Burns in childhood most commonly occur from touching curling irons, hot water, hot drinks, hot grease, and hot mufflers. The burn is usually first degree (reddened skin without blisters) or second degree (with blisters). Neither of these will typically leave a scar. Second-degree burns take up to 3 weeks to heal. A third-degree burn is deep, may leave areas of charred skin, and often requires a skin graft to properly heal. Immediately put the burned part of the body in cold water, or pour cold tap water over it for 10 minutes. If you are outside, the nearest garden hose should be used. This will lessen the depth of the burn and relieve pain. If the burned area is large, cover it loosely with a clean sheet or plastic wrap. The covering will keep the burn clean and reduce the pain. All second and third degree burns will require evaluation by a physician.

Daily Care of Burn Wounds:

1. For pain, put cold wet cloths on the burned area and take acetaminophen every 4 hours or ibuprofen every 6 hours for at least 24 hours.

2. Wash the area gently with liquid soap twice a day. If blisters are present, don’t open them – the outer skin protects the burn from infection. When the blisters break, gently clean the site daily, apply an antibiotic ointment (such as Bacitracin or Polysporin) and cover the burn site with a Band-Aid or sterile gauze dressing.

3. After the blisters have broken, the dead skin needs to be timed away with fine scissors. This prevents infection from forming within the hidden pockets of the dead skin. The physician may ask to see the child every 2 or 3 days to perform this task of debridement.

CALL THE OFFICE IF:

• A blister is larger than 2 inches across
• The burn is on the face, hands, feet, or genitals
• It was an electrical burn
• It starts to look infected
• You have any questions or concerns

Signs of wound infection include yellow fluid drainage, redness of surrounding skin, red streaks radiating from the wound, increasing pain, or significant fever.