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How to treat a burn

Dec 21, 2024 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Wenmin
Introduction
After a burn injury, immediately rinse the affected area with cool running water for no less than 15–30 minutes. This is because cool running water can quickly remove heat from the skin surface, reducing the severity of the burn and, to some extent, alleviating the associated pain. After burn care, keep the affected area clean and dry, avoiding friction and pressure to promote wound healing.

Generally, after a burn injury, the following measures can be taken for treatment: running cool water over the affected area to reduce temperature, removing clothing from the injured area, soaking the wound, protecting the wound surface, and applying medications. Specific details are as follows:

1. Running cool water: Immediately after the burn, rinse the burned area with cool running water for no less than 15-30 minutes. The cool running water can quickly remove heat from the skin surface, reducing the severity of the burn. This cooling method can also help alleviate the pain caused by the burn to some extent.

2. Removing clothing from the injured area: After rinsing and cooling, remove clothing from the injured area as soon as possible. If the clothing adheres to the burned skin, do not forcibly pull it off to avoid causing secondary damage to the skin. Instead, carefully cut the clothing open with scissors to minimize harm to the burned skin.

3. Soaking the wound: If it is a minor burn, after removing the clothing, the burned area can be soaked in cold water for about 15-20 minutes. This further lowers the skin temperature and reduces pain. However, for extensive burns, soaking may cause excessive heat loss from the body, leading to hypothermia or other adverse effects.

4. Protecting the wound: After soaking and cleaning, gently cover the wound with clean gauze or sterile dressing to prevent exposure of the wound to the air. This helps maintain a clean environment for healing.

5. Applying medications: Under a doctor's guidance, medications such as moist burn ointment, silver sulfadiazine cream, or erythromycin ointment can be applied; these have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. Pain-relief medications like acetaminophen tablets, ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, or amoxicillin capsules may also be used as directed by a physician.

After treating the burn, keep the affected area clean and dry, and avoid friction and pressure to promote wound healing.

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