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Burned by boiling water, what to do?

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Burned by boiling water is a kind of thermal damage to the skin and mucous membranes, due to the traumatic effects of boiling or hot liquids and steam. In everyday life the most common, being the main reason of temporary loss of disability among all types of burn injuries. The mechanism for obtaining them can be represented by the premises of limbs in boiling liquid or shedding of the skin surface.

Most often, the boiling water burns occur favorably and do not cause serious consequences. All depends on the size and depth of lesions of the skin. They, in turn, depend on a number of factors:

  1. The temperature of the hot liquid and its composition. Pure water has a lesser damaging effect in comparison with the syrup or brine;

  2. The volume of boiling water and the area of contact with the skin;

  3. Speed and pressure under which the contact occurred;

  4. The exposure time of the boiling liquid with a burnt surface;

  5. Features of the structure and stability of the affected parts to the action of high temperatures.

There is a clear pattern – the more hot is the liquid and the contact time its with the skin, the more severe the consequences will be. This fact determines the scope of activities that must be performed in such situations.

Often burn with boiling water exposed to the upper limb (hand and forearm), less the foot, thigh calf, abdomen and thorax. Small spaces, fortunately, prevail over big. Regarding the degree of burn, surface damage are found in 85% of cases. Among other features of the variety of burn injuries can be noted the best prognosis for recovery. With the exception of burns in children, especially young age. Due to the small surface area of the skin they have is affected a substantial part of it.

In relation to degrees of damage for burns with boiling water no features. Classification, which uses a 4 degree (1-2-3-4) is quite clear and quite comfortable. For the first characterized by the appearance of reddened areas. For the secondbubbles of transparent liquid. The third is characterized by the appearance or wound surfaces with a moderate bleeding, or bubbles of sukrovichnye liquid. Fourth degree – the defeat of the entire thickness of the skin and underlying tissues (from burns of boiling water almost never occurs). The most common are damage to the 1 and 2 degrees. The area of a burn is determined by the rule of palm (palm=1% of the skin), or nines (each body segment =9 or 18%).


The depth of the lesion

Before treating a burn, determine its degree and the area of the affected area. Burns first and second degree treatment can be done at home, whereas with burns third and fourth degree you need medical help.

  • 1 degree – there is a loss of superficial epithelial layers, there is swelling and redness, soreness, burning sensation. These burns usually heal themselves in a few days without intervention.
  • 2 the degree – the depth of the lesion more captures not only the superficial layers of the skin, but also part of tissues which lie deeper. Pain more severe and prolonged, for second-degree burns, characterized by the formation of thin-walled blisters filled with fluid. Two weeks later, self-heal without scarring, medical assistance may be required only in case of infection.
  • 3rd degree – the defeat of surface and deeply lying tissues of the skin. Third-degree burns additionally klassificeret on the extent A and B. A-degree is characterized by the formation of bubbles with thick walls and scabbing. Tissue regeneration is due to the surviving epithelial cells, secretory glands and hair follicles. Degree B is characterized by severe damage with necrosis and suppurative inflammation, forms a moist wound, after healing the scar of which remains.
  • 4 degree – with the defeat of skin in areas where the layer of subcutaneous fat is thin, the formation of black scabs and charring.

    • If the healing of burns first and second degree does not occur within two weeks, the inflammatory process increases, and there are signs of infection, you must consult a specialist. Treatment of burns of the 3rd and 4th degrees of severity is carried out only in a hospital setting.

In addition, if burns are first or second degree occupy a significant area of the body (30%), there is a danger to the life of the patient, this situation requires medical intervention. Burns 3rd and 4th degree pose a threat to life, if you take 10% of the area of the skin.

Independently correctly identify the area porazheniyami?

  • Method or Wallace's rule of nines –each body part corresponds to 9, or 18% of its area. The area of one hand taking for 9%, one leg is 18%, head, anterior and posterior surfaces of the torso – 18%, groin – 1%.
  • Glumova method or rule of the palm area of one hand is taken as 1% of the total area and measure palms affected area of the body.

First aid for burns with boiling water

Event first aid must be truly urgent. The timeliness of their support will determine the severity of the process and its consequences. Don't panic, who would not have been this trouble. Only a clear sequence of actions can help in the fight against prevention of severe complications. It consists of events like:

  1. Eliminating direct or indirect contact of boiling liquid with the surface of the skin. This source of heat must be removed from the burnt surface. In the same way removed all the items that were on the skin at the time of the burn (clothes, rings, bracelets, etc.);

  2. Create hypothermic conditions for burn injuries. This is necessary in order to cool overheated tissue, also a long time after you burn maintain a high temperature, exacerbating the severity of the primary lesion. For these purposes it is necessary to place the affected segment in cold water (like cold baths, or running). The duration of hypothermia should last at least half an hour. At accident this time, the limb can be removed. If burning appears, the procedure is repeated. To achieve cooling, and using ice or cold items.

  3. Overlay on the burned surface bounding bandages. They can be either dry or wet-to-dry or water-soluble ointment base. Prehospital do not waste time looking for the various special vehicles. You need to use what is at hand or in the medicine Cabinet. It is appropriate to include bandages antiseptic solutions (furatsilin, dioxidine) and local anesthetics (lidocaine, novocaine), which have analgesic and anti-bacterial effect to prevent infection of burn surface.

  4. For large or deep burns, accompanied by severepain syndrome is shown taking painkillers.

Related article: the first aid for burns, both medical and premedical

What to do if burned by boiling water?

What not to do when a burn with boiling water:

  • Apply to the skin healing ointment immediately after burn – in the beginning the affected area to cool;
  • If the burn has formed a bubble, puncture it in any case impossible – it increases the risk of infection and can slow healing;
  • Use to treat burns alcohol-based products (iodine, Zelenka, tincture of medicinal plants), toothpaste, vinegar, and urine, as these substances cause skin irritation and aggravate her condition. Sea buckthorn oil enhances the regeneration of tissue and promotes the healing of wounds without scarring, but for the first time after the burn its use is not recommended. Oil close the pores, creating a film on the skin, preventing it from breathing.
  • If the affected area is covered by clothing, it must be immediately removed. The fabric stuck to the wound surface, carefully cut around the edges.
  • For washing the wound immediately after the burn use clean water, not alkaline or acidic fluids (solution of baking soda or citric acid, yogurt). Acid causes skin irritation and makes it difficult for her healing, increases pain, and milk products addition also increases the risk of infection.

What to do if you get burned with boiling water in the first place:

  • Immediately stop the impact of the factor that caused the burn. If the boiling water hit the skin areas covered by clothing, it must be immediately removed until it stuck to the wound.
  • Thermal effect on the skin and surrounding tissue does not stop immediately after the removal of its source, so the affected area should be within fifteen minutes cooling under running cold water or applying to it a compress with ice.
  • While first degree burns are the best tool for the relief of pain and accelerated wound healing is the spray with a content of dexpanthenol, providing healing and anti-inflammatory - panthenol or its analogues Panthoderm hand. It is applied to the surface of a burn directly from the vial without touching the skin and leave until absorbed.
  • For the treatment of second degree burns and heavier after washing the wound, apply a bandage.The cloths do not use on the affected area applied a thick layer of vaseline.
  • Patient with deep burn injuries of the tissues should be warmed, drink tea, ensure to drink plenty of water or alkaline drinks (herbal or green tea, lemon water). At strong painful feelings need to make a shot for the pain and continue treatment on an outpatient basis.

What to do if you have been burned by boiling water at home?

There are two methods of treating burns open and close, when closed, on the affected area with a sterile dressing do, and when you open the treatment only use the funds for external use, and the bandage is not applied.

While first degree burns bandage can be applied independently. On the wound or applied Bepanthen antiseptic ointment, and then close the dressing material, which can be used a cotton cloth. Gauze and bandages as dressings are not recommended because they stick to the wound and hurt her when changing the bandage. Change the bandage every 3-4 days. If the wound is to the time of change of dressing had time to heal, then bandage it again not necessarily.

Burns second-degree imposes the bandage the doctor, conducting the initial processing of the affected area. The dressing change is carried out in two days yourself, follow the instructions of the doctor.

The procedure closed treatment:

  • Spend anesthesia of the patient;

  • The skin around the wound treated with antiseptic;
  • From the surface of the burn is removed the stuck fabric and dirt, dead epithelium;
  • Major burn bubbles are cut laterally released from the liquid, leaving the upper portion intact to protect the wound from mechanical damage;
  • Bandage, treated with bactericide (streptomycin, levomethamphetamine).

The treatment of severe burns boiling water

Burns of the third and fourth degrees of severity are treated only in the hospital. Immediately upon entering the patient spend antishock therapy, injections of painkillers.

For the treatment of burn lesions on the face and the perineum, where the skin is particularly thin and sensitive, use only the open method (without the use of bandages). Use antiseptic ointment and vaseline, which is applied to affected areas three times a day.

Surgical treatment of severe burns (3rd degree and 4B) is aimed at excision of necrotic tissue and correction of the defect, followed by plastic surgery. The main objectives in the treatment of burns is to remove toxic substances, to prevent suppuration and inflammatory processes in the wound, promote healing and remove dead bowel.

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


andidate of medical Sciences Dmitry Volkov S., surgeon