health

Minor first-degree burns can be treated at home by cooling the injured
part by holding it under cool tap water for several minutes. Ice should not
be used because it can make the injury to the skin worse. Butter or margarine
should not be applied because oily substances will not help heal
the burn and may increase the danger of infection. Aspirin or Tylenol can
be taken to ease pain, and an antibiotic ointment can be applied to the
skin to reduce the risk of infection.
If a person’s clothing is on fire, they should be told to “stop, drop,
and roll” to put out the fire. They should be pulled away from the hot
object or open flame and their clothing removed if possible. Burned
clothing that is stuck to the skin should not be removed, however. The
burned person should be doused with water and covered with a clean
sheet or other cloth while emergency services are called. Severe burns
should never be treated with ointments or other household remedies
while waiting for emergency help.
Treatment of severe burns in the hospital begins with an evaluation of
the patient’s airway and their blood circulation. The next step is removal of
burned clothing and careful inspection of the burns. After the patient’s
burns have been washed with sterile solution, he or she will be given
intravenous fluids to prevent shock and dehydration. Painkillers are also
given intravenously to relieve the patient’s pain as quickly as possible.
The next step in burn treatment is surgical debridement (cutting
away) of open blisters and dead tissue. If the person’s burns are not severe
enough to require transfer to a burn center, they will be kept in the hospital
overnight to make sure that their airway has not been injured