Burns
Patient education
- Cool promptly with running water
- Leave blisters intact
- Check depth, size and location
What it is
Damage to the skin from heat, hot liquid, chemicals or electricity. What is done in the first twenty minutes changes how badly it scars.
When to seek urgent care
The burn is large or deep, affects the face or genitals, follows electricity or chemicals, or there is smoke inhalation, hoarseness or difficulty breathing. Seek prompt assessment for burns on hands or major joints and for burns in young children.
How it shows
Redness and pain for a shallow burn; blisters for a deeper one. A burn that is white, leathery or painless is deeper still and needs care urgently.
What to do
Move away from the source safely. Cool a thermal burn with cool running water for 20 minutes. Remove jewellery and loose clothing, leaving stuck material in place. Keep the rest of the person warm and cover the burn loosely with a clean non-stick covering.
Do not put ice, oil, butter, toothpaste or palm oil on a burn. They trap heat or cause infection. Do not break blisters.
First aid in order
Make the scene safe and move away from the heat source. Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible. Keep the rest of the person warm, especially a child. Do not use ice.
Remove nearby jewellery and loose clothing before swelling starts, but leave anything stuck to the skin. After cooling, cover loosely with a clean non-stick dressing. If using cling film, lay it over the area rather than wrapping tightly around a limb; do not place it over the face.
What to avoid and how to follow up
Do not apply butter, oil, toothpaste or household mixtures. Do not burst blisters or use an adhesive dressing on the injured skin. A deep burn can be less painful because nerves have been damaged, so little pain does not prove a minor injury.
Seek assessment for large or deep burns, burns on important areas such as hands or joints, or burns in a young child. Chemical and electrical burns need urgent medical attention even if the surface looks small. During healing, increasing pain, swelling, discharge, fever or failure to heal warrants review.
Sources
- Burns and scalds · Public sector health information · OGL v3.0
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.