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First aid procedure for burns. Treatment of chemical burns. Chemical damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus

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Burn is called a change in the state of body tissues that occurs under the influence of high temperature, chemicals, radio emission.

Burns

There are four degrees:
  • The first - the skin at the site of the lesion turns red,
  • The second - a blister appears,
  • The third - deeper layers of the skin also perish,
  • Fourth - the affected area is charred.
The degree of damage is influenced by the volume of the affected tissues, as well as by how deep the damaging factor has passed into the body. The area of ​​the lesion in the medical environment is measured as a percentage of the total skin area.
With severe degrees of damage, the body at the site of the burn becomes insensitive, veins can stand out. Often, the actual depth of the thermal effect can only be identified five to seven days after the incident. This is due to the fact that already destroyed tissues are joined by new ones suffering from a lack of nutrition.
In the event that more than 10-15% of the body surface is affected, the patient develops a burn disease. The severity of its course depends on whether the respiratory organs are affected, as well as what is the general condition of the patient, his age. If more than 15% of the body area is affected, burn shock develops.

What cannot be done?

1. Before transferring a patient or transporting him, it is imperative to check whether there are fractures in addition to burns, and whether the respiratory system is affected.
2. To treat the affected surface with any improvised and folk remedies, this can aggravate the condition.
3. Try to clean the wound without anesthesia and sterile bandages.
4. Apply bandages if you do not know how to do it in a particular case. Since an incorrectly applied bandage provokes an increase in puffiness.
5. Use a tourniquet if there is no emergency indication for this. The burn disease intensifies, there is a possibility of tissue death and subsequent amputation.
6. If there are several victims, you should first of all pay attention to those who are unconscious or in a state of shock, since their condition is worse than those who can call for help.
7. Do not pierce any bubbles that have formed.
8. Clothes that have adhered to wounds should not be ripped off.

First aid for thermal injury

1. Remove heat source ( fire, hot liquid, steam).
2. Remove the tissue from the affected area; in case of a first or second degree lesion, cool water should be poured onto the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes. If there is carbonization of the tissue or an open wound ( third and fourth degree), apply a clean, damp cloth.
3. Give 500 ml of water to drink with half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.
4. Give 0.05 gr. diphenhydramine ( can be injected) and 1 - 2 gr. aspirin.
5. Remove all things that can be removed from the affected part of the body, including jewelry, watches, belts, if the clothes are stuck to the wound, they must be carefully trimmed around.
6. Call an ambulance.

It is imperative to call an ambulance if:

  • A kid or an old man has suffered
  • The area of ​​the affected surface is more than five palms of the victim himself,
  • There are open wounds
  • Groin affected
  • Head, respiratory system, mouth and nose are affected.
  • Two arms or two legs are affected ( or one arm and one leg).

Thermal eye damage

Such lesions are more common in mild to moderate severity. Indeed, when hot steam, smoke or water gets into the eye, it immediately closes. Therefore, the eyelids can be burned more severely. Sometimes, however, severe forms of contact effects are also observed: when boiling water, steam, molten metal or fire gets into the eye. Sometimes, during an injury, particles of metal or gunpowder get into the eye, and the eye may be shell-shocked.

First aid
1. Rinse the affected eye immediately with cold running water,
2. Try to pull out solid particles that have got into the eye with tweezers or a cotton swab, if the eye is affected by burning phosphorus, the phosphorus will continue to burn even under water. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the particles of the substance from the eye.
3. If the patient is in pain, pain reliever should be given.
4. Smear the skin around the affected eye with 1% brilliant green or syntomycin ointment.
5. Sulfacil sodium or chloramphenicol is dripped into the eye.
6. A sterile bandage is applied to the eye.
7. The patient is taken to the hospital.

Oil defeat

Thermal damage caused by oil inflicts worse damage than damage caused by boiling water.
This is due to the fact that:
  • The boiling point of oil is about 500 degrees, that is, five times higher than that of water,
  • The oil is thicker, so it lasts longer on the skin,
  • The oil has a higher rate of heat transfer.
First aid for injury with boiling oil is no different from first aid for other thermal burns.

Thermal damage by boiling water

A very common type of injury. Babies suffer more often. This is one of the types of thermal burns, so the actions for such a lesion, in general, do not differ from those described above.

Everything needs to be done very quickly.
1. Remove clothing immediately, but be careful not to burst bubbles. This will help, at the same time, to check the condition of the victim's skin.
2. Keep the affected area under running cold water for 20 minutes. This will help keep the deeper tissues from being damaged.
3. If the affected area is small, you can treat it with a special tool ( if there is one in the house). You cannot use starch, oil, flour and any other products in this capacity. Only special medicines. If nothing is suitable, just a sterile napkin will do.
4. In the event that the area of ​​damage is large, you need to immobilize the affected area.
5. Call an ambulance.

Chemical damage: acids, alkalis, hydrogen peroxide

Damage to tissues during chemical burns is carried out by alkalis, acids, caustic substances, salts of heavy metals and other aggressive substances. Most often, this kind of damage occurs at work, however, it can also be found in everyday life in case of violation of safety measures and the rules for storing hazardous substances.

The severity of tissue damage depends on:

  • How does the substance act on tissue
  • How much substance was spilled and what concentration,
  • How long it has been in contact with tissues and how much it can damage them.
Chemical lesions are also classified into four degrees of severity. But most often, interaction with aggressive environments causes the third and fourth degree of burns.
In the third degree, the substance reaches the deep layers of tissues to fatty layers. Blisters appear on the body with a bloody fluid inside, the body loses sensitivity.
In the fourth degree, tissues are affected to the very bones.

Damage by various types of aggressive substances
If acids or alkalis interact with the body, a hard crust called a scab forms at the site of the lesion. After exposure to alkalis, the scab is loose, not having clear outlines, whitish in color, not hard.
Since alkalis penetrate deeper into tissues, they destroy them more than acids.

After exposure to acids, the scab is hard and not wet, sharply limited. Most often, such damage is shallow.
The color of the damaged tissue also depends on which substance was affected. After interaction with sulfuric acid, the skin turns white, gradually acquiring a grayish or brownish tint.

After interaction with nitric acid, the skin becomes pale yellowish green or mustard in color.
After interaction with hydrochloric acid, the skin turns yellow.
Acetic acid leaves off-white stains.
And after damage with carbolic acid, white spots remain, which later become brown.
If the body is affected by hydrogen peroxide ( undiluted), the surface of the lesion turns grayish.

The peculiarity of chemical damage is that even after removal of the substance from the surface of the body, it still continues to act on the tissue, since it has already been absorbed into the cells and is transferred further. In this regard, the severity of a chemical burn can be determined only after a week and a half after the defeat. The danger of chemical injury also depends on the area of ​​contact between the body and the reagent. The larger it is, the more the patient is at risk.

First aid for chemical damage

1. Remove clothing and any accessories from the affected area of ​​the body,
2. Hold the affected area under cold running water for at least 20 minutes. In the same case, if some time has passed since the moment of exposure to the reagent, the duration of washing should be 40 minutes. Do not wipe the affected area with a cloth or paper towels, this will only aggravate the effect of the reagent. In the event that the exposure occurred with a dry preparation in powder, you need to brush off the grains of the reagent from the body and only then rinse the skin. In some cases, exposure to water can aggravate the situation. For example, organic aluminum compounds ignite when exposed to water. Therefore, it is advisable to understand what exactly the victim was burned with.
3. To neutralize, use the means at hand. So, when exposed to acids, sprinkle the affected area with soda, pour soapy water or make a solution of soda: 1 teaspoon per 500 ml of water. In case of damage with alkali, wash the affected area with a weak solution of vinegar or citric acid. If the burn occurs from contact with lime, a sugar solution should be made at the rate of one part sugar, five parts water. In case of a burn with carbolic acid, it is necessary to treat it with milk of lime or glycerin.
4. Cover the damaged area of ​​the body with a cloth soaked in cold water. This will help relieve pain.
5. Then remove the cloth and not tightly tie the sore spot with a sterile bandage or just a dry cloth.

If the degree of damage is not great, the body itself will cope with the disease. But in some cases, you should immediately call the "ambulance":

  • If the affected person is pale, breathes shallowly, is unconscious,
  • If the affected area is more than 7.5 cm, as well as if not only the first layer of the skin is affected,
  • If reagent gets on: legs, arms, eyes, face, groin, large joints, buttocks, esophagus or mouth ( when ingested reagent),
  • For acute pain that cannot be relieved by conventional pain relievers ( ibuprofen, paracetamol).
If a patient is taken to a hospital, be sure to bring a bottle of the substance that caused the burn or a description of it. This will help doctors to quickly neutralize the effect of this substance.

Chemical damage to the eyes

Any chemical exposure to the eyes is classified as severe. In this regard, an urgent need to see an ophthalmologist. The severity of the lesion depends on the concentration of the substance, its aggressiveness, volume, temperature, as well as the state of health of the victim himself. If acid enters the eye, the proteins that make up the tissues are denatured, coagulation necrosis is formed, which prevents the acid from spreading further through the tissues. If alkali gets into the eye, it interacts with lipids, saponifying them. In this case, the proteins dissolve and enter the intercellular fluid. Therefore, it is necessary to provide assistance to the victim as soon as possible.
Whatever gets into the eye, the patient will experience cramps in bright light, profuse flow of tears. Sometimes up to loss of vision. At the same time, the skin of the eyelids turns red and swells.

First aid
1. Abundant rinsing of the affected organ with running water. To do this, you need to spread your eyelids with your fingers and direct a weak stream of water into the eye. Duration of washing is 10 - 15 minutes. If alkali gets into the eye, you can rinse with milk. In other cases, the search for a neutralizer will simply take precious minutes; it is better to just rinse your eye thoroughly.
2. Apply a dry, clean cloth to the affected eye.
3. Go to the doctor.

Chemical damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus

Such lesions occur if the victim confused the bottles and accidentally drank the wrong thing, or if the victim wanted to commit suicide and specifically drank an aggressive substance. Most often in such cases, they drink ammonia ( alkali), concentrated acids ( acetic acid, battery electrolyte).

Burn Signs

  • Sharp pain in the throat, mouth, stomach and esophagus,
  • Difficulty breathing is sometimes possible
  • Vomiting with blood and mucous membrane particles.
First aid
1. Neutralize the substance that has entered the body. If alkali is drunk, the patient's stomach should be flushed with a weak solution of acetic acid. If acid is drunk, you should make a solution of baking soda and rinse your stomach with it. There should be a lot of liquid so that the aggressive substance is removed as much as possible.
2. Call an ambulance urgently.

Iodine damage

1. Wash iodine off the body. If the defeat has just happened, 12 - 15 minutes is enough, if half an hour has passed since the time of contact, you need to wash it off for about 30 minutes.
2. Treat with neutralizing agent. In this case, tooth powder, water and soap.
3. It is advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible, as a burn may be a manifestation of iodine intolerance.

Essential Oil Defeat

This form of burn can develop if the essential oil is used undiluted or improperly.
1. It is strictly forbidden to apply pure essential oils to the body.
2. When using essential oil inside, you need to dilute it with an emulsifier and only then drink it.
3. Before taking aromavanna, it is also necessary to dilute the essential oil with an emulsifier, which is best used as milk, honey.

First aid
1. Immediately rub the affected area with a greasy cream or any oil.
2. Wash with soap and water until completely clean.

Jellyfish defeat

This is not a joke at all, from such a "kiss" you can lie in bed for several days with serious ailments. The burning substance secreted by jellyfish is produced in special cells located on the tentacles.

First aid
1. Quickly wash off the substance from the body with sea water, vinegar solution, ammonia, or any alcohol solution.
2. In the event that pieces of a jellyfish body remain on the skin, remove them with tweezers.
3. Give the victim water and a sedative.
4. If the patient has a fever, consult a doctor.

Electric burn

It is caused by electric shock, lightning, light arc during electric welding. In case of damage with an arc, the burn is superficial, often does not affect deep tissues, but severe. In case of electric shock, the surface of the skin is practically not disturbed, but a burn can affect tissues right down to the bones. In this regard, during an external examination, it is rather difficult to determine the degree of electric shock.


Alternating current causes more severe damage than direct current, since the muscles in the affected person contract, and he cannot detach from the current source.

Very severe forms of lesions are caused by exposure to high voltage currents - above 1000 V. In the event of a short circuit of such a circuit, the flash point reaches 20 thousand degrees. The victim's clothes catch fire, the body is severely affected.
If an electrocuted person develops an obvious edema at the point of contact, sensitivity changes, the muscles are tense, this indicates a deep passage of the current. The particles of muscle tissue destroyed by the current are excreted in the urine.

First aid
1. Stop the effect of current on the victim's body. To do this, you need to either turn off the current supply, or take a stick and push the victim away with it. Otherwise, you can get under stress yourself.
2. Closed heart massage ( if there is no pulse and breathing).
3. Artificial respiration.
4. The introduction of drugs that support the work of the heart.
5. Hospitalization.

Artificial respiration technique
The victim is placed on his back, on a rigid base. A cloth rolled up with a roller should be placed under the neck so that the head is slightly tilted back. This improves the flow of air into the respiratory system. A clean handkerchief is applied to the victim's mouth and the helper inhales air forcefully into his mouth. Immediately after this, three to four rhythmic pressing on the chest is done. This procedure should be performed within 10 minutes from the moment the breathing stops. Later actions will not be of any benefit, because brain cells begin to die from lack of oxygen.
Sometimes, after artificial respiration, the victim wakes up, but is in a state of shock. He can claim that everything is fine with him and demand to let him go home. However, in no case should you listen to his words.

Radiation injuries

This type of burn is not very common, as it develops under the influence of a source of radioactive particles. The degree of damage depends primarily on which particles affect the body. For example, alpha and beta cannot penetrate deep into the body. But gamma particles, X-ray and neutron fluxes shine through the entire body and affect all tissues that come across on the way.

There are four degrees of radiation burns. Fourth degree lesions are extremely rare.
First degree characterized by redness and desiccation of the skin, peeling of the upper layer of the skin.
Second degree: in addition to the above symptoms, puffiness is added, and the surface of the lesion becomes wet from dry.
In the third degree the skin becomes covered with ulcers, dead areas. Deeper tissue layers are also affected.
Fourth degree characterized by carbonization of tissues, destruction of sebaceous, sweat glands, hair follicles. In some places, the skin blisters.

First aid
1. Removal of the victim from the source of radiation.
2. Apply a disinfectant napkin to the burned areas of the body.
3. Send the victim to the hospital.

Radiation injuries of the first, second and third degrees usually go away on their own, even without any treatment. A fourth degree injury is a serious and life-threatening condition that requires urgent specialized medical attention.

Sunburn

Sunburn occurs when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time. First, the skin turns red, then a burn appears.
Parts of the body more susceptible to sun damage:
  • Chest and shoulders - after all, alone in the sun all the time,
  • Hands - Most often they are not treated with sunscreen. If they are processed, then they are quickly erased and washed off,
  • The nose is very thin skin, and besides, it is constantly under the rays,
  • The upper part of the foot - her - certainly no one treats with creams. And, by the way, she has very thin and delicate skin.
First aid
1. Get out of the open sun and into the shade immediately.
2. Apply a damp, cool cloth to the affected area. This will help relieve pain and itching.
3. Then you can treat the body with a lightweight moisturizer or a cooling spray ( conventional burn remedies are not suitable as they treat thermal injuries).
4. You can lie down in cool water.
5. Take a pain reliever ( paracetamol, ibuprofen).
6. If the swelling and redness is severe, antihistamines may be used.
7. To protect the skin and relieve discomfort - zinc oxide ointments.
8. If absolutely nothing of the medicines is at hand, you can treat the affected areas with kefir, milk or egg white.

Features of helping children

Unfortunately, burns are one of the most common injuries in children, and the number is growing. 95% of cases are burns with boiling water at home, boys are burned a little more often (59%).
  • When providing first aid to children, you need to take into account the possibility of hypothermia, therefore, the baby himself should be wrapped warmly, and the burn should be watered with water at a temperature of 18 - 22 degrees. This should be done as long as possible, but not less than 15 minutes,
  • It will not be superfluous for parents of babies to keep Panthenol aerosols or Olazol,
  • After cooling, the affected surface can be treated with one of them and a sterile dressing of several layers of gauze or bandage can be applied. She will help with the pain too
  • If a blister has formed, it cannot be cut. In the event that after a few days the edges of the blister turn red or pus appears inside it, the child must be shown to the doctor,
  • The sterile dressing is changed once a day. If it stuck, you must first irrigate it with a solution of furacilin or pale pink potassium permanganate. It is completely possible to remove the bandage when the wound is covered with a crust,
  • The baby should be given plenty of water, a sedative, pain reliever, and antihistamine. After that, be sure to call the "ambulance".

Traditional treatment

All alternative methods of treatment apply only to thermal burns of the first and second degrees, more severe lesions, as well as chemical and electrical ones, should be treated only under the guidance of a doctor. All of the recipes below are safe under the first condition.
1. Chop the potatoes on a grater, make a compress on the sore spot. Keep until it gets warm from the body.
2. Wash the affected area with strong tea brewing. You can take both green tea and black. The temperature of the tea should be 10-15 degrees.
3. Beat 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 yolk, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil ( you can take sea buckthorn oil). The compress is changed every 24 hours.
4. St. John's wort oil. Collect fresh flowers and add oil at the rate: for one part of flowers 2 parts of oil ( any vegetable). Keep in the closet for three weeks, strain through cheesecloth. Use for treating burns even on a large area. Apply compresses with oil to sore spots.
5. Treat the affected surface with toothpaste, leave for 60 minutes and rinse. Light thermal lesions are treated very quickly.
6. Grind dry underground parts of burdock. Pour 800 ml of boiling water over four tablespoons of raw materials and cook until half of the liquid has evaporated. Mix with butter in the proportion: 4 parts butter 1 part broth.
7. An ancient recipe for dandelions. Collect the dandelion heads, fill them with unrefined sunflower oil, cover the container with a cloth on top and keep in the sun for 21 days. Use on burns, wounds and dermatological diseases.
8. Grind the cabbage leaves taken closer to the stump through a meat grinder, add the same amount of protein from the chicken egg. Use for compresses.
9. 30 gr. steamed nettle 1 liter. boiling water. Leave for 3 hours, pass through a sieve. Use liquid for lotions.
10. Make compresses from freshly picked rose petals ( just not store-bought - they are treated with chemicals), change them from time to time.
11. 3 tbsp Pour boiling water over dried meadow clover flowers and use for lotions.
12. A strong decoction of oak bark is used to irrigate the affected surface.
13. Combine alcohol tincture of calendula with petroleum jelly in the proportion: for one part of the tincture, two parts of petroleum jelly. Treat the affected surface.
14. Take 100 gr. spruce resin, 100 gr. interior lard, 100g. natural wax. Put in a water bath until the ingredients are completely melted, mix. Before using this ointment, you should first wash your skin with lime water ( for 1 liter. water 1 tbsp. slaked lime), and then make a compress with ointment.
15. Apply pumpkin pulp to the affected area.
16. Boil a hard-boiled chicken egg, fry the yolks in a frying pan without fat until a stretchy substance, allow to cool and treat the burnt places with this substance.
17. Fry the raw yolk in oil until it burns. The fat that remains in the pan is the most effective remedy for thermal skin lesions.
18. Grind the rhubarb stalk through a meat grinder and combine with honey. Treat affected areas. Helps avoid scarring.
19. Dilute buckwheat flour with water to the state of kefir, coat the affected areas with the resulting mixture.
20. 100 g butter, 20 gr. flax oil, 40 gr. Combine natural beeswax, keep on fire for 25 minutes. Spread on a cotton cloth and apply to the affected area. Keep constantly, change once a day.
21. 30 gr. vegetable oil mix with 10 gr. melted natural wax. Warm up the mixture. After cooling, apply the ointment to a cotton cloth and apply to the affected area. Relieves pain very quickly. Keep in a cool place.
22. 50 gr. melt natural wax in a water bath, add 50 gr. fat of waterfowl. Mix well, remove from heat and beat in a raw egg, stir again. Spread the composition not directly on the skin, but on natural fabric, which should be applied to the affected area. Between dressings, you need to sprinkle powder from a ground streptocide tablet on sore spots.
23. Mix 25 grams of synthomycin liniment and the contents of 5 ampoules of novocaine. Do not use metal when stirring. Treat the affected areas as many times as you like without bandaging them. Keep at room temperature in a tightly stoppered jar.
24. 20 gr. Veronica officinalis, brew 200 ml of boiling water, hold until it cools completely. To do baths and irrigation of the affected areas.
25. 1 tbsp Crumple dry ivy leaves, add 500 ml of boiling water, hold on fire for 10 minutes, strain. Apply to compresses.
26. Take 2 tbsp. blueberry leaf and white lily and 1 tbsp each. St. John's wort and calendula. Add half a liter of vegetable oil and keep in the pantry for a week and a half. Use to treat affected areas.
27. The affected areas are smeared with honey. It eliminates pain, accelerates scar-free healing, and prevents blistering.
28. Grind aloe leaf in a meat grinder, make lotions with gruel twice a day.
29. 1 tbsp Pour 200 ml of boiling water over crushed eucalyptus leaves, hold in a water bath for half an hour, allow to cool and use for compresses.

Prophylaxis

The overwhelming majority of thermal burns happen in everyday life. Therefore, at home you should adhere to the following rules:
  • Never smoke while lying in bed
  • Install a smoke alarm in the kitchen, near the stove or fireplace, in the bedroom. The batteries in the smoke catcher need to be checked!
  • Explain to all family members: where to run in case of fire, as well as what to do if clothes catch fire,

  • It would be nice to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. In the event that oil has caught fire in the pan, you need to simmer it by closing the pan tightly with a lid or covering it with a saucepan on top,
  • Heat the water in the boiler no more than up to 50 degrees, check the water temperature before immersion in the bath,
  • Keep all household chemicals in separate boxes,
  • Use grounding when connecting outlets, and also choose the correct fuses so that there is no overload of networks and short circuits,
  • Do not keep waste paper in the apartment,
  • Use all gas equipment very carefully, observing all safety precautions,
  • Remove lighters and matches away from babies. When preparing food, turn the handles of the pans towards the wall so that the child cannot tip them over. Light the burners located against the wall, which are farther from the children. Prohibit babies from playing with heating devices ( hairdryer, styling tongs, heating pad),
  • You should not hold the baby in your arms and drink hot liquid at the same time,
  • If there is a preschooler in the house, put cups of tea as far as possible from the edge of the table. There is also a danger if the ends of the tablecloth hang from the table. For them, the child can pull and turn hot on himself,
  • All electrical wires must be kept out of the reach of children. Attempting to chew on the cord may burn your mouth.
  • It is better if the children's clothes are not very easily flammable,
  • For fireplaces you need to make screens,
  • When working with chemical reagents, all safety measures should be strictly observed,
  • When working in hot shops, you should be careful and follow the safety rules,
  • To prevent sunburn, you need to use protective creams with a high filter, and also do not sunbathe from 11 to 15 hours.

Which doctor should I go to for burns?

Depending on the severity, localization, as well as the nature of the burn (temperature, chemical, etc.), it may be necessary to consult doctors of various specialties who are involved in the treatment of the resulting damage to tissues and organs.

So, if the burn is temperature, that is, it was caused by hot steam, boiling water, oil, splashed metal, etc., then you must immediately call an ambulance or independently get to the nearest hospital in cases where the victim was a child or an elderly person ( over 65), when the victim is unconscious or stupor, when the area of ​​the burn is more than five palms, when the burn is in the groin, head, mouth, nose, eyes, respiratory system, or when both hands or feet are burned. In other cases, with a temperature burn of the skin, respiratory / digestive organs, it is necessary to contact combustiologist (sign up)(to a burn specialist). But if it is impossible to get to a combustiologist (such specialists work only in large medical centers), then you should contact surgeon (sign up) or traumatologist (sign up)... If a temperature burn is localized near the eyes, then you should also contact ophthalmologist (sign up), if there is a burn of the oral cavity, then it is necessary to visit dentist (sign up).

If you receive a chemical burn (acid, alkali, vapors of a caustic substance, etc.), and the victim is unconscious, or breathes superficially, or the area of ​​the burn is more than 7.5 cm, if the pain is not relieved with ibuprofen / paracetamol, and also if the lesion is localized in the area of ​​the eyes, face, groin, buttocks, arms, legs, large joints, then you should immediately call an ambulance. Also, an ambulance must be called if a chemical has entered the body, for example, it has been drunk, swallowed, inhaled, etc. If it is impossible to call the ambulance team, then you should get to the nearest hospital on your own as soon as possible. In other cases, in case of a chemical burn of the skin or organs of the digestive / respiratory tract, it is necessary to consult a surgeon or traumatologist, in case of a burn of the oral cavity - to a dentist, in case of an eye burn - to an ophthalmologist.

When a burn is received due to exposure to a radiation source, you must call an ambulance, informing about the causes of the burn. If it is impossible to call an ambulance, you should independently get to the admission department of the nearest hospital and inform the doctors about the incident and the causes of the burn. In the past, all victims of radiation radiation were sent to clinics of military medical academies, and now, in case of radiation injury, they are also sent to specialized centers, which are not always located in military medical institutions. As a rule, such centers are located in large cities, where the nearest hospital to which the victim applies will refer him.

When a burn is caused by electric shock, you should always call an ambulance or go to the admission department of the nearest hospital yourself.

If you receive a burn with iodine, essential oil or as a result of contact with a jellyfish, then you should contact a surgeon or traumatologist as soon as possible. If there is a sunburn, then you can contact doctor-therapist (sign up).

What tests and examinations can a doctor prescribe for burns?

With different localization and nature of burns, the doctor may prescribe different tests and examinations, which in each specific case are necessary to determine the severity of the general condition, the degree of the burn, as well as the extent of the lesion and the risk of possible complications.

So, with a mild temperature, chemical, iodine, essential oil, solar or electrical burn of the skin, the doctor usually limits himself to a thorough examination of the affected area of ​​the skin and the appointment of the following tests:
blood test)

  • test with fluorescein.
    • These special ocular examinations are necessary to assess the condition and degree of damage to the tissues of the eye, as well as to determine its functional viability.

    If there is a burn of the oral cavity of any nature (temperature, chemical, etc.), then usually the doctor is limited to prescribing only general tests and examinations necessary to assess the state of the victim's body.

    If a burn of any nature (temperature, chemical, etc.) is localized on the respiratory organs (due to inhalation of vapors, etc.), then an X-ray with a contrast agent is necessarily prescribed, bronchoscopy (sign up), general blood and urine tests, biochemical blood test, coagulogram, blood ionogram.

    If the burn is localized in the area of ​​the digestive system (due to the ingestion of chemicals, hot liquids, for example, oil, etc.), then the doctor prescribes a general blood test, a general urine test, a coagulogram, an ionogram, a biochemical blood test, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (sign up), X-ray with contrast agent of the esophagus, stomach (sign up), duodenal, small and large intestine (sign up), Ultrasound of internal organs, and sometimes as an additional method and tomography, allowing to identify damage with high accuracy.

    If there is a radiation burn, the doctor prescribes a wide range of different examinations in order to find out the condition, degree of damage and functional consistency of internal organs. In cases of radiation burn, in addition to Ultrasound (sign up), X-ray, tomography, blood and urine tests, can be prescribed bone marrow puncture (sign up) and other specific studies.

    Before use, you must consult a specialist.

    The severity of a burn injury depends on the depth of the injury, its area, localization, and the duration of exposure to the damaging factor. The most dangerous damaging properties are flame and steam under pressure. In these cases, burns of the upper respiratory tract and eyes may occur.

    Burns are distinguished by degrees:

    1st degree burns called superficial. There is redness of the skin, swelling and burning pain in the area of ​​the burn. These manifestations disappear within 3-6 days, then peeling of the skin begins and pigmentation remains.
    2nd degree burns characterized by blisters (blisters). In the area of ​​the burn injury, bubbles appear immediately or after a while as a result of the exfoliation of the surface layer of the skin. The bubbles are filled with liquid and burst over time. This whole process is accompanied by severe pain in the area of ​​the burn, even after the bladder bursts. If the 2nd degree burn is not infected, the cure occurs in 10-15 days.
    3rd degree burns associated with necrosis (necrosis) of the deep layers of the skin. After such burns, a scar remains.
    At burns of 4 degrees necrosis of the skin and deeper tissues (charring) occurs. Damage can affect subcutaneous fatty tissue, muscles, tendons, bones.

    A feature of grade 3 and 4 burns is slow healing.

    First aid for burns

    First aid for any burns, first of all, consists in elimination of the cause - damaging factor. The next actions would be aseptic dressing to prevent infection, shock prevention ,transportation to a medical institution. All actions must be performed with caution, avoiding damage to the skin:
    extinguishing burning clothes;

    The first aid provider's job is to applying a dry aseptic dressing in order to prevent infection of the burn injury. A sterile bandage or an individual bag is used for dressing. If these products are not available, you can use a plain cotton cloth, ironed or dampened with an antiseptic. Antiseptic solutions can be ethyl alcohol, potassium permanganate, ethacridine lactate (rivanol), vodka.

    What not to do:
    1. Touch the burn with your hands;
    2. Pierce the blister;
    3. Flush the burn injury;
    4. Tear off adhered clothing;
    5. Lubricate the burn with oil, grease, petroleum jelly (will lead to infection, complicates the initial surgical treatment of the injury).
    With burns of 2, 3 and 4 degrees, it quickly occurs shock... The victim must be laid down, covered, because if thermoregulation is disturbed, he will shiver. It is necessary to give the patient plenty of fluids to make up for the loss of circulating blood volume. To relieve pain, narcotic analgesics (promedol, morphine, omnopon) are used. It is advised to give the patient coffee or tea with wine, a little vodka.
    To determine the area of ​​the burn, the palm rule is most often used:

    1 victim's palm = 1% of the body ,

    a burn of the respiratory tract is taken equal to 30% of a 1st degree burn.

    For extensive burns the patient is wrapped in a clean sheet, immobility of the damaged area is ensured (immobilization), and transported to a hospital.

    Incendiary mixtures

    From civil defense materials, we know about incendiary mixtures and substances such as napalm used in the armies of Russia and foreign countries (termite, electron, phosphorus, pyrogel, incendiary liquids).
    Burns caused by incendiary mixtures, unlike burns caused by other factors, heal more slowly, after which rough scars form. Often, these burns lead to disability. Compared to other burns, these cause burn disease with less trauma.

    Termite - mixtures containing iron oxides and ignition compounds. Burns almost without flame.
    It is unacceptable to use a very small amount of water when extinguishing the termite, because this mixture decomposes water to oxygen and hydrogen, forming an oxyhydrogen gas (explosive mixture).

    "Electron" - alloys containing magnesium in the base, as well as a small percentage of aluminum, zinc, manganese and iron.
    "Electron" burns with a dazzlingly bright, bluish-white flame at very high temperatures (2500 - 3000 ° C).
    Termite and electronic incendiary bombs extinguish without much problem. They are covered with sand, thrown from the roofs of buildings to the ground with shovels, placed in a barrel of water.

    Napalm - a mixture of various grades of gasoline or kerosene with a thickener (aluminum soap), which burns at a temperature of 800-1200 ° C, forming many toxic substances. Mostly carbon monoxide is produced when napalm is burned. Burns with a red flame. If napalm gets on your clothes, you need to quickly throw them off. The flame is knocked down with sand, water, and pressed to the ground. Under running water, napalm can splatter and increase the area of ​​damage; it is better to immerse the affected part of the body in water. Napalm burn injuries are mainly grade 3 and 4.
    Tissues that have died from napalm burns are brown-gray in color, the skin around them reddens, swells, blisters with bloody fluid are formed. When the face is affected, a person does not see anything, the eyelids are very swollen. Such burn injuries are accompanied by suppuration, the pain from this is stronger, the temperature rises, the pulse quickens, in the blood - anemia and leukocytosis. Healing is very slow.

    Pyrogel - a mixture of condensed gasoline with compounds of magnesium and asphalt (or resin). It burns like napalm, but at higher temperatures. Due to the fact that the pyrogel sticks to clothes, skin and everything that it gets on, it is difficult to extinguish it.

    White phosphorus - forms smoke even at room temperature, spontaneously ignites in air, burns with a yellow flame.
    Phosphorus burns have a garlic smell, glow in the dark, and smoke when the burn crust is broken. White phosphorus is poisonous, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, causing serious disorders of the nervous, cardiovascular system, liver, and kidneys. Phosphorus is extinguished by pouring water over it, applying a wet bandage. Chemically "neutralize" phosphorus with a 2% solution of copper sulfate, 5% potassium permanganate, 3% hydrogen peroxide in a saturated solution of baking soda.

    Due to the complexity of the production of incendiary mixtures such as napalm at "home" conditions, they make more simple-to-prepare mixtures, for example, a Molotov cocktail, cacodile.

    Cacodile made from butyl alcohol, replacing oxygen with arsenic. The container with the cacodile explodes on impact on a hard surface, giving off white thick smoke of a deadly poison - arsenic. After inhalation, death occurs within a few minutes.
    Molotov cocktail prepared from 2/3 of gasoline, oil and other flammable liquids (alcohol, kerosene, acetone, etc.) The liquid is poured into a bottle, a wick is made, which is set on fire. The flame from a Molotov cocktail cannot be extinguished with water. In the absence of a fire extinguisher, you need to use sand, roll on the ground, use a dense natural fabric to block the access of oxygen to the flame.

    Radiation burns

    In the conditions of hostilities, burns are often accompanied by mechanical injuries and radiation injuries. The area of ​​the burn injury can be contaminated with radioactive substances, which greatly complicates and slows down healing.
    In a nuclear explosion light energy is released, causing direct (primary) burns, as well as secondary injuries that occur when clothing is ignited. Numerous fires occur in the seat of a nuclear explosion. A bright light flash of a nuclear explosion burns the eyes (eyelids, cornea and retina), often leads to temporary or permanent loss of vision, corneal opacity.

    If the area of ​​the burn from a nuclear explosion is 10-15% of body surface, burn shock may occur. At first, the burned person is very excited, then the excitement is replaced by inhibition of the central nervous system. There is nausea and vomiting, the patient is thirsty, because the volume of circulating blood is sharply reduced, which also leads to a decrease in urine output. The victim has chills, tremors, symptoms of poisoning due to the release of toxic substances into the blood.
    First aid in case of burns from a nuclear explosion, it differs in that the victim must be put on a gas mask and sooner delivered to a hospital after all the usual actions for burns. Here the situation is complicated by combined injuries - a combination of injuries, burn injuries, contusions with the action of penetrating radiation and radioactive substances.

    Each of us probably has some idea of ​​how to render. However, not everyone knows how to properly help the victim.

    According to medical data, more than 11 million medical visits for burns are registered in the world every year. In Ukraine, about 100,000 people a year face this problem. According to statistics, they rank second among the causes of death from injuries, second only to road traffic accidents. In this regard, everyone should know about the rules of first aid for burns, which can save the lives of victims.

    Five important rules for first aid

    First, pull yourself together and don't panic. When helping yourself or a stranger, it is important to do everything "with a cold mind." The sooner you begin to provide first aid, the smaller the area and depth of the burn will be.

    Rule # 1. Eliminate the source of the burn

    First of all, you need to eliminate the source of the burn as soon as possible. If a person's clothes are on fire, then the flame must be extinguished by any available means: throw a blanket or coat over the person, and then quickly lay him on his back so that the fire does not spread to the head. The victim can also be doused with water.

    Rule # 2. Cool the damaged area

    After the source of the burn has been removed, the affected area must be cooled. To reduce the temperature and relieve the burning sensation, the place of the 1st and 2nd degree burns should be watered with cold water for at least 10-15 minutes. Ice cannot be used in this situation, since it can only aggravate traumatic damage to the skin. A soft bandage previously soaked in cold water should be applied to a grade 3 and 4 burn. As the dressing dries, cold water can be added.

    Rule # 3. Disinfection of a burn wound

    If you have an antiseptic, a bandage with an antiseptic solution should be applied to the burn after cooling. This is necessary to prevent the addition of a secondary infection. Burn injuries are especially susceptible to various pathogenic bacteria, so it is imperative to avoid this complication. Remember that this bandage cannot be applied to the skin of the face. In this case, the burn site can be irrigated with spray guns or antiseptic sprays.

    Rule # 4. Call an ambulance

    After providing first aid for burns, you must call an ambulance. Before the arrival of the doctors, provide the patient with a plentiful drink, you can give him warm (not hot!) Tea or 1-2 glasses of water with one teaspoon of soda diluted in it. The patient needs rest, it is advisable to put him to bed and give him an anesthetic.

    Rule # 5. The use of anti-burn agents.

    The most effective assistance to the victim can be provided if there is “at hand” special first aid equipment for burns.

    Currently, due to the increased need for such means, both in burn departments and on the front line, officially registered innovative first aid for burns, developed in Australia, have appeared in Ukraine.

    Given the prevalence of burn injuries in their country, the Australian company Rye Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd ... has developed a series of innovative products Burnaid intended for first aid for burns.

    In Ukraine, the product line is represented by the trade mark of the joint production of Rye Pharmaceuticals with the Ukrainian pharmaceutical plant Technolog includes:

    1.First aid kits with burns at home: Sterile dressings Burnaid Pechaevskie impregnated with a special gel in size 10 x 10 cm and 3 sachets with gel. These products have a fast cooling, analgesic and antiseptic effect.

    2.First aid kits Burnaid Pechaevsky intended for the treatment of extensive superficial and deep burns, often used in hospital conditions: sterile dressings impregnated with gel in sizes: 10x10 cm; 20x20 cm, 55x40 cm (for the back or other large areas of the body) and face masks measuring 40x30 cm (allow you to cover burns of the face, neck, ears.)

    Funds Burnaid Pechaevsky help to quickly cool the burn site, relieve pain, have an antiseptic effect, prevent further tissue damage and promote early wound healing.

    Active components of funds Burnaid Pechaevsky are hydrogel and tea tree oil. The hydrogel provides reliable cooling and moisturizing and pain relief of the wound, while tea tree oil acts as an antiseptic with anesthetic and anti-inflammatory effects.

    The indisputable advantage of Burnaid Pechaevsky products is their complex effect on a burn wound, and they are also very convenient to use. The presence of such means "at hand" will allow you to quickly and effectively provide first aid in case of a burn.

    Burns are serious physical and mental injuries: their receipt is accompanied by severe pain and injuries of varying severity, and after healing, reminding traces remain on the skin for a long time.

    Timely and correctly provided first aid in case of skin burns will minimize its damage.

    First aid for burns of the hand.

    Often, victims do not know what first aid for burns is provided in case of exposure to boiling water, steam, sunlight, and so on. People do not know what to do when they receive this kind of damage and are wasting valuable time. First aid rules differ depending on the type of injury, its degree and the area of ​​the lesion.

    The most common causes of this type of injury are:

    • Fire
    • Hot water and steam
    • Electric shock
    • Hot things
    • Flammable liquids and substances
    • Hot gas and gaseous substances
    • Irradiation
    First degree skin burn

    The degree of burns: what are they and how to provide first aid for a burn

    Depending on the severity and depth of the lesion, the following types of skin damage are distinguished:

    • - one of the mildest forms of burns, in which the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) is injured.
      Signs of a first degree burn: redness appears on the skin, it begins to peel off, moderate pain, swelling and burning are possible. A typical example of a 1st degree burn is sunburned skin.

      Help with 1st degree burns: the injured skin area must be held under cold running water for 10-12 minutes. To speed up the process of restoring the skin, you can pick up an anti-burn ointment, cream or gel. As a rule, with proper care, this form of a burn goes away in 3-5 days.

    • Second degree- a more severe form of burn than the first, but related to superficial burns.

      Signs of a 2nd degree burn: With a second degree burn, there is redness, swelling, burning pain, itching, blistering, filled with liquid.

      Help with a 2nd degree burn the same as for a 1st degree burn - cool the affected area with cold running water (10-12 minutes). If the burn is chemical, break contact with the substance as soon as possible. If blisters have formed, then you need to contact a specialist - you cannot open the blisters with a burn yourself, since there is a risk of infection. Burn medications can be used to speed up recovery. On average, the affected skin area heals in 2-3 weeks. If an infection has been introduced, the recovery process will take longer.

    • Third degree burn- refers to deep burns and is characterized by severe damage not only to the outer, but also to the inner layer of the skin.

      Signs of a 3rd degree burn: severe pain, burn blisters, the formation of a dry crust, necrosis (necrosis) of the skin, hemorrhage, general weakness of the body, possibly fainting or fainting, burn shock. A 3rd degree burn can be obtained by direct contact with fire, chemicals, hot metal, etc.

      Help with 3rd degree burns: stop contact with the damaging factor, call an ambulance, before its arrival: provide the victim with an influx of fresh air, cover the burn site with a sterile napkin or cloth, monitor the pulse and the general condition of the person - in case of a third-degree burn, in no case should the victim be left alone until the arrival of doctors. The recovery process takes place strictly under the supervision of doctors, its duration depends on many factors (for example, on the depth and severity of the lesion, the presence of infection, the age of the victim), but in any case it is more than a month.

    • Fourth degree burn- refers to deep burns, classified as the most severe degree. In addition to the skin, it can affect muscles, ligaments, nerves, and bones.

      Signs of a 4th degree burn: skin charring, dry skin crust, burn shock, high blood pressure, nausea. A 4th degree burn can rarely be obtained in a domestic environment, most often through direct contact with fire or chemical compounds, or by electric shock.

      Help with a 4th degree burn: as with a 3rd degree burn, it is necessary to isolate the victim from the source of the injury and immediately call an ambulance. With a 4th degree burn, only doctors can provide the necessary qualified assistance. The time that the recovery process will take depends on many factors: how quickly medical assistance was provided, the depth of the lesion, etc. Recovery can take several years.

    In addition to the extent and depth of the injury, the severity of the injury depends on the area of ​​the affected skin. The area of ​​the burnt surface is determined by the “rule of the hand” (for minor damage) or by the “rule of nines”.

    In the first case, use your hand as the unit of measurement. It is believed that the skin on the palm makes up 1% of the total skin area of ​​the body. Carefully, without putting your palm to the wound itself, bring your hand to the affected area and measure the size of the burned area.


    Providing medical care for a burn

    According to the "rule of nines", the entire surface of the body is conventionally divided into anatomical regions that are multiples of nine:

    • Head and neck - 9%
    • Torso - 36%
    • Hands - 9% each
    • Legs - 18% each
    • Perineum and genitals - 1%

    In children, these criteria depend on their age.

    When is first aid required for burns?

    It is possible to provide first aid for skin burns at home only if it is damage of 1-2 degrees, for example. In the case when the affected area has an area of ​​more than 5 cm, the damage is painful and multiple blisters are formed, you should consult a doctor.


    Thermal burn on the arm.

    In case of serious injuries of grade 2 and higher, as well as when more than 10-15% of the body is burned, the victim is immediately hospitalized. Call the medical team and wait for their arrival with the victim.

    How to provide first aid for burns and not harm?


    How to properly provide first aid for a burn
    • Some types of injury (such as electric shock) can cause the person to faint. You cannot move or carry an unconscious victim without first checking him for pulse, breathing and fractures.
    • You cannot process the burnt place with any available means if you are not sure of the need for their use. For example, there is an opinion that it is good to smear the burnt areas with sour cream and butter. This is not so - a greasy environment can only exacerbate the situation, because disrupts heat transfer on the surface of the skin, and after heat exposure, its temperature is already increased.
    • You cannot try to clean the wound yourself if you do not have sterile bandages. Never cover the wound with cotton wool or lint-leaving tissue.
    • Do not bandage if you are not sure exactly how to do it. If you do decide to apply a bandage, you cannot make it tight. A severely overtightened scalded area may swell.
    • A tourniquet cannot be applied if there is no open wound from which blood flows. The tourniquet can lead to the death of the affected tissue and further amputation of the burned limb.
    • Do not pierce the bladders, as this can cause infection.
    • Do not tear off clothes that have adhered to wounds without first soaking them. And it's better not to touch it at all until the doctors arrive.

    First aid for skin burns - video

    The company "VERTEX" is not responsible for the accuracy of the information presented in this video clip. A source - Julia T

    Keep in mind: first aid for burns should be provided depending on the type of source that caused the injury. Different types of injury mean different actions.

    It is good if you not only are able to independently determine the degree of damage, but also help the victim before the arrival of doctors. Sometimes these actions will prevent further complications and keep the person healthy.

    Boiling water burn - first aid

    First of all, if a person is burned with boiling water through clothes, they must be removed. For minor lesions with boiling water, keep the affected area under a thin stream of cold (not ice-cold) water for 10 minutes. Do not put ice on it. Try to avoid contact of the damaged area with clothing, jewelry. Apply a sterile dressing to the burned area.

    Remember! If blisters have formed at the site of damage and it hurts a lot, be sure to consult a doctor. Do not open blisters yourself to avoid infection.

    First aid rules for thermal skin burns


    First aid for burns: basic rules

    In addition to the possibility of scalding with hot water, other dangers lie in wait for us in domestic conditions: you can burn yourself from an open fire, hot oil (the boiling point of oil is 500 ° C and it is thicker than water, therefore it lingers on the skin for a long time), from a hot frying pan or a steam burn from an iron. In all these cases, when providing first aid, follow these steps:

    • Remove the heat source: put out the fire, move the hot objects away from the victim.
    • Try to remove clothing from the damaged area if it has not adhered to the burned area or entered an open wound.
    • In case of injuries of 1-2 degrees, provide cooling of the damaged area - place the limb under a stream of cold running water and hold for 5-7 minutes. This will relieve pain and reduce the spread of the lesion. Or make cold compresses, changing them regularly (gauze or a clean kerchief dipped in ice water will do). After cooling, apply panthenol to the skin and cover with a sterile bandage.
    • For grade 3-4 injuries with deep skin lesions and charring of the extremities, simply apply a sterile bandage to the injury site and wait for the arrival of doctors. Pain medication can be given to a conscious victim.

    Ambulance for burns by fire

    First of all, before providing first aid for burns with fire, it is necessary to extinguish the flame: pour water on the burning person, wrap it in a blanket or outerwear. The victim should not be in smoldering clothing: the high temperature continues to negatively affect the skin. Therefore, cut and remove the clothing without peeling off the adhering fabric.

    Apply a dry, sterile bandage to the damaged surface - you can wrap the burned person in a clean sheet. If the victim is conscious, regularly drink plenty of fluids.


    Burn of the hand.

    First aid for burns with chemicals

    Most often, such injuries occur at work, but at home you can burn yourself with chemicals if you carelessly handle some substances: acetic acid, cleaning agents with a high alkali content, undiluted hydrogen peroxide.

    • The peculiarity of such injuries is that the chemicals penetrate deeply into the skin and, even after removal from the surface, continue to act. Therefore, when providing first aid, try not to touch the damaged area so as not to increase the affected area.
    • Compresses will not work; it is better to place the burned area under a stream of cold water for 20 minutes.
    • Chemicals are neutralized in different ways: for example, when exposed to acid, the damaged area should be sprinkled with soda or soapy water, while the area affected by the alkaline composition should be washed with a weak solution of vinegar or acetic acid.
    • After neutralizing the effect of the chemical, you can cover the affected area with a sterile bandage or cloth.

    First aid for burns: procedure

    First aid for burns of the larynx and esophagus

    Often, such incidents occur if the victim drinks a chemical liquid by mistake, confusing it with a safe one. Usually, acetic acid, ammonia, iodine become the cause of damage to the larynx and esophagus.

    The first signs of damage to the larynx are shortness of breath, shortness of breath. If the chemical gets into the stomach, the victim will develop abdominal pain and vomiting mixed with blood.

    First aid for burns of the mucous membrane of the larynx and esophagus should be provided depending on the nature of the liquid drunk. In case of damage with alkalis, the victim should be given a weak solution of acid (citric, acetic), if exposed to acids, an alkali solution (baking soda). Inducing vomiting is undesirable, as if the chemical passes through the burned larynx repeatedly, this can exacerbate the severity of the injury.

    After providing feasible first aid, you need to transfer the patient to specialists as soon as possible: they will wash the stomach with a probe.

    First aid rules for skin burns from the sun

    The negative impact of the sun's rays is dangerous because it is not immediately noticeable. At the time of exposure to the sun, the skin heats up, so we do not feel that "enough is enough." If your skin is red and blistered, painful to the touch, and very hot, you have sunburn.


    Sunburn instead of a beautiful tan.

    In this case, you can help the person at home. Such lesions are classified as grade 1 lesions, less often grade 2 lesions with blistering.

    • Get out of the sun immediately into a cool place or shade.
    • Apply a cold, wet cloth to the affected area for pain relief and cooling, or lie down in cool water.
    • Treat the affected area with special products: use panthenol, after-sun cooling sprays, light moisturizers. Perfect for these purposes. The product relieves irritation and burning of the skin. Natural plant ingredients allow you to achieve maximum benefits from the application: the skin is moisturized, the surface is smoothed.
    • You can take pain relievers if you are in severe pain. Observe your condition: the appearance of edema, nausea, weakness, dizziness can indicate both sunstroke and an allergic reaction. In this case, you should consult a doctor.

    First aid for electric burns

    Electric shock can occur due to touching bare wires, wet metal contacts, with a lightning strike, during electric welding. It is sometimes quite difficult to determine the degree and depth of the lesion, since in some cases the electric shock affects the deep tissues, leaving practically no marks on the skin.

    First aid for electric burns should be provided immediately, since this type of injury is very dangerous. Due to the fact that the affected area of ​​the body temporarily loses sensitivity, the victim may not attach due importance to the injury. However, with deep electric shock, it is possible not only to receive thermal damage, but also to dysfunctions of internal organs, as well as to change the composition of the blood. The victim is required to be taken to the hospital immediately, and before the arrival of the doctors, a series of actions should be taken to provide first aid:

    • Open the circuit. Please note: do not touch the victim with bare hands, as you also risk being affected by the current. To open the circuit, you need to pull the cord out of the socket or push the person under voltage away with a wooden or rubber (never metal) object.
    • Check your pulse rate and heart rate. If breathing and pulse are absent, perform chest compressions and artificial respiration.
    • Place the person so that the body is above the head. To do this, you can use a rolled-up blanket placed under your lower body.

    First aid for burns by rays

    Radiation injuries occur as a result of exposure to X-ray radiation, gamma radiation, neutrons.

    First aid for burns caused by rays should include the following actions:

    • It is necessary to remove the victim from the radiation range as soon as possible.
    • Call a medical team.
    • Before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to rinse the exposed parts of the body with soap and water. Then take off your clothes and help take a warm soapy shower.

    First aid for skin burns in children

    Such lesions are among the most common in children: a very large percentage is accounted for by damage caused by boiling water, hot objects and sunlight.

    The upper layer of the skin (epidermis) is formed in children gradually, the protective cover of the child cannot perform all functions fully. Baby's skin is delicate, thin, easily susceptible to mechanical and thermal damage. In addition, children do not tolerate pain well and cannot tolerate itching. Therefore, young patients need to be treated especially carefully.

    • When giving first aid to children, keep in mind that the child should not be overcooled. Therefore, when pouring water on a burnt place, it should not be icy, and it is better to wrap the baby himself.
    • Give your child a sedative and pain reliever. Drink water regularly.
    • Do not allow your child to burst blisters or scratch the damaged area.
    • Use for burn treatment. Products of the La-Cree series do not contain hormones and provide delicate care for baby skin.

    Traditional methods of first aid

    Traditional medicine knows dozens of ways to provide first aid for burns. Some of them are very effective, so they can be used if the necessary special medicines are not at hand. However, it should be borne in mind that the following folk recipes can only be used for thermal damage of 1 and 2 degrees - with more serious forms of damage, the victim must be urgently taken to a hospital or called doctors at home. The same applies to chemical, radiation and electrical injuries - they should also be treated only under the supervision of a specialist.

    So, what traditional medicines are suitable for providing first aid for burns?

    • Potato gruel. Peel the raw potato tuber, wash and grate or grind with a blender. Apply the resulting gruel to the lesion site and keep for about 10 minutes.
    • Egg white. Separate the white from the yolk and grease the burned area liberally.
    • Oak bark. Prepare a strong decoction of oak bark and use it to wipe the damaged areas of the body.
    • Welding. Brew strong black or green tea, cool to room temperature. Apply compresses from a bandage soaked in the infusion to the damaged areas.
    • Toothpaste. If there are no other products at hand, it is recommended to apply a layer of toothpaste to the burned area. It contains oils of mint, eucalyptus and other plants that have a cooling effect. It is recommended to wash off the paste after an hour.
    • Cabbage leaf. Separate the leaf from the cabbage head, rinse it and apply to the affected area. Hold until the sheet heats up from the body, then attach the next one.
    • Indoor aloe. Cut off the aloe leaf, rinse and cut lengthwise. Apply to the damaged area. For convenience, you can fix it with an adhesive plaster, since the aloe juice is quite slippery and the leaf can slide off.
    • Clover flowers. Pour boiling water over dried or fresh clover heads (3 tablespoons). When the liquid has cooled, apply as a lotion.
    • Pumpkin. Grind or grate the pumpkin pulp in a meat grinder, then apply to the burnt places.

    The above means are effective only as the very first aid for burns - that is, during the period when fatty compositions cannot be applied to them due to the formation of a film on the burned surface. Means containing vegetable or animal fat are used a few days after injury for the speedy tissue regeneration. Below is a list of fat-based folk recipes that can be used during this period:

    • Chicken yolk oil. Boil the eggs hard-boiled, separate the yolks from the whites and fry in a dry frying pan until they begin to melt. You can also string them on skewers and bring them up to a candle flame. Collect the yolks that have begun to melt into a container, knead with a fork and apply to the burnt areas.
    • Spruce resin ointment. To prepare the ointment, combine the interior lard, spruce resin and beeswax, taken in equal proportions, and melt in a water bath. To accelerate skin regeneration, it is recommended to pre-wash the affected area with lime water, then apply an ointment and cover it with a clean cotton cloth.
    • Combine one part of calendula tincture with two parts of petroleum jelly. Apply to the burnt area.

    "La-Cree" products to accelerate the regeneration of burnt skin

    For the affected skin to recover faster, apply La-Cree cream on it. The product contains panthenol, violet extract, which relieve inflammation and promote cell regeneration. The cream not only removes the symptoms of thermal, chemical and other types of lesions, but also accelerates the healing process.

    The speed of recovery from burns directly depends on how quickly and correctly the victim was assisted. What is the first aid for burns?

    How does a burn affect the body?

    A burn is damage to body tissues caused by exposure to hot objects or flames, liquids or steam, electrical discharge, acids or alkalis.

    The most dangerous are injuries caused by open flames, steam, electrical discharge and explosive mixtures.

    Any burn causes excruciating pain; with extensive injuries, the victim experiences a painful shock, his general condition worsens.

    Even if the victim is removed from the source of danger, high temperatures or corrosive liquids continue to be exposed inside the tissues. Therefore, first aid for burns consists in a long, for 15 minutes, rinsing the damaged area of ​​the skin with cold water - to stop the process of tissue decay.

    Often, the victim himself, suffering from unbearable pain, interferes with providing first aid. It is recommended to give the patient any analgesic as soon as possible, give him warm sweet tea or coffee, and lay him down comfortably.

    How to assess the risk of burns

    The area of ​​the burn is assessed using the palm of the hand.

    The area of ​​the palm is equal to 1% of the area of ​​the general human skin.

    Doctors divide burns into four categories

    1st degree

    Damage to the upper stratum corneum of the epidermis, in which the skin turns red and swells. The victim is in severe pain. Recovery can be expected in 3-7 days.

    2nd degree

    The upper layer of the epidermis is completely destroyed. The integument is of a pronounced red color, a blister is formed on the damaged tissues, filled with a translucent liquid. The burn causes severe pain. Recovery occurs after 10-15 days.

    Grade 3

    Damage to the deep layers of the epidermis, which is accompanied by the formation of scabs. With a grade III A burn, the lower layers of the epidermis are not damaged; a grade III B burn reaches the upper layers of adipose tissue.

    4 degree

    Carbonization of the skin, soft tissues and (not always) bones occurs.
    Burns of III B and 4 degrees require skin grafting, in other cases the skin is restored on its own.
    Injuries of degree 3-4 cause pain shock and a sharp deterioration in the general condition of the victim. After the initial treatment of the burn and taking an analgesic, such a patient should be completely immobile and, if possible, not disturb him.

    First aid for burns

    First aid is provided for burns, depending on the source that caused tissue damage.

    • Call for medical attention.
    • Give the victim an analgesic, sedative.
    • Give the patient a warm drink.
    • It is convenient to lay the patient down, cover him with a blanket - hypothermia creates an additional health hazard.

    Open flame

    If clothes catch fire, you need to throw a coat, blanket, blanket over the victim - to stop the access of oxygen to the flame. You can pour cold water on a burning person, cover it with sand, or roll it on the ground.

    Usually, after the flame is extinguished, clothing continues to smolder, causing new injuries. Therefore, it is necessary to remove burnt clothing.

    If the fabric is stuck to the body, it cannot be torn off. Clothes are cut with scissors or poured over with water to completely stop burning.

    Wounds are poured over with cold water for 15 minutes or more, then a disinfected bandage is applied. In case of extensive damage, a person is wrapped in a sterile cloth: an ironed sheet or a cloth soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, alcohol, vodka.

    The patient should be placed in a warm place and not moved until the arrival of doctors. It is advisable to immediately give the patient an analgesic, drink warm tonic drinks.

    Acid

    With an acid burn, the affected area has clear boundaries, and the color of the epidermis depends on the type of caustic liquid.

    • Sulfuric acid - the black or brown surface of the epidermis;
    • salt - yellow;
    • nitric - yellowish-green or yellow-brown;
    • concentrated hydrogen peroxide - white;
    • borohydrides - gray.

    Acid, getting on the skin, continues to corrode soft tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately remove acid-soaked clothing and rinse the wound under a stream of cold water for at least a quarter of an hour. Then the wound is washed with alkaline solutions: soapy water or soda solution (baking soda is dissolved in a glass of water - a teaspoon). After this treatment, an antiseptic dressing is applied to the wound.

    Alkali

    Alkaline burns are much more dangerous and painful than acid burns. Occurs when caustic soda or potassium, ammonia or quicklime comes into contact with the skin. The surface of the damaged skin looks like a dirty green oozing scab with blurred boundaries.

    First, the skin is washed with cold water for at least a quarter of an hour. Then the skin is washed with acidic solutions (which neutralize the alkali). A weak solution of citric acid or vinegar (1 teaspoon in half a liter of water) is suitable. The damaged area is then covered with a sterile dressing.

    Quicklime

    On contact with water, quicklime ignites, so you need to remove particles of the substance from the skin with a dry cloth, and then treat the wound with oil.

    Phosphorus

    If phosphorus comes into contact with the skin, its residues are removed under running water using gauze or cloth. Processing should be carried out with a solution of copper sulfate. It is impossible to lubricate the injured area with fatty substances - this contributes to the absorption of toxic phosphorus into the body.

    Electric burn

    An electrical discharge interacting with the body causes the penetration of huge portions of thermal energy into the body. The external manifestations of electrical injuries resemble grade 3-4 burns. The discharge usually causes cardiac and respiratory arrest, severe shock and loss of consciousness.

    First of all, you need to drag the victim away from the power source. If you grab it with your hands, then the discharge will pass through both. Therefore, you should use a wooden or rubber object that is resistant to electric current (gloves, mop ...).
    The wounds do not need to be rinsed with water - a clean bandage is applied immediately. If the patient is conscious, he is given an analgesic and a warm drink and laid down until an ambulance arrives.

    If the patient is unconscious, artificial respiration should be given. It can often seem that trying to bring the victim to consciousness is useless - it is not. It is necessary to persistently provide first aid until the arrival of doctors. For each blowing of air, 5-6 pressures are made on the chest.

    Even if the patient feels well and has no complaints, he should be taken to a medical facility. Sometimes the consequences of electrical injuries appear several hours later in the form of heart attacks. At home, the patient is given sedatives and heart medications (infusion of valerian or motherwort, valocordin, validol ...).

    Thermal burns

    Accidents often occur when burns occur from exposure to hot liquids (water, oil), hot objects (saucepan, iron), fire or steam. In all these cases, first of all, you should place the burned area of ​​the body under a stream of cold water for a quarter of an hour or more. Then a disinfected bandage is applied to the skin.

    What can replace a sterile bandage? Take a piece of cloth of the required size and iron it or moisten it in an antiseptic solution: potassium permanganate, alcohol or vodka.

    When applying a bandage, it is recommended to stretch the injured skin as much as possible. For example, if the wound is on the inner surface of the elbow or knee, the limb is unbent; if outside, on the contrary, it is bent. If the limbs are injured, it is recommended to fix them in a straightened state with a light splint.

    Sunburn

    With prolonged exposure to the scorching sun, the skin turns red, swells, blisters. With sunburn, damage is 1-2 degrees.

    How to help the victim?

    The affected skin is washed with cool water, the skin is lubricated with boric petroleum jelly. You should also give the victim plenty of cool drink: water, tea, milk.

    In case of sunburn, the drug "Panthenol-spray" effectively helps: it has a soothing and wound-healing effect. It should be noted that the most useful drug produced in Europe, in contrast to the many analogues of this medication.

    Burns to the oral cavity and larynx

    Accidents such as the ingestion of caustic solutions are common in intoxicated people and young children. Immediately after swallowing, increased salivation begins, pain when swallowing, difficulty breathing.

    The victim can be given more milk or egg whites diluted with water or small pieces of ice to drink until the doctors arrive.

    Eye burn

    Often, eye injury occurs when the face is burned or when drops of caustic liquids, sparks enter. The patient is immediately isolated from light.

    Thermal burn
    In the eye, you need to drip a 0.5% drug of lidocaine or novocaine as soon as possible. Then give the victim an analgesic. After that, a 30% composition of sodium sulfacil or 2% chloramphenicol is instilled into the eye.

    The victim is taken to the hospital as soon as possible.

    Chemical burn

    The remains of the chemical are removed from the eyes with a dry cotton swab. Prepare a hydrosolution of baking soda (from a teaspoon of soda and a glass of water) and wash the eye with cotton swabs continuously for at least 20 minutes.

    Correctly and timely assistance in case of burns will significantly reduce the harm caused and accelerate the recovery of the victim.