First Aid of Burns

• When clothes are on fire, extinguish the flames at once:
  – Prohibit the person from rushing about with burning clothes
  – Make him/her roll on the ground
  – Smother the flames by wrapping clothes, blankets or garments around him/her
  – Pour water over the casualty/immerse in water
• If use a fire extinguisher does not direct it to the casualty’s face and keep a certain distance.
• Some types of fire extinguishers must not be used on persons. Therefore pay attention to the instructions on the fire-extinguisher available.
• Remove the clothing carefully, do not tear off clothes sticking to the skin.
• Apply cold water
• Hold the burnt part immediately under cold, clean running water (10 to 15 minutes) to combat shock and to reduce heat and pain, until the pain subsides.
• Extensive burns have to be treated with cold water within the first 30 minutes while circulation is still intact, as later the danger of shock increases.
• Cover the burn injuries with sterile material, such as burn dressing (packs), burn bandages, and metalized dressings, if nothing else available clean bed sheets.
• Further shock treatment (on first aid help)
• Third degree burns require medical treatment, second-degree burns only when the blistering is larger than the casualty’s palm (approx. 1%).
• Emergency call.
  In case of severe burns call the ambulance immediately, because proper shock treatment and swift, gentle transport to hospital may be life-saving.

Prevention of fires and burns
Fire is caused only when there is:
- Contact between a combustible substance with a source of ignition
- Sufficient oxygen is present

In order to prevent fires, keep inflammable substances at cool, dry, and well ventilated places and keep sources of ignition (i.g. also direct sunlight) away, as even slight inattentiveness can have serious consequences. As a further measure to prevent fires in the home only use fabrics which do not burn easily.

Burns

Burns and scalds are caused by contact with hot objects, naked flames, heat radiation, hot vapors and liquids, and by contact with electric current. Burns cause deep tissue damage on varying degrees.

The severity of the damage depends on the extent of the area affected (percent of the body surface, the palm presents 1%), the depth (degree of burn), the age (risk of shock in children 5 percent and more, in adults 10 percent and more), the state of health, the presence of any additional injuries, and in general also on type, length and the location of the contact with heat, and temperature involved.

Symptoms and Signs

The degree of the burn can never be assessed at first sight, as symptom develop only gradually. Burns are classified as follows:

First degree: reddening, swelling, pain

Second degree: Blister formation

• Superficial burns: intense pain
• Deep burns: little pain, only sensation of tenseness

Third degree:

• Eschar formation
• Charring

Danger

Three possible complications threaten the casualty’s life:

Shock: Circulation failure within a few hours.

In extensive burns blood plasma escapes from the blood stream into the tissue. The loss of plasma leads (like severe blood loss to shock, enhanced by the pain from the burn.

Clinical Features: The severity of the burn does not only depend on the extent of tissue damage. The consequences of shock from the burn injuries and the overall constitutional upset caused by the burn are far more dangerous. Kidney and lung function might be impaired or fail altogether.

Infection: Germ invasion of the burnt area results in life-threatening infection and delays healing, and might even cause a tetanus infection.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns are tissue destructions caused by acids or alkalis. The degree of damage depends on the concentration of the burning substance, the quantity and the period of exposure. There is a number of substances and liquids that can cause both poisonings and chemical burns.

Chemical burns of the skin

Symptoms and signs

• Increasing pain, as long as the skin is in contact with chemicals
• Slough formation (acids), glassy bloating (alkalis)

Danger

Serious, deep wounds with a high risk of infection, risk of shock, if large portions of the skin have been affected.

First Aid

• Immediately remove contaminated clothing.
• Flood the affected area with clean running water, make sure that the contaminated water drains away freely and safely to avoid contact with unaffected parts of the body.
• Apply a sterile dressing.
• Treat shock if necessary.
• Emergency call.

Chemical burns of the eye:

Symptoms and signs

• Extreme squiring of the eyelids because of severe pain in the injured eye.
• Reddening

Danger

Damage to the cornea (even blinding)

First Aid

• Wash the eye intensively with clean water for 10 to 15 minutes. If the casualty himself is unable to wash his eye (e.g. hold head under the trap, the shower, etc.), proceed as follows:

Lay the casualty down

Turn his head to the affected side

First remove visible particles (lime crumbs) with a handkerchief;

Separate the eyelids with two fingers of one hand and pour water from a height of approx. 10 cm into the inner corner of the eye, so that it can drain off over the eyeball and the outer corner of the eye (in case of severe cramping of the lid you need a helper).

Ask the casualty to move his eye in all directions while it is being washed;

Protect the unaffected eye.

• Cover the eye with a sterile dressing; if damage is severe cover both eyes to prevent eye-injuries.
• Shock treatment if necessary.
• Emergency call.

Chemical burns to the digestive tract:

Symptom and sign:

• Intense pain
• Increase flow of saliva because of swallowing difficulties
• Micros membranes changes by coatings (often whitish swellings) or by bleeding

Danger

Chemical burns of the digestive tract are particularly dangerous, as ruptures can occur resulting in heavy, scarred constrictions, which obstruct the passage of flood through the oesophagus.

First Aid:

• Wash out the mouth, then
• If substance known, call the Poison Information Center, and follow their instructions.
• Threat for shock.
• Emergency call. Make sure that chemicals found at the scene of the incident, if possible in the original wrapping or container, are also taken to the hospital for identification; do not endanger your self.

Prevention

Household Chemicals:

• Use poisonous, caustic, highly inflammable chemicals as little as possible.
• Always keep chemicals in the original container, do not fill them into in beverage bottles.
• Do not damage or remove labels and inscriptions.
• Never store chemicals together with foodstuffs.
• Read the instructions carefully before use and follow them! Use any recommended protective equipment and take the required precautionary measures

• Do not use undiluted concentrates (e.g. vinegar essence)

• Never smell, taste, or drink from vessels with unknown contents.
• Keep chemicals out of the reach of children or lock them away.
• Detergents and cleaning agents can be poisonous or caustic.
• Dispose of chemical substances correctly. Do not flush down the toilet or put into household refuse.
• Treat medical drugs the same way.