What to do if someone is burnt

Personal safety should be the first priority of anyone offering first-aid to a person with burns. It is important to be aware of any ongoing risks of fire, chemicals, or electricity. There may also be risk of toxic fumes or explosion, for example, due to nearby petrol or gas supply.

The next step is to stop the burning process. Any clothing that is not stuck to the burn should be carefully removed. The affected body surface areas should then be flooded with cold water until medical help, if necessary, is available.

The skin usually swells after a burn so it is important to remove anything constricting such as jewelry.

Do not attempt to burst any blisters that form on burnt skin.

If a burn is caused by a chemical, the chemical should be removed, by brushing it away if it is a dry powder, or flooding with large amounts of cold water.

Home treatment

When to seek medical help

• For all second- and third-degree burns,
• For first-degree burns covering an area larger than the palm of the hand,
• For burns on the face, hands or in the groin,
• Where there is any doubt about the extent of the burn or how to deal with it.

Hospital treatment

At the hospital, doctors will continue first-aid measures and protect the damaged skin with dressings.

Healthy skin prevents loss of fluid from the tissues underneath and is also a very effective barrier to infection. These functions are lost when the skin is burned. After severe burns, large quantities of fluid can be lost through the skin. This can have a serious affect on the heart and circulation. This is why people with serious burns need to be closely monitored and often require intravenous fluids to help their circulation.

People with severe burns need to be cared for in specialist burns units where other specialist treatments can be given to help look after them.

Burns may become infected because the skin is less able to protect itself from infection by bacteria. That is why more serious burns need to be dressed and kept clean to help prevent this while the skin heals. If infection is suspected, treatment with antibiotics may be needed.

Most recently, major advances have been realized using the new super-oxidized water technology called Microcyn® to clean and debride the wound while minimizing the pain traditionally experienced by burn victims.

Debridement and Excision

Debridement - Removes dead tissue and blisters to expose the true depth and severity of a wound. In some burn injuries, dead tissue naturally falls off as part of the healing process. However, in most cases, a healthcare professional will need to assist in the removal of the damaged skin.

There are four primary methods of debridement. They include:

Autolytic - Allowing
Enzymatic - Using chemical enzymes to free dead tissue
Mechanical - Removing dead tissue through the use of hydrotherapy (water) and pH-balanced wound cleansers.
Surgical - Using sharp instruments or lasers for debridement

Excision is usually an option for burn wounds determined to be deep second-degree or full-thickness third-degree. This process surgically removes dead tissue in order to prepare a wound for a skin graft or other skin replacement procedure. Using specialized instruments, a surgeon will remove thin layers of burned skin until living tissue is exposed. The wound is then cleansed and prepared for grafting.

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NOTE: Microcyn® does not have U.S. FDA clearance for claims other than to moisten, lubricate, cleanse and debride wounds.