St John first aid guide on how to treat burns
Posted: Sunday, June 11, 2017 by Tyler Durden in
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St John first aid guide on how to treat burns
Contact with any source of heat can cause a burn or scald injury. A burn can result from contact with a heat source such as hot metal or electricity, hot liquid or steam. Clothing over the area may retain the heat and cause further injury.
Symptoms and signs – Not all may be present
- severe pain
- red, peeling or blistered skin (or blackened if caused by electricity)
- watery fluid weeping from the injured area
- the patient may be pale, cold and sweaty, feeling faint and dizzy, and complaining of nausea or vomiting
- swelling of the injured area may appear later
How you can help
1. Remove the heat source from the patient, or the patient from the heat source, whichever is easiest and safest.
Cool the injured area
2. Cool the injured area
- Immediately cool the affected area for up to 20minutes using cool running water from a tap or shower. In the absence of water any cool clean fluid (beer, soft drink, etc.) can be used.
- A first aid burn gel may be used in place of water, provided there is enough to cover the burn.
- If any clothing is wet with hot liquid or affected by a chemical splash, remove it quickly and carefully.
- Remove any tight clothing, watches, rings or jewellery from the injured area, if possible, because of the risk of swelling.
If the patient is badly injured, or the burn is causing significant pain, or involves the eyes, or is larger than half the patient’s arm – call111 for an ambulance.
See a doctor if the burn is causing ongoing significant pain, or involves the face, hands, joints or genitals.
3. Position patient
- If the patient is feeling faint lay them down.
- The injured part (depending on the location of the burn) can be placed in a bowl or bucket of cold water if this is easier than pouring water over the burn.
Position patient
4. Apply a sterile dressing
- After cooling the injured area for up to 20 minutes, apply a sterile dressing.
- Use a non-adherent dressing or a piece of clean plastic kitchen wrap.
Apply a sterile dressing
DO NOT break blisters or remove peeled skin.
DO NOT try to remove any fabric that is stuck to a burn.
DO NOT apply creams, ointments, lotions or butter to any burn injury because infection may occur and complicate the injury.
DO NOT place small children or babies in a cold bath or shower for a full 20 minutes, as this can cause hypothermia.
DO NOT try to remove any fabric that is stuck to a burn.
DO NOT apply creams, ointments, lotions or butter to any burn injury because infection may occur and complicate the injury.
DO NOT place small children or babies in a cold bath or shower for a full 20 minutes, as this can cause hypothermia.
Remember that any substance applied to a burn injury may have to be removed later in hospital and may also delay the healing process.
Avoid using adhesive tape on the skin around the burn because this may cause further tissue damage.
Avoid using adhesive tape on the skin around the burn because this may cause further tissue damage.
Chemical burns
How you can help
1. Quickly remove any contaminated clothing
- Avoid contact with any chemical and further injury to the patient.
- If the chemical is a powder brush it off, avoiding contact, before flushing with water.
2. Cool the injury
- Flood the burned area with copious amounts of water and continue for up to 20 minutes.
3. If a chemical solution has splashed into the eyes
- Hold the affected eyelids open to ensure water washes thoroughly under the lids to remove any trapped chemical.
Call 111 for an ambulance urgently.
Bitumen burns
If a limb or finger is involved, keep flooding the area with cold water for up to 20 minutes.
If you can, crack the bitumen when it cools so it does not constrict the limb.
Burns involving the mouth or throat
If the patient has been accidentally exposed to fire or heated gases, damage may occur to the mouth and airway. There may be signs of burning around the lips, nose, mouth, eyebrows or lashes.
A dry cough or hoarse voice is an early sign of airway injury and prompt medical care is essential.
How you can help
1. Remove the patient to a safe area
- If in a closed area, and if safe for the first aider, it is vital to remove the patient to a place free of the risk of further injury and preferably into fresh air.
2. Cool the injury
- If smoke or toxic gases may have been inhaled – including carbon monoxide from a vehicle exhaust, chlorine, ammonia or hydrochloric acid – remove the patient from any enclosed or restricted area into an open area, pour running water over the burn for 20 minutes.
- If there is any breathing difficulty allow the patient to find the position enabling easy breathing with the head and chest raised.
After an inhalation incident the patient may suffer from a severe lack of oxygen due to internal damage to the throat, upper airway and lungs.
Call 111 for an ambulance.
Clothing on fire
How you can help
- Smother the flames with a coat or blanket and set the patient onto the ground to remove oxygen from the burning area.
- The rule is to STOP, DROP and ROLL the patient before checking for burns and cooling the injury.
Sunburn
BackgroundSunburn is common in New Zealand. Prevention is better than cure, and people should remember to be SunSmart:
- Slip into a shirt (and into shade between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
- Slop on some sunscreen.
- Slap on a hat.
- Wrap on a pair of sunglasses.
How you can help
- Cool shower or cool running water over the burn area for 20 minutes.
DO NOT burst large blisters.
- Sunburn ointment can be applied for minor burns that are not severely blistered and have no broken skin. (Check the expiry date of the ointment.)
- Patient should drink plenty of fluid (nonalcoholic).
- Seek medical assistance for large-area sunburns, or if the patient is feeling unwell, or if large blisters are associated with the burn.
