An example of an oven burn

Nobody wants to get burned (literally) but most of us will at some point in our lives.  Understanding what happens to your skin when it is burned will help you determine what type of treatment/response to provide.  The medical community had determined that there are 3 levels of burns.

1st Degree – Superficial burn. The surface of the skin is damaged, but the epidermis( the outermost layer of skin) is still intact.  This is where your skin may turn red and you feel some pain at the wound area.

2nd Degree – Damage that has extended through the epidermis and into the dermis  (the second layer of skin).   Second-degree burns are also known as partial-thickness burns.  You will have blistering and redness with a 2nd degree burn.  Fluid loss, heat loss and infection can take place.

3 rd Degree – The burn has destroyed both the epidermis and dermis. The victim has the same trouble with fluid loss, heat loss, and infection that come with second-degree burns. Full-thickness burns also cause nerve death, so the victim may not be able to feel anything in the area of the burn.  The burn has gone all the way through the skin and into the fatty tissue of the body.

Here is a good video recapping the different types of burns. There is a brief commercial, but it is work the wait.  A more in depth look at this subject can be found here.

Treating Burns -Once we determine what type of burn, we can give the proper response and treatment.  Don’t risk infection or other complications from a burn.  Here are a few points to remember when treating a burn.

1. STAY SAFE! Do not let the rescuer get burned trying to save the victim. Follow universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if you have it.
2. Stop the burning process.  Heat penetrates and radiates deeper into the skin.  Immediately begin to cool the affected area with cool running water.
3. Examine the skin to see what damage there is.  Look for blisters or charred skin.  Either of these means potential complications.  If the affected area is larger than an arm, leg or whole stomach area, call 911 immediately and/or get the victim to the emergency department immediately.
4. Anyone with burns to the face hands, feet or genitalia need immediate emergency treatment.
5. 1st degree burns can be treated with topical burn products.  Water based burn products like Water-Jel or Burn Free help cool the burn and reduce pain at the same time.

A good article covering all of the basics for burn treatment including the points above can be found here.  and a great short video explanation can be found here.  Be Safe– know your burns and how to treat them.

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