Burns are associated with pain, discomfort and even itching. Parents should know what steps to
take to
ease the pain and assist in the healing process.
Burn care is important because some burns can require long-term
treatment. If not
treated
correctly and in a timely manner, infection can occur and unnecessary
scarring
can result.”
Any burn bigger than the
palm of the
person’s hand should been seen by a medical professional
immediately.
Following
is a list of how you should treat a minor
burn:
·
Run
cool
water (not cold water) over the wound for about 10 minutes. This will
remove
the heat from the wound. Do not
put ice
on a wound.
·
After
rinsing, wrap the burn in a clean towel and see a physician.
·
If
the wound
is smaller than the palm of the person’s palm once cooled, clean the wound with soap and water
only.
·
Apply an
antibiotic ointment and keep wrapped and clean.
·
For
best
results, clean the wound 2 times per day, removing the dead skin and
applying
ointment each time.
Burns can make a person very sick, whether they become infected or
not. When burned, the body
looses a
large amount of fluid through the wound.
It is easy for those who have been burned to become dehydrated
and sick
from not eating enough calories or drinking enough fluids.
Eating and drinking help the
wound
heal. If the fluids and calories are depleted during the healing
process,
healing can be halted and the body can go into shock.
Burns usually heal within a
week or
two. More severe burns can take a month or longer to heal. It is extremely dangerous, even
deadly, to
neglect a severe burn. Infection
can set
in quickly.
