method 1: judge the injury
1. ensure the environmental safety. Stop what you are doing immediately after being burned. Put out the open flame or stove, and make sure no one gets hurt again. If the fire is out of control, escape as soon as possible and call the emergency rescue number. If it is a chemical burn, for the sake of safety, immediately stop what you are doing and then clear the field. Try to remove chemicals from the skin. Remove dry chemicals with a dry brush, or rinse the burned area with cold water.
if it is electric burn, turn off the power and stay away from all wires.
2. Call for help. If the fire at home is out of control, call 119 or the local emergency call to contact the fire station. If you are not sure whether the chemical will cause other consequences, you can contact the Poisoning Control Center. As for electric burns, if the wires are still charged, or the burns are caused by high-voltage lines or lightning strikes, you should also call 119 or the local emergency call. If you are not sure whether the wire is still charged, don't touch it directly. Touch the wire with something dry and nonconductive, such as a piece of dry wood or plastic.
Be sure to seek medical treatment for electric burns, because the current will affect the natural electrical pulses in the body and cause serious consequences.
3. Evaluate the hand injury. Observe and evaluate the damage to the burn site. Pay attention to the location of the burn. Observe the appearance of the burned area for any features. This information can help you judge the degree of burn. Burns are classified as first degree, second degree or third degree according to their severity. First-degree burns are the least severe, and third-degree burns are the most serious. Treatment varies with the degree of burn. If your palm is burned, you must see a doctor immediately. Palm burns can lead to long-term disability.
if one or more fingers are ring burned, you should also seek medical attention immediately. This kind of burn will hinder blood flow, and if it is not treated in time, it may face finger amputation in severe cases.
Method 2: Nursing first-degree burns
1. Identify first-degree burns. First degree burns only affect the epidermis. The burned area will be slightly red and swollen and feel pain. Press the skin and then release it, and the skin will turn white. If the skin is only red without blisters or broken skin, it is a first-degree burn. If minor burns involve the whole hand, face or respiratory tract, most areas of hands or feet, groin, buttocks or major joints, it is recommended to see a doctor.
unless blisters form, sunburn is usually a first-degree burn.
2. Treat first degree burns. Once you confirm that it is a first-degree burn according to your appearance and feeling, come to the sink quickly and calmly. Put your hand or arm under the faucet and rinse it with cold water for 15 to 2 minutes. This can help the skin to dissipate heat, thus reducing inflammation. You can also put a bowl of cold water and soak the burned area for a few minutes. This can also dissipate heat, reduce inflammation and prevent scar formation.
don't use ice cubes. Long-term contact with ice on the burned area will cause frostbite. The surrounding skin may also be damaged when it comes into contact with ice.
don't butter or blow the burn area. These methods are useless and easy to cause infection.
3. Take off the jewelry. After burn, the skin will swell, which may cause the jewelry worn on the hand to become tight and uncomfortable, affect the blood circulation and even sink into the meat. Remove jewelry from the burned area, such as rings or bracelets.
4. Apply aloe juice or burn ointment. If there are aloe plants at home, break the bottom leaves near the center of the stem. Cut off the sharp thorns on the edge, cut the aloe leaves longitudinally, and directly apply aloe juice to the burned area. The burned area will immediately cool down, effectively relieving first-degree burns. If there is no aloe plant, you can use 1% pure aloe gel on the market.
aloe vera should not be applied to open wounds.
5. Take painkillers when necessary. Short-term use of over-the-counter painkillers, including paracetamol (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), is safe.
6. Pay close attention to the injury. Burns can get worse in a few hours. After washing and treating the burned area, continue to pay close attention to the injury and make sure that it has not developed into a second-degree burn. If it gets worse, consider seeking medical treatment.
Method 3: Treat second-degree burns
1. Identify second-degree burns. Second-degree burns are more serious than first-degree burns. The former hurts epidermis and deeper dermis. However, this does not mean that medical treatment is necessary. The second-degree burn will be crimson, with blisters and red and white spots on the skin, which is redder and more swollen than the first-degree burn and may look moist or shiny. The burn site itself may be white or discolored. If the burn area is larger than 7.6 cm (3 inches), it needs to be treated as a third-degree burn and seek medical treatment immediately.
The common causes of second-degree burns include scalding, burning, touching very hot things, severe sunburn, chemical burns and electric burns.
2. Take off the jewelry. After burn, the skin will swell, which may cause the jewelry worn on the hand to become tight and uncomfortable, affect the blood circulation and even sink into the meat. Remove jewelry from the burned area, such as rings or bracelets.
3. Wash the burned area. The treatment of second-degree burns is almost the same as that of first-degree burns. After being burned, come to the sink quickly and calmly, put your hands or arms under the faucet and rinse with cold water for 15 to 2 minutes. This helps the skin to dissipate heat and reduce inflammation. If there are blisters, don't break them. Blisters help the skin to heal, but breaking them will easily lead to infection and prolong the healing time. Don't put butter or ice on the burned area. Don't blow air at the burned area, which will easily cause infection.
4. Apply antibacterial ointment. Because second-degree burns hurt the dermis, the chance of infection is greater. Apply antibacterial ointment to the burned area before dressing it. Silvadene sulfadiazine is a popular antibacterial ointment for burns. Usually you can buy it without a prescription. Paint it thicker so that it can penetrate into the skin for a longer time.
5. deal with the broken blister. Don't panic if the blister breaks by itself or accidentally. Clean it with mild soap and clean water. Apply antibacterial ointment and wrap the wound with a new bandage.
6. change a new bandage every day. The ointment and bandage on the burned area should be changed every day to avoid infection. Remove the old bandage and throw it away. Rinse the burned area with cold water, do not use soap, and do not wipe the skin. Just let the water run on the wound for a few minutes. Pat dry with a clean towel. Apply burn ointment, antibacterial ointment or aloe to promote wound healing. Wrap it with a new sterile bandage. When the wound is healed or almost healed, there is no need to bandage it.
7. Self-made honey ointment. Although it is considered as an alternative therapy by doctors, some studies support the use of honey to treat burns. Take a teaspoon of honey and gently rub it on the wound. Honey has a natural antibacterial effect, which prevents the wound from being infected with bacteria without damaging the surrounding healthy skin. The low pH value and high osmotic pressure of honey also contribute to wound healing. It is recommended to use medicinal honey instead of baking honey. Studies have shown that honey may be better than the commonly used silver sulfadiazine prescription ointment.
change the medicine every day. If the wound often oozes fluid, it should be changed more frequently.
If the burn can't be bandaged, apply honey every 6 hours. Honey can also help cool the burned area.
8. Pay close attention to the injury. Burns can get worse in a few hours. After washing and treating the burned area, continue to pay close attention to the injury and make sure that it has not developed into a third-degree burn. If it gets worse, seek medical treatment immediately. During the skin healing, observe whether there are signs and symptoms of infection, such as pus, fever, swelling or reddening of the skin at the burn site. If these signs appear, seek medical treatment at once.
method 4: deal with third-degree burns and severe burns
1. identify severe burns. If it hurts joints or a large area of the body, it can be classified as severe burns. The injury affects the vital signs or daily activities of the injured person and is also classified as severe burn. They should be treated as third-degree burns and need immediate medical treatment.
2. Identify third-degree burns. The burn site is bleeding or looks a little black, which may be a third-degree burn. Third degree burns involve all skin layers, including epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat. The burn site may be white, brown, yellow or burnt black. The skin may be dry or leathery. Because the nerve is damaged, it is not as painful as first or second degree burns. Third-degree burns require immediate medical treatment. Call the emergency number or go to the emergency room immediately. Infection may occur in the burned area and the skin may not grow back.
if the clothes stick to the burned area, don't pull hard. Go to the hospital for help immediately.
3. Deal with burns. If you or someone around you suffers from third-degree burns, call the emergency number immediately. While waiting for the ambulance, gently shake the injured person to see if he responds. If there is no response, pay attention to whether he has any signs of moving or breathing. If the injured person is not breathing and you have been trained in first aid, you can start CPR for the injured person. If you don't know how to do CPR, you can ask the emergency service dispatcher to guide you. Concentrate on chest compressions and don't try to clear the respiratory tract or give artificial respiration.
let the injured lie flat. Kneel beside his shoulder. Put your hands in the middle of the injured person's chest, adjust your posture, and straighten your arms and elbows so that your shoulders and hands are in a straight line. Press down on the injured person's chest, about 1 times per minute.
4. Take care of burn patients. While waiting for the arrival of emergency workers, help the patient take off tight clothes and jewelry. If clothes or jewelry get stuck in the burn area, don't take them off and wait for rescuers to arrive. Taking it off forcibly will tear off the skin and cause secondary injury. Pay attention to keep yourself or the injured warm, because severe burns may cause shock. Don't soak the burned area in water like a minor burn. This may lead to hypothermia. If possible, lift the burned area above the heart to help reduce swelling.
don't give painkillers to the injured. Don't give the injured anything that will affect the first aid.
don't break blisters, scrape off dead skin, and apply aloe vera or ointment.
5. Bandage the burned area. If you can, you should try to bandage the burned area to prevent it from being infected. Use something that won't stick to the wound, such as thin gauze or wet bandage. If the burn is serious and the bandage will stick to the wound, wait for help. You may be able to use plastic wrap. Studies have shown that it is effective to temporarily wrap the wound with plastic wrap. It can protect the wound and prevent microorganisms from entering the wound.
6. Go to the hospital for treatment. After arriving at the hospital, the medical staff will move you quickly so that you can get proper treatment as soon as possible. They may start giving you fluids to replenish electrolytes lost from your body. They will also clean up the burned area, which is very painful and may give you painkillers. After that, it will be applied with ointment or cream and wrapped with sterile bandage or gauze. When necessary, they will also create a warm and humid environment to promote wound healing. Dietitians may recommend a high-protein diet to promote wound healing.
If necessary, the doctor may discuss the subsequent skin grafting operation with you. Generally, skin is taken from other parts of the body to cover the burned area.
the medical staff will teach you to change medicine at home. After you leave the hospital, you need to change your dressing at home. Follow the doctor's instructions to make sure the wound heals properly.
tip if you have any doubts, you may wish to contact your doctor for more details.
wounds are likely to leave scars, especially serious wounds.