If the person is unresponsive, not breathing normally, or you are unsure — call your local emergency number NOW, before anything else.
Burns & Scalds First-Aid Quick Guide
Burns and scalds damage the skin and deeper tissues from heat, hot liquids, chemicals, electricity, or fire. Fast first aid can limit the damage, reduce pain, and help prevent shock and infection.
Call emergency services immediately if…
- The burn is large, deep, charred, white, leathery, or involves trouble breathing
- The burn affects the face, eyes, hands, feet, genitals, buttocks, or a major joint
- The person has an electrical burn, chemical burn, or was in a fire or enclosed smoke
- The person is very young, older, pregnant, has a serious medical condition, or you are not sure how severe the burn is
- The person becomes confused, faint, very sleepy, or shows signs of shock
- 1
Call emergency help
Call the local emergency number right away if the burn is severe or if any danger signs are present. If the area is unsafe, move away from fire, electricity, chemicals, or smoke first if you can do so safely.
- 2
Stop the burning
Put out flames with water or by having the person stop, drop, and roll. Turn off the power source before touching someone with an electrical burn. For hot liquid burns, remove the person from the source and take off any hot or wet clothing if it is not stuck to the skin.
- 3
Cool the burn
Cool the burned area under cool running water for at least 20 minutes as soon as possible. If running water is not available, use clean cool water compresses and change them often. Do not use ice or ice water, because this can damage the skin further.
- 4
Remove tight items
Gently remove rings, watches, belts, or tight clothing before swelling starts. Do not pull off anything stuck to the burn. If clothing is stuck, leave it in place and cool around it.
- 5
Cover the burn
After cooling, loosely cover the burn with a clean non-stick dressing, clean cloth, or plastic wrap laid over the area. Keep the cover loose. This helps protect the skin and may reduce pain.
- 6
Treat chemicals safely
If a chemical caused the burn, brush off any dry chemical first while protecting yourself. Then rinse the area with lots of running water for a long time. If the chemical got into the eye, rinse the eye continuously with clean water and get urgent medical help.
- 7
Watch breathing and shock
If the person has trouble breathing, facial burns, or was in smoke, get emergency help immediately and watch their breathing closely. Lay the person down if they feel faint, keep them warm with a blanket away from the burn, and reassure them while waiting for help.
Do NOT
- Do not put ice, butter, oil, toothpaste, creams, or powders on a burn
- Do not break blisters or peel away loose skin
- Do not remove clothing or material stuck to the burned skin
- Do not use very cold water on a large burn or cool so long that the person becomes chilled
- Do not touch an injured person until the electrical source is switched off
Afterwards
Small minor burns should be kept clean, covered, and checked for increasing redness, swelling, pus, fever, or worsening pain. Seek medical care if healing is slow, the burn is larger than the person's palm, or you have any concern about infection or deeper injury.
Sources
- [1]Burns — World Health Organization
- [2]First Aid Steps for Burns — American Red Cross
- [3]Burns and scalds — NHS
Printed from HealthPulse.cc — first-aid education only, not a substitute for training or professional emergency care. Always call your local emergency number first.
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