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The first aid for burns

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

The depth of lesion can reach as surface layers and deep tissue, which depends on their classification. Depending on the area, determined by their severity.


Thermal burns

Thermal burns are the most common and can be caused by direct action of hot objects, open flames, boiling liquids. Special risk are children and the elderly as cause significant fluid loss from the burn surface and intoxication with pronounced local symptoms and negative reactions of the General type. The volume of therapeutic interventions aimed at removing problems on to the hospital stage, does not depend on the degree of the burn and consists of a clear order.

  1. Termination of high temperatures on damaged tissue. The faster will be limited by contact of the patient with thermal damaging agent, the less damage there will be.

  2. The release of damaged areas from clothing, foreign objects and hot items. With the exception of cases of burns of different substances that form a dense crust and a connection to damaged skin.

  3. Cooling of burned tissue. A very important point that must be made. This is due to the fact that in tissues exposed to high temperatures for a long time supported hyperthermia. It helps increase the extent and area of the burn compared to the original indicators. To avoid this carry out cooling with cold water or ice.

  4. Closing the burn surface. This is necessary in order to restrict its contact with the surrounding aggressive world that prevent the reproduction of harmful microorganisms in the damaged tissues. This can be used bintawa-gauze bandages of various types, both dry and on the basis of water-soluble ointments (levomekol, ofloxacin, levosin,methyluracil, sintomitsina, panthenol, Betadine). The main requirement to them – they should not cause irritation of wounds and amplify pain. To reduce the pain you can periodically pour cool solution of novocaine or furatsilina.

  5. Adequate pain relief. For these purposes, can be used tabletirovanie and injectable form of anesthetic drugs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory series (katelyn, deksalgin, diclofenac, nimesil, paracetamol), as well as the standard drug analgin, diphenhydramine, tempalgin and others.

  6. Transport the victim to the nearest hospital for surgical or traumatological profile. There should be undertaken activities aimed at the prevention or reduction of manifestations of burn disease and infection of injured surfaces. With this purpose, are introduced antibacterial drugs of wide spectrum of action, infusion solutions taking into account the severity of the burn and loss of fluid, transfusion of blood components and colloidal solutions, drugs that normalize microcirculation, conducted local treatment of burned plots with the use of plastic methods of replacement of wound defects of the donor skin.


Burns of the upper respiratory tract and eyes

Burns of the upper respiratory tract and eyes are a special kind of thermal burns, which are mainly produced by hot flames and smoke. They are also very dangerous as a few hours can lead to death of the patient due to progressive respiratory failure as a consequence of obstruction of the trachea and bronchi. To help such patients on to the hospital stage is very difficult. You need to evacuate the injured from the danger zone and to ensure free access of fresh air to enter painkillers and urgently deliver the patient to the nearest hospital.

In these circumstances, should be carried out antibacterial and infusion therapy, as well as sanation bronchoscopy (examination of the trachea and bronchi), through which it is evacuated is a thick mucus and foreign particles that will restore patency of the respiratory tract. If necessary, are repeated bronchoscopy. In the event of progressive respiratory failure patients transferred to artificial lung ventilation.

If the eye burns thermal or chemical origin of the necessary rinse with plenty of water. This will cool the tissue andfree them from aggressive chemical compounds. Spend the instillation of eye drops containing local anesthetics (procaine, tetracaine, lidocaine) and antibacterial drugs (levomitsetin, tobrex). All victims should seek medical attention from ophthalmologist.


Chemical burns

Chemical burns can be represented by a damage to the skin and mucous membranes of the oropharynx and esophagus the result of exposure to aggressive acids, alkalis and various chemical compounds used as poisons and household chemicals. While there are special types of necrosis of tissue coagulation or collocational types. The first characteristic of burns by acids, when formed a dense crust, the other for alkalis with the formation of nonhealing moist surfaces.

The volume of events in such burns includes such complex:

  • As early as possible to stop contact the surface of the skin or mucous membranes with the chemical substance;
  • Remove any objects in contact with the burned surface;
  • Rinse the burn wound with plenty of running water. This will wash away the residue and neutralizes them. If there is the possibility of using neutralizing solutions in cases of well-known nature of the chemical compound. To neutralize the alkali wash out the wound with weak acids, for acids – bases;
  • Adequate pain relief;
  • Closure of the wound surface with a dry bandage. It is not recommended to use different creams and foam panthenol due to the fact that the formation of aggressive compounds with residues of substances;
  • Compulsory hospitalization to medical institution where you will be provided with specialist medical help.

A special variation of this type of burns are damage to the esophagus. Never delay medical treatment because they can lead to the development of extensive ulcerative surfaces of the mucous membrane, which can complicate the burn, bleeding and stenosis with obstruction, even liquid food.

In order to avoid dangerous complications upon the slightest suspicion of deliberate or accidental use of an unknown chemical compounds must be washed stomach and esophagus with large amounts of water with its subsequent evacuation from the stomach using a probe. This will wash away the corrosive components, and divorced already made chemical compounds. In the future, the hospital is early probing (expansion) of the narrowed area of the esophagus, are appointed by the enveloping means of the type Almagel, aluminium phosphate gel, Venter, Maalox,is antibiotic prophylaxis and infusion-transfusion therapy.

Electrical burns

Electrical burns happen not so often, but are distinguished by their severity and magnitude of the lesion. Itself burn surface may be small and confined to the fingers or the heel area that will short the electric arc. But this is their full charring with concomitant fractures, ruptures of muscles, tendons, nerves and blood vessels.

To help the victim can only take away the victim from the source of electric current and gospitalizirovany him to the hospital. Do not touch the person under the effects of electricity with bare hands. For these purposes, should be used materials which do not possess electrical conductivity. Local treatment of the affected limbs is their immobilization with a splint or tires from scrap materials, cover the burn surface dry dressing. During cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation resuscitation are shown in the form of electrical defibrillation or chest compressions.


Radiation burns

Radiation burns due to radiation radiation released during nuclear explosions and therefore rare. If we refer to this group burns the sun's rays, this group of injuries more frequent. Possible radiation burns in cancer patients after radiotherapy. They can be located on the skin or the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. This type of burns occurs also much heavier compared to thermal, bringing the patients of extreme suffering.

First aid is mostly in the lesion and must be arranged at the earliest possible time. Damaged skin areas washed with soap and water, completely removed from all clothing, which is always contaminated with radioactive particles. On the burnt surface are superimposed dry bandage or impregnated with aqueous solutions of antiseptic (furatsilin, chlorhexidine, mekasan).


Home help for burns

Naturally, many people who received thermal burns refuse specialized help, trusting only folk medicine. This is not always correct. Independentlyhome, you can treat only a small first degree burns, which are manifested by redness of the skin, or limited damage of the second degree in the form of bubbles. More complicated damages necessarily must be hospitalized.

The most important thing you must remember is about the necessity of cooling the annealed surface. The procedure lasts 30-40 minutes, with 10-15 minute intervals. This is necessary to ensure that would not violate the microcirculation in the affected tissues. The total duration of cooling should be a few hours. To estimate the true degree of the burn can only be the next day.

In parallel, the cooling can be applied to burnt surface compress of thin strips of potatoes or gelatinous mass of starch and oats, or infusion of linseed. After 2-3 days you can treat first degree burns, sea buckthorn oil. In any case can not be applied to burns in early period any oily solutions. They form a heat shield which limits the heat transfer surface, thereby increasing the temperature and the degree of damage.

The bubbles that are formed while second degree burns do not need to open with puncture. Exposing the bubbles you increase the chance of infection. A burn can be applied of lotions on the basis of potato starch or ointments from bee products in combination with sea buckthorn oil. Also can be applied various decoctions of plants: chamomile, oak bark, succession. Pharmacy ointment: panthenol, Actovegin, solkoseril, levosin, methyluracil, Betadine (iodine-based), fastin. Antiseptic water-based solutions are also shown in the early post-burn period.

For the treatment of burns of the esophagus in the home, you can apply the egg yolks with the sugar, which I drink immediately after lavage of the stomach and esophagus with large amounts of cold water. They provide the enveloping effect, neutralizing the corrosive environment, remaining between the gastric folds. Should not limited only by this scope of activities and be sure to seek specialized care in a medical institution. The same applies to any types of chemical and electrical burns.

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


andidate of medical Sciences Dmitry Volkov S., surgeon