First Aid For Burns

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

First aid for burns

Content:

• Thermal burns
• Burns of the upper respiratory tract and eyes
• Chemical burns
• Electrical burns
• Radiation burns
• Home help for burns

Burns can be caused by thermal, chemical, electrical, and radiation factors. Depending on the degree and localization, they can be located on the skin of the extremities, face, perineum and genitals, oral mucosa, esophagus and respiratory tract.

The depth of the lesion can reach both superficial layers and deep-lying tissues, on which their classification depends. Depending on the area, their severity is determined.

Thermal burns

Thermal burns are most common and can be caused by the direct action of hot objects, open flames, boiling liquids. They are especially dangerous in children and the elderly, since they cause a significant loss of fluid from the burned surface and intoxication with pronounced local manifestations and negative reactions of a general type. The scope of treatment measures aimed at eliminating the problem at the pre-hospital stage does not depend on the degree of the burn and consists of a clear order.

1. Cessation of the action of high temperatures on damaged tissues. The faster the patient's contact with the damaging thermal agent is limited, the less damage will be done.
2. Freeing damaged areas from clothing, foreign objects and hot items. The exception is cases of burns with various substances, which form a dense scab and a connection with damaged skin.
3. Cooling of burnt tissue. A very important point that must be fulfilled. This is due to the fact that hyperthermia is maintained for a long time in tissues exposed to high temperatures. This contributes to an increase in the degree and area of the burn compared to the initial indicators. To prevent this from happening, cooling is carried out with cold water or ice.

4. Closing the burn surface. This is necessary in order to limit its contact with the surrounding aggressive world, which will prevent the reproduction of harmful microorganisms in damaged tissues. For this, bandages and gauze dressings of various types can be used, both dry and based on water-soluble ointments (levomekol, oflokain, levosin, methyluracil, synthomycin, panthenol, betadine). The main requirement for them is that they should not irritate wounds and increase pain. To reduce pain, you can periodically water them with a cool solution of novocaine or furacilin.
5. Adequate pain relief. For these purposes, tableted and injectable forms of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (ketalgin, dexalgin, diclofenac, nimesil, paracetamol), as well as standard drugs analgin, diphenhydramine, tempalgin, and others can be used.
6. Transportation of the victim to the nearest surgical or trauma hospital. Here, measures should be taken to prevent or reduce the manifestations of burn disease and infection of injured surfaces. For this purpose, antibacterial drugs of a wide spectrum of action are introduced, infusion solutions taking into account the severity of the burn and loss of fluid, blood transfusion of blood components and colloidal solutions, drugs that normalize the processes of microcirculation, local treatment of burned areas is carried out using plastic methods of replacing wound defects with donor skin.

Burns of the upper respiratory tract and eyes

Burns to the upper respiratory tract and eyes are a special type of thermal burn that is primarily caused by hot flames and smoke. They are also very dangerous, since in a matter of hours they can lead to the death of a patient due to progressive respiratory failure due to obstruction of the trachea and bronchi. It is very difficult to help such patients at the pre-hospital stage. It is necessary to evacuate the injured from the danger zone as soon as possible and provide free access to fresh air, administer anesthetic drugs and urgently deliver the patient to the nearest hospital.

In these conditions, antibacterial and infusion therapy should be carried out, as well as sanitation bronchoscopy (examination of the trachea and bronchi), with the help of which thick mucus and foreign particles are evacuated, which will restore the patency of the respiratory tract. Repeat bronchoscopy is performed if necessary. In case of progressive respiratory failure, patients are transferred to artificial ventilation.

In case of eye burns of thermal or chemical origin, it is necessary to rinse them with plenty of water. This will cool the fabrics and free them from aggressive chemical compounds. Eyes are instilled with drops containing local anesthetics (novocaine, dicaine, lidocaine) and antibacterial drugs (levomecitin, tobrex). All victims should seek medical attention from an ophthalmologist.

Chemical burns

Chemical burns can be represented by damage to the skin and mucous membranes of the oropharynx and esophagus as a result of exposure to aggressive acids, alkalis and various chemical compounds used as poisons and household chemicals. In this case, special types of tissue necrosis of coagulation or colliquation types arise. The first, typical for acid burns, when a dense scab forms, the second - for alkalis with the formation of long-term non-healing weeping surfaces.

The scope of measures for such burns includes the following complex:

• Stop contact of the surface of the skin or mucous membranes with the chemical as soon as possible;
• Remove any objects in contact with the burnt surface;
• Rinse the burn wound with plenty of running water. This will wash away the residues and neutralize them. If it is possible to use neutralizing solutions in cases of the known nature of the chemical compound. To neutralize alkalis, the wound is washed with weak acids, for acids - with alkalis;
• Adequate pain relief;
• Closing the wound surface with a dry bandage. It is not recommended to use various ointments and panthenol foam due to the fact that the formation of aggressive compounds with substance residues is possible;
• Hospitalization in a medical institution is mandatory, where specialized medical care will be provided.

A special type of this type of burns is damage to the esophagus. Medical care should never be postponed, as they are fraught with the development of extensive ulcerative surfaces of the mucous membrane, which can be complicated by bleeding and post-burn stenosis with obstruction even for liquid food.

In order to avoid dangerous complications at the slightest suspicion of deliberate or accidental use of unknown chemical compounds, the stomach and esophagus must be flushed with a large amount of water, followed by its evacuation from the stomach using a probe. This will wash away aggressive components and dilute the chemical compounds that have already arrived. In the future, in a hospital, early bougienage (expansion) of narrowed areas of the esophagus is carried out, enveloping agents such as Almagel, Phosphalugel, Venter, Maalox are prescribed, antibiotic prophylaxis and infusion-transfusion therapy are performed.

Electrical burns

Electrical burns do not happen so often, but they differ in their severity and scale of damage. The burn surface itself may be insignificant and limited only by the fingers of the hand or the heel area, which complete the electric arc. But at the same time, they are completely charred with concomitant bone fractures, ruptures of muscles, tendons, nerves and blood vessels.

You can only help the victim by taking the victim away from the source of electric current and hospitalizing him in a hospital. Do not touch a person under the influence of electricity with unprotected hands. For these purposes, materials that do not have electrical conductivity must be used. Local treatment of the affected extremities consists in their immobilization with splints or splints from available materials, covering the burn surface with a dry bandage. In case of cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation, resuscitation measures are indicated in the form of electrical defibrillation or chest compressions.

Radiation burns

Radiation burns are caused by radiation from atomic explosions and are therefore not common. If we attribute sunburns to this group, then this group of injuries is more frequent. Possible radiation burns in cancer patients after radiation therapy. They can be located on the skin or lining of the stomach and intestines. This type of burns is also much more severe than thermal burns, bringing severe suffering to patients.

First aid is mainly provided in the lesion focus and should be organized as soon as possible. The damaged areas of the skin are washed with soap and water, all clothes, which are always contaminated with radioactive particles, are completely removed. Dry dressings or soaked in solutions of aqueous antiseptics (furacilin, chlorhexidine, decasan) are applied to the burnt surfaces.

Home help for burns

Naturally, many people who have received thermal burns refuse specialized care, relying only on traditional medicine. This is not always correct. Only minor first-degree burns, which are manifested by reddening of the skin, or limited second-degree injuries in the form of blisters, can be treated independently at home. More complex injuries must be hospitalized.

The most important thing to remember is the need to cool the fired surface. The duration of the procedure is 30-40 minutes with 10-15 minute intervals. This is necessary so that microcirculation in the affected tissues is not disturbed. The total cooling time should be several hours. It is possible to assess the true degree of the burn only on the next day.

In parallel with cooling, you can apply a compress of thin strips of potatoes or a jelly-like mass of starch and oats, or an infusion of flax seeds to the burnt surface. After 2-3 days, you can treat first-degree burns with sea buckthorn oil. In no case should any oil solutions be applied to the burn in the early period. They form a thermal shield that limits heat transfer from the affected surface, thereby increasing the temperature and degree of injury.

Blisters that form with second-degree burns do not need to be punctured. By opening the blisters, you increase the chance of infection. On the burn, you can apply lotions based on potato starch or ointments from beekeeping products in mixtures with sea buckthorn oil. You can also apply various decoctions from plants: chamomile, oak bark, string. Pharmacy ointments: panthenol, actovegin, solcoseryl, levosin, methyluracil, betadine (based on iodine), fastin. Water-based antiseptic solutions are also indicated in the early post-burn period.

To treat burns of the esophagus at home, you can use egg yolks with sugar, which are drunk immediately after washing the stomach and esophagus with plenty of cold water. They have an enveloping effect, neutralizing aggressive media remaining between the gastric folds. You should not be limited only to this volume of activities and be sure to seek specialized help from a medical institution. The same applies to all types of chemical and electrical burns.

See also the article: How to get rid of a burn at home?

The author of the article: Volkov Dmitry Sergeevich | c. m. n. surgeon, phlebologist

Education: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (1996). In 2003 he received a diploma from the Educational and Scientific Medical Center of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.