Management of Burns and Scalds

A burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals.

A scald is a burn or other injury caused by hot liquid or steam.

Thermal (heat) burns occur when some or all of the cells in the skin or other tissues are destroyed by:

hot liquids (scalds)
hot solids (contact burns),
flames (flame burns).

Chemical burns from corrosive chemicals

Remove the chemical that caused the burn
Rinse the skin under running water for 10 to 20 minutes
If the chemical came into contact with the eyes, rinse the eyes continuously for at least 20 minutes before seeking emergency care.

Direct burns from flames

Stop the burning process by removing clothing and irrigating the burns.
Extinguish flames by allowing the patient to roll on the ground, or by applying a blanket, or by using water or other fire-extinguishing liquids.
Use cool running water to reduce the temperature of the burn.
Wrap the patient in a clean cloth or sheet and transport to the nearest appropriate facility for medical care

Burns from contact with hot objects

stop contact with the hot object.
Cool the injured area with water (not ice) within 30 seconds. This may limit the extent and severity of the burn.
Run the burned body part, immediately under cool tap water for several minutes.

Scalds from hot liquids

immediately get the person away from the heat source to stop the burning
cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes – don’t use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances such as butter
remove any clothing or jewellery that’s near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies – but don’t move anything that’s stuck to the skin
make sure the person keeps warm – for example, by using a blanket, but take care not to rub it against the burnt area
cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it – a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on the hand
use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
if the face or eyes are burnt, sit up as much as possible, rather than lying down to help reduce swelling