Content

• Steps
• Warning

Burns caused by boiling water are one of the common accidents in households. Hot drinking water, hot tubs, or hot water on a fire can easily shoot onto your skin and cause burns. Anyone and at any time can get a burn of boiling water. Knowing how to assess the situation and determine the degree of burns will help you treat burns caused by boiling water quickly.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Situation assessment

1. 

   Watch for signs of first-degree burns. After you have had boiling water on your skin, you will need to determine the type of burn. Burns are broken down by degree, with a higher degree of being burned more severe. A degree 1 burn is a superficial burn to the top layer of skin. Symptoms include:
   • Damage to the top layer of skin
   • Dry, red, and painful skin
   • The skin turns pale or turns white when pressed
   • Grade 1 burns usually heal in 3-6 days and leave no scars

2. 

   
   
   Determine degree 2 burns. If the water is hotter or the skin has been exposed to hot water for a longer period of time, you may experience a second degree burn. This is considered a partial superficial burn, with symptoms including:
   • Damaged two layers of skin but only slightly burns in the second layer of skin
   • The burn is red and draining
   • Blisters
   • White, pale skin at the burn site when pressed
   • Pain on the touch and skin with a change in temperature
   • Grade 2 burns usually heal after 1-3 weeks, and may leave scarring or discoloration (lighter or darker skin than surrounding skin).

3. 

   
   
   Recognize degree 3 burns. Grade 3 burns happen when the water is extremely hot or the skin has been exposed to hot water for too long. This is considered a deep thick burn, with symptoms including:
   • Damage is two layers of skin and deep in but not completely deep into the second skin layer
   • Pain in the burn site with strong pressure (may be painless immediately due to nerve death or nerve damage)
   • Skin does not turn white when pressed
   • Blisters form at the site of the burn
   • Black, tan, or peeling scabs form
   • Grade 3 burns require hospitalization and surgery or medical treatment to recover if they burn more than 5% of the whole body skin.

4. 

   
   
   Watch for signs of a grade 4 burn. Grade 4 burns are the most serious. This is a serious injury and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:
   • The damage is completely deep into two layers of the skin, often damaging the fat and muscle underneath. For grade 3 and 4 burns, the bone can also be affected.
   • Painless
   • Skin discoloration at the burn site - white, gray or black
   • Dry in the burn site
   • Surgery is needed for treatment and hospitalization to recover

5. 

   Observe large (large) burns. Regardless of the degree of the burn, a burn can be considered large if you have burned around a joint or burned a large part of your body. If you experience complications that are accompanied by signs of a burn or are unable to perform normal activities due to the burn, the burn may be considered a major burn.
   • Burn an arm / leg equivalent to 10% of an adult's body; 20% equivalent to the adult body. A large area burn is a burn on 20% of the entire body surface.
   • 5% of the body (eg elbow, half leg, ...) that has a thick burn (eg degree 3 or 4) is considered a major burn.
   • Treatment for large burns is similar to treatment for burns of degree 3 or 4, which requires immediate medical attention.
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Part 2 of 3: Treatment of minor burns

1. 

   Identify situations that require medical attention. Even a minor burn (grade 1 or 2) requires medical attention if it meets certain criteria. Burns around all surrounding tissue of one or more fingers require medical attention as soon as possible. This burn can interfere with blood circulation to the finger and severe cases may require removal of the finger if left untreated.
   • In addition, seek medical attention if you experience minor burns to your face or neck, extensive burns on your hands, groin, legs, feet, buttocks, or joints.

2. 

   
   
   Wash the burn. You can take care of small burns yourself at home. The first step is to wash the burn by removing clothing covering the burn and soaking the burn site in cold water. Flushing cold water on the burned site can damage the skin and increase the risk of scarring or complications. Do not use hot water to avoid irritating the burn.
   • Wash the burn with mild soap.
   • Avoid using bleaching products such as hydrogen peroxide to avoid hindering skin healing.
   • If the clothing gets on your skin, don't try to take it off. The burn may be more serious than you think and you should seek urgent care. Cut off the clothing (except for the part that sticks to the burn) and then apply cold / wrap ice to the burn and clothing for 2 minutes.

3. 

   
   
   Cool the burn. After washing, you should soak the burn in cool water for 15-20 minutes. Do not use ice or rinse the burn with water to avoid damaging the skin. Next, soak a clean towel in cool water and apply it to the burn (do not rub or rub). Only put a towel on the burn.
   • You can soak a towel in tap water and refrigerate it for a cold towel.
   • Do not apply butter to the burn. Avocado does not help cool the burn, but it can also cause infection.

4. 

   
   
   Prevent infection. To prevent infection, take care of the burn after cooling it. Use clean hands or a cotton ball to apply an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or Bacitracin. If the burn is an open wound, you can use a non-stick gauze instead, as the cotton ball can stick to the burn. Next, cover the burn with a non-stick bandage (eg Telfa). Change the bandage every 1-2 days and reapply the ointment.
   • Do not squeeze blisters that form on the burn.
   • Don't scratch it as your skin develops to avoid infection. Burned skin is very sensitive to infection.
   • You can apply ointments like aloe, cocoa butter, and mineral oil to ease the itchiness.

5. 

   Treat the pain. Any minor burn can cause pain. Once you've covered the burn, you should raise the burn site higher than your heart. This will help reduce swelling and pain. For persistent pain relief, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin). Take the medicine several times a day while the pain persists and follow the directions on the package.
   • The recommended oral dose of Acetaminophen is 650 mg every 4-6 hours, up to a maximum of 3250 mg per day.
   • Recommended oral dose of ibuprofen is 400-800 mg every 6 hours, up to a maximum of 3200 mg per day.
   • Carefully read the recommended dosage on the package as the dosage may vary depending on the type and brand of medicine.
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Part 3 of 3: Treatment of severe burns

1. 

   Call ambulance. If you suspect a severe burn (degree 3 or 4), you need to call for help right away. Serious burns should not be treated at home and require professional treatment. Call 911 immediately if:
   • Burns are deep and severe
   • Burns are higher than degree 1 and the person who has had a burn has not been vaccinated against tetanus for more than 5 years
   • Burns greater than 7.5 cm or surrounding any part of the body
   • Signs of infection, such as severe redness or pain, drainage, fever
   • Burns in people under 5 years old or over 70 years old
   • Burns in people with weakened immune systems (difficult to fight infections) such as people with HIV, people taking immunosuppressants, people with diabetes or people with liver disease

2. 

   Take care of the victim. After calling for emergency care, observe the reaction of the person who has been burned. If the victim does not respond or is shocked, you should notify the emergency staff of what to prepare.
   • If the victim is not breathing, press his or her chest while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

3. 

   Take off your clothes. While waiting for emergency care, you should remove any tight clothing and jewelry on or near the burn. However, be careful to leave clothing or jewelry on the burn. Removal can drag the skin at the site of the burn and cause further damage.
   • Apply cold compresses around metal jewelry such as rings or jewelry that are difficult to remove, such as bracelets, because metal jewelry often conducts heat from the surrounding skin to the burn.
   • You can cut and loosen the clothing that's stuck around the burn.
   • Keep the victim warm as severe burns can cause shock.
   • Unlike when treating a minor burn, you must not soak a large burn in water to avoid hypothermia. If the burn is in a movable place, you can raise the burn site above your heart to prevent or reduce swelling.
   • Do not take pain relievers, do not squeeze blisters, do not rub dead skin or apply ointments. These behaviors can interfere with burn treatment.

4. 

   Cover the burn. After removing or cutting clothing around the burn, use a clean, non-stick bandage to cover the burn to prevent infection. Be careful not to use sticky material to apply it to the burn. Use non-stick gauze or wet gauze.
   • If you suspect the bandage may stick because the burn is too severe, do nothing and wait for emergency help.
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Warning

• A burn that looks serious but painless may be worse than you think. You should cool the burn immediately and seek urgent care if you suspect a severe burn. Many people believe that, initially, third degree burns are usually not dangerous due to the pain prevention mechanism. Failure to cool the burn and not receiving early treatment may lead to deeper damage, or complicate recovery and increase the likelihood of scarring.