Emergency! Burn first aid and care

Start by separating the person with the minor burn wound from the cause. The latter may be open flame, a source of extreme heat such as steam or a hot surface, a chemical, a source of electricity, or in rare cases, radiation leakage. The minor burn wound may be repeated if the patient, especially if very young or disoriented by the accident, comes in contact with the cause of the injury again.

Next, cool the minor burn wound with running, clean water at ambient temperature. It is tempting to think of ice or very cold water, but this could harm healing and recovery. Water itself can be the source of aggravation if dirty and carrying germs, but you may not have sterile water or water free of infection at hand, so just use the cleanest water that you can find.

Stop bleeding if it occurs. This is best done by keeping the injured part elevated and using a long piece of cloth such as a tie, as a tourniquet. Take off contact lenses if the eyes are involved. Loosen belts, shoes and all forms of tight clothing around the wound as the site may swell, making such clothing difficult to remove later. Remove clothing contaminated with a corrosive chemical, taking care not to allow the material to come in contact with other parts of the patient, with other people or you. It may be best to use a pair of scissors or a blade to separate the patient from contaminated clothing. Clothing that may be in direct contact with the wound has to be left alone. You may cause more damage by trying to rip it off the wound. Disconnect power supply in the event of a short circuit or any electrical defect.

Calm the person with the wound and keep him or her warm. Avoid people crowding around and attend to relatives and friends who may display hysteria as well. Fear and pain may harm the patient more than the wound itself. Ensure that the patient breathes normally and has access to fresh air.

Now inspect the wound. Call for a doctor or move the patient to an emergency room, if the skin at the site of injury is broken and if flesh and blood is visible. Keep such open wounds away from dust and human breath as air borne pathogens pose a risk for the patient. Use a sterile dressing to cover open wounds, if available. Use cotton wool, light cloth or the cleanest material at hand, to cover the wound, if the atmosphere appears dirty as may occur in a road or rail accident in the open. Such covering will cause terrible pain when removed, so try and keep the wound open in a relatively clean place or prop up the dressing in a manner by which it covers the wound without actually touching the tissue beneath.

A single burn wound, less than 1 square inch in size, in an adult with normal health, with intact skin, should heal on its own without further care or attention. However, multiple wounds, those with sizes over 1 square inch, wounds in children less than five years old or the diabetic or those with compromised immunity, all need a visit to the doctor, no matter how minor they may seem. All incidents that involve radiation leakage should be notified to the police as well.

The final step in the care of minor burn wounds is to audit the incident to learn about how recurrence can be prevented, to identify all potential hazards, including those that might not have been involved in the incident and to equip people and the place with comprehensive first aid kits and knowledge to manage such matters better in future.