Burns

There are 3 degrees of burns:

Thin or superficial burns (also called first-degree burns) are red and painful. They swell a little. They turn white when you press on them. The skin over the burn may peel off in 1 or 2 days.
Thicker burns, called superficial partial-thickness and deep partial-thickness burns (also called second-degree burns), have blisters and are painful.
Full-thickness burns (also called third-degree burns) cause damage to all layers of the skin. The burned skin looks white or charred. These burns may cause little or no pain if nerves are damaged.

Heat and fire, radiation, sunlight, electricity or chemicals can burn you.

How long does it take for burns to heal?

Superficial burns--3 to 6 days.
Superficial partial-thickness burns--usually less than 3 weeks.
Deep partial-thickness burns--usually more than 3 weeks.
Full-thickness burns--without skin grafts, heal only at the edges by scarring. A skin graft is a very thin layer of skin that is cut from an unburned area and put on a badly burned area.

How are burns treated?

The treatment depends on what kind of burn you have. It is not good to put butter, oil, ice or ice water on burns. This might cause more damage to the skin.

For a burn caused by heat, follow these steps:

Remove jewelry or tight clothing from the burned area before the skin begins to swell.
Flush the burn with cool running water or apply cold moist cloths until the pain lessens. Do not use ice or ice water, which can cause more damage to the skin.
Use an antiseptic spray to help relieve pain and prevent infection or use an aloe cream to soothe the skin. Do not put ointments, grease, petroleum jelly, butter, or home remedies on the burn. They can keep the burn from healing and may cause infection.
Cover the burn with a clean (sterile, if possible), dry, nonfluffy bandage such as a gauze pad. Do not put tape on the burn.

Take Acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) Or Ibuprofen to help with the pain.

If a first- or second-degree burn covers a large area or is on your face, hands, feet or genitals, you should see a doctor right away.

Superficial partial-thickness or deep partial-thickness burn:

After the cause of the burn has been removed or controlled, the goals of treatment for second-degree burns are easing the pain and preventing infection.

For chemical burns, follow these steps (avoiding contact with the chemical):

Remove any clothing and jewelry on which the chemical has spilled.
Flush liquid chemicals from your skin thoroughly with running water for 20 minutes. Be sure to avoid splashing the chemical in your eyes.
Brush dry chemicals off the skin. If large amounts of water are available, flush the chemicals from the skin for 20 minutes. Be sure to avoid splashing the chemical in your eyes.
Remove any clothing and jewelry from areas where the chemical has had contact before swelling occurs.
Once all chemical has been removed, cover the burn with a sterile or clean, loose bandage and seek medical care.

For burns with closed blisters:

Try not to break the blisters. If the blisters break, the exposed skin can become infected.
Flush the burn with cool running water or apply cold moist cloths until the pain lessens. Do not use ice or ice water, which can cause more damage to the skin.
Remove jewelry or tight clothing from the burned area before the skin begins to swell.

For burns with open blisters:

Do not remove clothing if it is stuck to the burn.
Run cool water over the burn unless the burn is several inches in size. Running water over a large burn might increase the risk of shock.

For all second-degree burns:

Cover the burn with a clean (sterile, if possible), dry, nonfluffy bandage such as a gauze pad. Do not put tape on the burn.
Do not put ointments, grease, petroleum jelly, butter, or home remedies on the burn. These substances can hold the heat in, making the burn worse.
Take aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain and inflammation, or take acetaminophen to relieve pain.
Keep burned arms or legs raised to reduce swelling.

Seek immediate medical care for second-degree burns greater than 2 to 3 inches in diameter or for burns on the hands, face, penis, buttocks, or vaginal area.

You will need extra fluids to replace the large quantities of fluids your body loses through the burned area. Your health care provider may give you fluids intravenously (through a tube into your vein).
Your provider may prescribe antibiotics because the burned skin can no longer protect your body from infection by airborne bacteria.
Your provider will either lightly bandage the burned area with an antibacterial dressing or leave it unbandaged, depending on the size and location of the burn.
Your provider will prescribe medicine to kill the pain.
Your provider may recommend a skin graft to lessen scarring.
Your provider may give you a tetanus booster.

If the burned area is small, put cool, clean, wet cloths on the burn for a few minutes every day. Then put on an antibiotic cream or other creams or ointments prescribed by your doctor. Cover the burn with a nonstick dressing (for example, Telfa) and hold the dressing in place with gauze or tape.

Check the burn every day for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, swelling or pus. If you see any of these signs, go to your doctor right away. To prevent infection, avoid breaking blisters.

Change the dressing every day. First, wash your hands with soap and water. Then gently wash the burn and put antibiotic ointment on it. If the burn area is small, a dressing may not be needed during the day. Make sure you are up-to-date on tetanus shots (also called vaccines). If you aren't sure, check with your doctor's office.

Burned skin itches as it heals. Keep your fingernails cut short and don't scratch the burned skin. The burned area will be sensitive to sunlight for up to one year.

Full-thickness burns:

If you get a bad burn, you should see your doctor or go to the hospital right away. Don't take off any clothing that is stuck to the burn. Don't soak the burn in water. Take off other clothing and jewelry near the burn area.

What do I need to know about electrical and chemical burns?

A person with an electrical burn (for example, from a power line) should go to the hospital right away. Electrical burns often cause serious injury inside the body. This injury may not show on the skin.

For first aid treatment of chemical burns, follow these steps, avoiding contact with the chemical:

Remove right away any clothing or jewelry on which the chemical has spilled.
Flush liquid chemicals from the skin thoroughly with cool running water for 20 minutes. Be sure to avoid splashing the chemical in your eyes. After flushing, call the Poison Control Center for further advice. It helps to have the chemical container with you when you make the call.
Brush dry chemicals off the skin if large amounts of water are not available. Small amounts of water will activate some chemicals, such as lime, and cause more damage. Be careful not to get any of the chemicals in your eyes.
Do not try to neutralize a chemical. For example, putting an alkali chemical onto skin that has been exposed to an acid will often produce a large amount of heat and may increase the burning.
Do not put any burn medication on skin burned by a chemical. Salves, grease, or butter may keep the chemical on the burned area, increasing exposure to the chemical.
Do not put a bandage on the burn until you are told to do so by a health care provider.
Seek emergency medical help if a chemical burn is on the face, feet, hands, groin, buttocks, or over a major joint.

How can I help prevent burns?

Some examples of things you can do to help prevent burns are:

Turn your water heater setting down to 120°F (48.8°C).
Keep pot handles turned away from the stove front.
Always wear sunscreen when outdoors.

NOTIFY YOUR DOCTOR right away, return to ZoomCare, or go to the Emergency Department immediately in case of the following:

Signs of infection- fever over 100°F (37.8°C), redness or red streaks, swelling, increasing pain, or pus drainage.
The burn does not seem to be healing gradually over the next 10-14 days.
Significant scarring- especially if it interferes with any body function.
Worsening of your condition or your general health.