Burns Cool Ways to Treat Them
BURNS Cool Ways to Treat Them
You're having coffee at the kitchen table with your best friend, listening with rapt attention as she describes her triumph over a rival at work, when your toddler suddenly darts up to the table, grabs a corner of your place mat and jerks. The coffee cup tips over and hot coffee cascades down your child's arm.
As your daughter's shrieks mount in a rising crescendo, so does your panic. You don't know whether to run for water, ice, butter or the doctor. What in the world should you do?
When your child is burned, you'll have to act quickly to control damage and ease the pain. Any serious burn requires immediate emergency care, but if the skin is just a bit red, the burn is usually minor and you can treat it at home. Here's how.
Cool it with water. ''If your child has been burned or scalded, apply cool compresses (using wet washcloths or paper towels) for 10 to 15 minutes,'' says Lynn Sugarman, M.D., a pediatrician with Tenafly Pediatrics in Tenafly, New Jersey, and an associate in clinical pediatrics at Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. ''The cool water helps stop the burn from extending and will help relieve the pain,'' says Dr. Sugarman.
Never mind ice. Don't apply ice to the burn, though, Dr. Sugarman warns, and don't add ice cubes to the cool water. Ice or ice water will further damage the skin. You can offer acetaminophen (Children's Tylenol) for the pain. Check the package directions for the correct dosage for your child's age and weight. If your child is under age two, consult a physician. But do not use topical anesthetic sprays, because these can cause an allergic reaction.
Use gauze, not creams. ''Never put butter, grease, oil or a cream ointment on a burn. They hold the heat in the burned tissue and make the burn worse,'' says Barbara Lewis, a burn technician and community burn educator at St. Barnabas Burn Foundation in Livingston, New Jersey. Instead, ''gently cover the area with a clean, dry cloth such as a gauze pad,'' she advises.
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| When to See the Doctor Serious burns need a doctor's attention, according to Lynn Sugarman, M.D., a pediatrician with Tenafly Pediatrics in Tenafly, New Jersey, and an associate in clinical pediatrics at Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. She recommends that you take your burned child to the doctor or hospital under the following circumstances. * Any burn that causes blistering or makes the skin turn white * If oozing or redness persists for more than 24 hours or there is increasing pain * All electrical burns * All burns that involve the mouth, hands or genitals * Any burn that covers 10 percent or more of your child's body * A burn that completely encircles a leg or arm * For smoke inhalation |
Leave blisters alone. ''If your child develops a blister at the burn site, leave it alone,'' says Dr. Sugarman. The surface of a blister acts as a protective covering for the healing skin underneath, and breaking it may lead to infection, she warns. If the blister should accidentally break, check with your doctor to make sure your child's tetanus immunization is up to date.
Watch for infection. ''Keep an eye on your child's burn. If you notice any increase in swelling or redness, or if the area starts to smell or ooze, see your doctor,'' says Dr. Sugarman. ''The burn may have become infected and will need to be treated with antibiotics.''
