First Aid International

Burns

A burn is an injury resulting from heat, chemicals, electricity or radiation. The severity of the burn depends on a number of factors:

  1. Size of the burn (the amount of area covered)
  2. Cause of the burn (Chemical, eectricity)
  3. Age (the young and old are more at risk)
  4. Location (where on the body the burn is. Facial burns could cause airway obstruction)
  5. Depth (the deeper the burn, the worse it will be)

Classification of Burns

  1. Superficial (1st degree burn)
  2. Partial (2nd degree burn)
  3. Full thickness (3rd degree burn)

A superficial burn is the least severe form of burn and affects the outer layer of the skin known as the epidermis. This type of burn has the appearance of being red, swollen and painful. An example of a superficial burn is perhaps from the steam from a boiling jug or hot iron. The burn is considered to be minor if the area does not cover more than the size of the casualty's palm of their hand.

A partial thickness burn is more severe. With this burn the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin are affected. This burn is considered to be minor if the area involved is no greater than the size of a 20 cent piece.

A full thickness burn is very severe. All layers of the skin are affected. The burn is black and charred the deeper it is and non-painful in the centre of the burn as the nerve endings have been affected. There is pain associated with this burn and that comes from the outer edges of the burn that will be superficial or partial. There are no minor full thickness burns. All must be medically assessed.

Management

  1. Call 000 immediately
  2. Cool the burn for up to 20 minutes (using clean cool water)
  3. Cover the burn with non-stick dressing
  4. Treat for shock

DO NOT

  1. Apply lotions or ointments
  2. Break blisters
  3. Apply ice directly to the burn
  4. Remove pieces of cloth that are stuck to the skin
  5. Clean burns

When cooling the face you can apply soaked towels, sheets or other wet cloths to a burned area that cannot be immersed. Ensure the material is kept wet at all times to prevent the material sticking to the skin.

The burn can be covered with moist, sterile non stick dressings to prevent infection and reduce pain. The bandage must not put pressure on the burn and the area can be elevated. If the burn covers a large area of the body, cover it with clean, moist skeets or other non-fluffy material. However it must be kept moist to prevent sticking to the skin.

If youa re alone and your clothing catches on fire, follow the simple guide of "Stop, drop and roll".

Treat scalds by removing any clothing as quickly as possible because it traps the heat. Cool the area with water and treat as for any other burn.

Special Situations

Chemical Burns

Cleaning solutions such as household bleach, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, paint strippers and lawn or garden chemicals often contain caustic chemicals that destroy tissues.

As long as the chemical is on the skin it will continue to burn. You must remove the chemical from the body as quickly as possible and call the ambulance. Some chemicals such as dishwasher crystals are activated by water, so brush off as much of the chemical as possible before flushing with water.

Help the casualty remove contaminated clothes and take steps to minimise shock. If an eye is burned by a chemical, keep flushing the affected eye for at least 15 minutes or until ambulance personnel arrive. Ensure that water flushes underneath the eye lids.

Electrical Burns

Electrical burns can be more serious that they appear to be. The severity of an electrical burn depends on the type and amount of contact, the current's path through the body, and how long the contact lasted. Electrical burns are often deep and the casualty will have both an entrance and exit wound. Although these wounds may look superficial, the tissues below may be severely damaged.

The casualty may also experience other injuries. Electricity can make the heart beat erratically or even stop.

The symptoms and signs of electrical injury include:

  1. Unconsciousness
  2. Confused Behaviour
  3. Obvious burns on the skin surface
  4. Breathing difficulty
  5. Weak, irregular or absent pulse.
  6. Burns both where the current entered and where it left the body, often on the hand or foot.

Ensure the power has been turned off before approaching the casualty. You may need to wait for the emergency services to turn off power and stay at least 6 - 8 metres away. If you encounter casualties in a car that has come in contact with electricity, you must remain at a safe distance and yell your instructions to them ensuring they remain in the car.

Contact First Aid International - 1300 36 56 75

Brisbane 07 3513 3255 - Sydney 02 9204 7777, Sydney Fax 02 9806 9789 - Melbourne 03 9018 9673 - Perth 08 6363 5303 Gold Coast 07 5630 1148

Head Office Fax: 07 3352 3631
Head Office Postal: PO Box 275 Kelvin Grove QLD 4059
Head Office Email: headoffice@firstaidinternational.com.au

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