or by overexposure to the sun. They cause some blistering, swelling, redness, and pain.

Partial thickness burns result from contact with chemicals, hot liquids, or solids or from clothing catching on fire. The skin can appear mottled white to cherry red, and the burn is quite painful. Blisters are common.

Deep burns can result from prolonged contact with hot liquids or solids, chemicals, or electricity. Skin can be charred, leathery, or have a very pale appearance. There may be little or no pain because of nerve damage.

All burns should be treated quickly to reduce the temperature of the burned area or to wash off chemicals, which helps reduce damage to the skin and underlying tissue.

Important is What to Do?

For Superficial burns:

Remove clothing from burned area immediately.

Run cool water over the burned area or hold a clean, cold compress on the burn until pain subsides.(If water is not available, any cold, drinkable fluid can be used.) Do not use ice. Call your child's doctor for burns to the eyes, mouth, hands, and genital areas, even if they seem mild.

Do not apply butter, grease, powder, or any other remedies to the burn.

If the burned area is small, loosely cover it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage.

For Partial thickness burns:

Follow the instructions for Superficial burns. Remove all clothing from the burn, except for clothing that is stuck to the skin. Do not break blisters.

Phone your child's doctor. Keep your child lying down with the burned area elevated.

For Deep burns Do as done above and call ambulance, shift the child to hospital.

For Chemical Burns:

Flush the burned area with lots of running water for 5 minutes or more. If the burned area is large, use a tub, shower, buckets of water, or a garden hose.

Do not remove any of your child's clothing before you've begun flushing the burn with water. As you continue flushing the burn, you can then remove clothing from the burned area.

If the burned area is large, phone for emergency medical help. Continue to flush the burned area.

If the burned area is small, flush for another 10 to 20 minutes, apply a sterile gauze pad or bandage, and phone your child's doctor.

Chemical burns to the mouth or eyes require immediate medical evaluation after thorough flushing with water.