Burns are a common injury that can range from mild to severe, depending on the cause and the extent of skin damage. They can result from exposure to heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation, and the severity of a burn is classified into first, second, or third degrees. Proper care and treatment are crucial to preventing infection, reducing pain, and promoting healing. Understanding how to respond to burns quickly can significantly impact recovery and prevent complications.
Common Causes of Burns
To help protect children from burns, it’s essential to understand how these injuries commonly occur:
- Thermal burns: These occur when heat raises the skin’s temperature and the tissue underneath. Common causes include steam, hot bath water, spilled hot beverages, hot food, and cooking liquids.
- Radiation burns: These happen due to sun exposure (sunburn) or radiation exposure (such as from X-rays).
- Chemical burns: These result from contact with strong acids (like drain cleaner) or chemicals spilling onto the skin or eyes. Ingestion of harmful substances, such as button batteries, can also cause chemical burns.
- Electrical burns: These occur from contact with electrical currents, such as chewing on electrical cords or sticking objects into outlets.
Types of Burns
Understanding the type of burn helps guide first-aid measures. Quick treatment can minimize skin and tissue damage.
- First-Degree (Superficial) Burns
- Symptoms: Redness, pain, and slight swelling. Skin remains dry with no blisters.
- Healing: 3–6 days. The top layer of skin may peel after 1–2 days.
- Second-Degree (Partial Thickness) Burns
- Symptoms: Red, blistered, swollen, and painful. The area may appear wet with a pink or red hue.
- Healing: Up to 3 weeks or longer, depending on severity.
- Full Thickness (Third- or Fourth-Degree) Burns
- Symptoms: The skin looks dry, waxy white, leathery, brown, or charred. There may be little or no pain initially due to nerve damage.
- Healing: Often requires skin grafts. The healing process depends on the extent of the burn.
What to Do for Burns
Seek Immediate Medical Help If:
- The burn is more than superficial.
- The burn covers a large area (2–3 inches wide or more) or affects a significant portion of the body.
- The burn is caused by fire, electricity, chemicals, or an electrical source.
- The burn is located on the face, scalp, hands, genitals, or near a joint.
- The burn shows signs of infection, such as swelling, pus, increasing redness, or red streaks near the wound.
First-Degree Burn Care:
- Move the child away from the heat source and remove clothing from the burned area.
- Run cool (not cold) water over the burn for 3–5 minutes or apply a clean, cold compress. Avoid using ice.
- Do not apply butter, grease, or other remedies that could worsen the burn or cause infection.
- Use aloe gel or cream to soothe the area.
- Administer acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.
- Keep the burn clean and cover it with sterile gauze for 24 hours. Avoid adhesive bandages for very young children to prevent choking hazards.
Second- and Full-Thickness Burn Care:
- Call for emergency help.
- Keep the child lying down with the burned area elevated.
- Follow the steps for first-degree burns.
- Remove jewelry or clothing near the burn, except for items stuck to the skin. If needed, wait for medical help to avoid causing further damage.
- Do not pop blisters.
- Apply cool water over the area for at least 3–5 minutes, then cover it with a clean, dry cloth until help arrives.
Electrical and Chemical Burns:
- Ensure the child is no longer in contact with the electrical source before touching them.
- For chemical burns, flush the area with running water for at least 5 minutes. For larger areas, use a tub, shower, buckets of water, or a hose.
- Do not remove clothing until after the burn has been flushed with water. Continue flushing while carefully removing clothing.
- For smaller chemical burns, flush for another 10–20 minutes, apply a sterile bandage, and call a doctor.
- For burns to the mouth or eyes, seek immediate medical care after thoroughly flushing the area.
Important: Electrical and chemical burns may not always be visible but can cause serious internal damage. Symptoms vary depending on the burn type and severity.