There burn is a common domestic accident but it can be serious depending on its depth and the area affected. Find out how to react in the event of a burn, the signs that should alert you and the actions to absolutely avoid.
SUMMARY :
- What is a burn?
- What are the types of burns?
- What are the causes of burning?
- What are the complications of burns?
- How to tell the difference between a simple burn and a serious burn?
- How to relieve according to the type of burn? What to apply?
- Bad actions to avoid in the event of a burn
- What are the emergency signs indicating that it is necessary to consult?
What is a burn?
There definition of a burn is as follows: it isa lesion produced on a part of the body by the action of fire, heat or a chemical substance. It is most often linked to a domestic accident.
There burn is called cutaneous when it touches the skinbut can also affect mucous membranesin particular the digestive mucous membranes. It is therefore quite possible to have esophageal or stomach burnsor To the mouth. To know what to do in case of heartburnyou can check this article. It may be that the stress promotes burnsesophagus, called gastroesophageal reflux.
How do you know how burned you are?
Burns can take on different appearances and are usually classified in degrees.
- There first degree burn corresponds to a shallow burn. The skin is red, dry, painful but without blisters.
- In the case of a second degree burn, the burning skin is swollenred, oozing, very painful and covered in blistersmore or less numerous.
- Finally, the third degree burn is characterized by a brown or black wound, hollow compared to the neighboring tissues which are swollen. There is then no blister and as the nerves are destroyed, only the contour of the burn is painful.
But beware, the degrees are not necessarily indicators of the severity of the burn, explains Doctor Pascal Cassan, emergency doctor and national medical adviser to the French Red Cross. “If third degree burns are always serious, those of first and second degrees are not necessarily simple”he says.
What are the causes of burning?
Burns can be:
- thermal;
- chemicals;
- electrical.
Thermal burns
There main cause of thermal burn East “boiling water in the kitchen, which can have dramatic consequences”, notes Doctor Cassan. It causes burns, the location of which varies depending on the size of the person burned: “if it’s a child, the burn will be on the head or face, even the whole body. If it is an adult, it will rather touch the arms, the legs or the genitals”, details the emergency doctor.
In the kitchen, boiling water is not the only danger: “Cooking plates or the doors of old ovens which remain hot represent a danger, in particular for hands young children”, alerts Doctor Cassan.
Other cause of thermal burn: barbecueswhich cause severe burns to the waist and genitals in adults and to the face in children.
THE sun is also at the origin of specific burns that are commonly called Sun burn.
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Chemical burns
And that’s not all : chemicals can also cause burns. This is the case with caustic soda, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, bleach or the contents of batteries, which can be very corrosive.
All these products cause “burns that can be extremely serious depending on the part of the body affected and problematic in their treatment”regrets the emergency doctor.
Electrical burns
Finally, a burn can be of electrical origin. The doctors then speak of electrification. This corresponds to the passage of an electric current in the body. Electrification can be responsible for burns of the skin, but also along the path followed by the current in the body. This burn can sometimes be second or third degree.
How does a burn evolve?
The evolution of the burn will depend on its degree. Some complications may also take place.
What is the normal evolution of a burn?
The healing of the burn is not the same according to its degree. For the first and second degree burnsit is done in a few days or even a few weeks. It leaves no scar.
Healing time is not the same for second-degree burns that are deep and minor third-degree burns. It is generally of Several weeks, and scars often remain. Skin grafts are essential in the majority of cases.
What are the complications of burns?
The main complication of a burn is the infection. “If a burn becomes red, painful and hot, if she oozes or if it is accompanied by fever, it is necessary to consult because these are signs of infection”, warns doctor Cassan.
Another possible complication is the dehydration. So “a sunburn, even if it corresponds to a first degree burn, can cause dehydration if it is extensive, especially in children or the elderly”, warns the emergency doctor.
Finally, there is also a risk of aesthetic consequences if the burn heals badly. The skin will then be retracted, and will even require a skin graft in the most severe cases.
How to tell the difference between a simple burn and a serious burn?
Several factors must be taken into account to assess the seriousness of a burn.
The first is its area : “the burn is serious if its size is greater than half the victim’s palm” describes Doctor Pascal Cassan. “In a young child, this critical size is therefore quickly reached”.
Afterwards, the depth must also be taken into account. “If the burn is blackish or whitish, it means that the deep tissues are affected: it is therefore serious”, continues the emergency doctor.
Finally, the severity depends on the victim: about his age – a skin burn is more serious in young children and the elderly – or if it is a person who suffers from a chronic disease, in particular diabetes and immune diseases.
How to treat a burn?
What to do for burns ? Whatever the type of burn, only one action is to be done in an emergency: water abundantly. “As part of the thermal burn, the water decreases the extension of the burn, relieves the pain and reduces the consequences. If the burn is chemical, the water dilutes the product”, details Doctor Cassan. It is best to use running water – shower head or tap –, for about twenty minutes. The water should be cold, ideally 15 degrees, but should not be ice cold.
At the same time, the scene of the accident must be protected and “evacuate what caused the burn to avoid a second victim”, he adds.
Last advice from the emergency doctor: unless it is a tiny burn on finger For example, do not run water directly on the burn to calm it, but make it run upstream.
What to put as a cream on a burn ?In a second step, on the advice of the doctor or pharmacist, the burn can be treated with tulle gras or specialized ointments and creams, such as Biafine. However, one must not do not put biafine on certain burns. This is particularly the case for serious burns, which require prior medical advice.
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Bad actions to avoid in the event of a burn
Several natural remedies are used to try to soothe the burns. But beware of received ideas. Not all advice is worth taking.
What actions should you not do?
For example, avoid putting ice on the burnbecause “it increases the lesions of the skin by brutally closing the vessels”, laments Doctor Cassan. Instead of relieving it, the ice on the contrary accentuates the consequences of the burn on the skin.
What about cucumber, yogurt or mint toothpaste? “Their soothing effect comes from the fact that they are fresh. But always prefer running water because anything you put on the burn can lead to infection,” warns the emergency doctor.
Finally, if the burn has blisters, iUnder no circumstances should you pierce them because this opens the door to germs and therefore to infections.
Home remedies to avoid
Even if grandma’s remedies are still often used, it’s not what we do best…
- Put butter or oil on the burn. Using fat responds to a certain logic: the skin is made up, especially on its surface, of fatty molecules. During a burn, these cells are destroyed and their regeneration would then be accelerated by the application of fatty substances. But, unfortunately, this can carry a risk of infection.
- The slice of raw potato. It is still used, with the aim – it is said – of reducing pain (potato starch would act as an anti-inflammatory). But that too risks bringing germs.
- mint toothpaste applied for the feeling of freshness… In reality, it terribly increases the inflammatory reaction. In addition, it can cause seizures in children.
What are the emergency signs indicating that it is necessary to consult?
Several emergency signs should prompt you to consult.
- The first is the size of the burn. “If it is more than half the palm of the victim’s hand, call 15 and ask for advice”, insists Doctor Cassan.
- Then, a burn located near a “natural orifice” must be considered serious: burns to the anus, mouth, lips, eyes or genitals are potentially serious because these areas are entry points for bacteria into our bodies and can therefore become infected very quickly.
- Finally, any blackish or whitish burn requires medical advice because “these two colors are a sign that the burn is deep”, reminds the emergency doctor.
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Sources:
- Interview with Doctor Pascal Cassan, emergency doctor and national medical adviser to the French Red Cross.
- Burn, Vidal.fr, March 24, 2020
- Domestic accidents: Skin burns, Ameli.fr, May 3, 2021
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