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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. First Aid. Home First Aid. Burns and scalds. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Types of burns First aid for burns Complications of major burns Treatment for burns Self-care for burns Where to get help.
Burns can be caused by flames, ultraviolet UV radiation, hot liquids, electricity, lightning and certain chemicals. All burns require immediate first aid treatment. Partial and full thickness burns require urgent medical attention. Full thickness burns often require skin graft surgery. Types of burns There are three levels of burns: Superficial — these burns cause damage to the first or top layer of skin only. The burn site will be red and painful. Partial thickness — these burns cause damage to the first and second skin layers.
The burn site will be red, peeling, blistered and swelling with clear or yellow-coloured fluid leaking from the skin. The burn site is very painful. Full thickness — involves damage to both the first and second skin layers, plus the underlying tissue.
The burn site generally appears black or charred with white exposed fatty tissue. Very deep burns may damage the underlying muscle or bone. The nerve endings are generally destroyed and so there is little or no pain at the site of the full-thickness burn. However, surrounding partial thickness burns will be very painful. Deroofing means removing the top layer of skin from the blister.
In some cases, a needle may be used to make a small hole in the blister to drain the fluid out. This is known as aspiration and may be carried out on large blisters or blisters that are likely to burst. Your healthcare professional will advise you about the best way to care for your blister and what type of dressing you should use.
During the first few years after a burn, you should try to avoid exposing the damaged skin to direct sunlight as this may cause it to blister. It's especially sensitive during the first year after the injury. This also applies to a new area of skin after a skin graft. It's important to keep the area covered with cotton clothing. If the burn or scald is on your face, wear a peaked cap or wide-brimmed hat when you're out in the sun.
Total sun block — for example, one with a sun protection factor SPF of 50 — should be used on all affected areas. The area can be exposed to sunshine again around three years after the injury, but it's still very important to apply a high-factor sun cream SPF 25 or above and stay out of the midday sun.
Burns and scalds can sometimes lead to further problems, including shock, heat exhaustion, infection and scarring. After a serious injury, it's possible to go into shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there's an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body. It's possible to go into shock after a serious burn. Dial and ask for an ambulance if you think that someone who has been seriously injured is going into shock.
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are two heat-related health conditions that happen when the temperature inside your body rises to C Both heat exhaustion and heatstroke can be very serious. They're often caused by being exposed to too much sunlight or heat. If a person with heat exhaustion is taken quickly to a cool place, given water to drink and has their clothing loosened, they should start to feel better within half an hour.
Wounds can become infected if bacteria get into them. If your burn or scald has a blister that has burst, it may become infected if it's not kept clean. Seek medical attention for any burn that causes a blister. Seek immediate medical attention if you think your burn has become infected. An infection can usually be treated with antibiotics and painkilling medication, if necessary. In rare cases, an infected burn can cause blood poisoning sepsis or toxic shock syndrome. These serious conditions can be fatal if not treated.
A scar is a patch or line of tissue that remains after a wound has healed. Most minor burns only leave minimal scarring. You can try to reduce the risk of scarring after the wound has healed by:. The following advice can help reduce the likelihood of your child having a serious accident. The symptoms of a burn or scald will vary depending on how serious it is. Some minor burns can be very painful, while some major burns may not hurt at all. Your skin is your body's largest organ. It has many functions, including acting as a barrier between you and the environment and regulating your temperature.
Your skin is made up of three layers:. Burns are assessed by how seriously your skin is damaged. However, in many cases different areas of a single burn will have features of more than one of these types.
Superficial epidermal burns are where the epidermis is damaged. Your skin will be red, slightly swollen and painful, but not blistered. Superficial dermal burns are where the epidermis and part of the dermis are damaged. Your skin will be pale pink and painful, and there may be small blisters. Deep dermal or partial thickness burns are where the epidermis and the dermis are damaged. This type of burn makes your skin turn red and blotchy. Your skin may also be dry or moist, become swollen and blistered, and it may be very painful or painless.
Full thickness burns are where all three layers of skin the epidermis, dermis and subcutis are damaged. In this type of burn, the skin is often burnt away and the tissue underneath may appear pale or blackened.
The remaining skin will be dry and white, brown or black with no blisters. The texture of the skin may also be leathery or waxy. Home Illnesses and conditions Injuries Skin injuries Burns and scalds. Burns and scalds See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About burns and scalds 2. Treating burns and scalds 3.
Recovering from burns and scalds 4. Complications of burns and scalds 5. Preventing burns and scalds 6. Symptoms of burns and scalds. About burns and scalds Burns and scalds are damage to the skin caused by heat. Both are treated in the same way. Burns can be very painful and may cause: red or peeling skin blisters swelling white or charred skin The amount of pain you feel isn't always related to how serious the burn is.
Treating burns and scalds To treat a burn, follow the first aid advice below: immediately get the person away from the heat source to stop the burning cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes — don't use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances such as butter remove any clothing or jewellery that's near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies - but don't move anything that's stuck to the skin make sure the person keeps warm — by using a blanket, for example, but take care not to rub it against the burnt area cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it — a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on your hand use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain if the face or eyes are burnt, sit up as much as possible, rather than lying down - this helps to reduce swelling The British Red Cross website has a video about first aid for burns.
People should use a mild antibacterial soap and avoid scrubbing. Gently cleaning the burn will help prevent infection. If an infection develops in the burn, it may compromise the healing process. If the burn does not heal correctly, a person may require medical attention.
A person may not need to cover minor first- or second-degree burns with a bandage if the burn blisters are not open. However, if the position of the burn means that chafing is likely, if dirt can easily enter the skin, or if any blisters have started oozing, a bandage may provide a barrier against infection. It is important to wrap the bandage loosely, and avoid applying sticky bandages directly onto the wound. When a burn has open blisters, a person may want to use antibiotic creams and ointments.
After applying an antibiotic cream, cover up any exposed blisters to protect the wound from infection. First-degree and second-degree burns cause pain until they heal. A person may wish to take medication to help reduce pain and swelling. Ibuprofen is a safe and effective choice as a pain-reliever.
Keeping a burn in the shade when outside in hot or sunny weather can help reduce both pain and the risk of increasing or deepening the burn. If avoiding the sun is not possible, a person should wear loose-fitting clothing that covers the wound. Aloe vera is a common ingredient in many creams, sunscreens, and moisturizers.
Its gel form is a topical remedy for treating burns and promoting wound healing. The aloe plant is a natural anti-inflammatory, promoting good circulation. It also has antibacterial properties that stop bacteria from growing.
A systematic review from found that honey might provide some clinical benefit when a person applies it to burns. Applying honey to a bandage, then placing it over the burn may help sterilize the area and prevent infection.
It can also soothe burned skin, easing some of the pain. It is best to layer the sterile film over the burn instead of wrapping the limb. For hand burns, a sterile, see-through plastic bag is a good alternative. A study on the risk of infection when applying plastic wrap to a burn concluded that infection was extremely unlikely to develop. People have passed down burn treatment tips for generations. However, there is no evidence to support the effectiveness of many of the following remedies.
Many people claim that essential oils, as well as some common cooking oils, such as coconut and olive oil, may help treat burns. However, oils trap heat, preventing it from escaping the burn.
Trapping the heat can cause the burn to get worse instead of heal. Some manufacturers of essential oils claim that their product can help to heal a wide range of skin problems and wounds.
Some research supports the use of essential oils, but this comes from small-scale studies. No large-scale human studies have taken place to examine the association between using essential oils and burn healing. Many people think that rubbing butter over a burn will promote faster healing. However, butter acts in a similar way to other oils and traps heat, which may make the burn worse.
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