First aid for burns

First aid for burns can reduce the harm and pain of damage to the skin caused by contact with a hot surface or liquid, overexposure to the sun, or contact with flames, chemicals or electricity. Burns are often painful and cannot be ignored. Burn injuries may be restricted to the first layer of your skin (minor burns) or might be more severe if more layers are affected (major burns).

If burns are deep, cover a skin area of 8 centimetres or larger, or cover areas of the body such as hands, feet, groin or face, you should go to a hospital right away.

Take the following steps when providing first aid for minor burns (e.g. blisters, superficial redness of the skin, small skin area):

• Hold the burnt skin under running water till you feel less pain. You can run water from a tap or pour clean water over the burn.
• Cover the injury with a bandage or clean cloth. Moistened the fabric with clean water before wrapping it over the burn.
• Use fragrance-free vaseline or another petroleum jelly to cover the burn. Jelly will lock in moisture and allow the burn to heal naturally.
• Avoid putting palm oil, pap or eggs on the wound. Food often contains bacteria that can cause an infection to your burnt skin.
• If needed, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.

For major burns (e.g. deep burns, large skin areas, cover whole parts of the body) provide the following first aid until emergency aid is available:

• Make sure the person is no longer in contact with the source of the burn. For electrical burns, make sure the power source is off first.
• Remove jewelry, belts and other restrictive items from around the burn areas.
• Cover the injury with a bandage or clean cloth. Moistened the fabric with clean water before wrapping it over the burn.
• Don't dip large burns into water. This may cause a serious loss of body heat in the injured person (hypothermia).
• Watch for signs of shock, such as fainting, pale complexion or shallow breathing.
• Seek emergency aid immediately.

Your first aid kit should contain the following items:

• Bandages or clean strips of cloth. You will need to have bandages that can cover the burn injury, small strips of gauze bandage will do.
• Emollients. An emollient is a substance that acts like cream, soothes and moisturizes your burn. Examples include petroleum jelly (vaseline) or aloe vera gel.
• It is essential to have one or more safety pins for holding a bandage or clean cloth in place.
• Pain relievers. Include mild pain relievers like paracetamol or ibuprofen in your first aid kit.
• Antiseptic or antibiotic creams. It would be best to keep a tube of antibiotic ointment in the box. It can come in handy when a burn wound becomes exposed. Penicillin ointment can keep your injury from becoming infected.
• Print a copy of this page (or write the information down) so that everyone who uses the first aid box has this information at hand.
• Keep your first aid box safely in a place that kids cannot reach, but accessible to all adults in the house.

You should go to the nearest healthcare centre if:

• The burn covers a large area of your body (8 centimeters or more), or when the burn covers areas such as your hands, feet, face or genitals.
• The burn becomes infected, and you notice pus coming out of the wound.
• The injury was caused by chemicals such as acids, cooking gas or electricity.
• You have a severe injury from the burn but do not feel any pain in the affected area. This may mean that you have severe nerve damage.
• You were in a burning building and inhaled a lot of smoke. Even if you did not sustain any injuries on your skin, the smoke may still be harmful to you.

These are some simple precautions you can take to prevent burn injuries.

• Keep all chemicals, hot liquids, naked flames (e.g. candles, open fires) and bare or exposed electric wires away from children.
• Do carry boiling water around the house (e.g. for making baths). Mix it with cold water in a bucket before taking it out of the kitchen.
• Use electrical tape to to cover bare or exposed electric wires.
• Switch off all your appliances before you leave home. 
• Extinguish candles and lanterns before going to bed.
• Do smoke near a flammable substance such as petrol.
• If you use cooking gas in the home, also get a fire extinguisher. Get it serviced as required and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use it.

Depending on the severity, a burn injury may heal totally without a scar or lead to life-threatening complications or even death. You must do all you can to protect yourself and your loved ones from burns. However, in case of eventualities, begin first aid treatment immediately while you wait for professional help if necessary.