What is the medicine for a child who gets burned?
One of the accidents that happen inside our homes is when our children get burned. As a mother, you wonder what you can do and what can be done to treat the burn.
A skin burn is damage to skin tissue caused by heat from fire, chemicals, electricity, radiation, or sunlight.
Table of Contents
What are the common causes of burns?
Skin burn treatment and what you need to do
But seek medical help immediately when:
Medication for superficial burns
Medicine for thick or full burns:
Medicine for electrical and chemical burns
Consult a doctor immediately when:
2. Gotu kola or Centella asiatica
Here are some other complications that can be experienced due to skin burns:
Other things to remember when skin is burned
The first step in helping to protect children from burns is to understand how common burns occur:
Thermal Burns: These burns increase the temperature of the skin and underlying tissue. Thermal burns occur from steam, hot water, hot cups of coffee, hot food, cooking liquids, and more.
Radiation Burns: These occur from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In short, sunburn , because the skin is not properly protected from the sun or from radiation such as X-rays.
Image from Freepik
Chemical Burns: These occur from swallowing strong acids (such as drain cleaner or batteries) or spilling chemicals (such as bleach) on the skin or eyes.
Electrical burns: These are from electric currents and can occur from things like biting electrical cords or sticking fingers or objects in electrical outlets, among others.
Knowing the type of burn a child has can help with first-aid measures. All types of burns should be treated quickly, and in some cases, burn medication may be needed to help the child recover from the effects of the burn.
To lower the temperature of the burned body part, first-aid methods including burn medication can be used. This will minimize damage to the skin and underlying tissue (if the burn is severe).
From FreePik
First-degree burns are a type of burn that does not affect the skin very deeply. They only occur in the top layer of the skin:
Signs and symptoms: These burns are characterized by redness, pain in the burned area, slight swelling, and the skin is dry and without blisters.
Healing time: Healing time ranges from 3-6 days; the superficial layer of burned skin may peel off within 1 or 2 days.
These burns are more serious than the first one because a skin burn involves the top layer of skin and part of the layer below it.
Signs and symptoms: The burned area is red, swollen, and painful. Sometimes the blisters will burst or break and are moist and pink or a cherry red color.
Healing time: Healing time varies depending on the severity of the burn. It can take up to 3 weeks or longer.
These burns (also called third-degree burns or fourth-degree burns) are the most serious type of burn. This is the type of burn that affects all layers of the skin and nerve endings and can extend to the deepest tissue.
Signs and symptoms: The surface appears dry and may look waxy white, scaly, or as if the skin has been burned. There may be little or no pain or the area may be numb at first due to nerve damage.
Healing time: Healing time depends on the severity of the burn. Most burns require skin grafting, where healthy skin is taken from another part of the body and placed on the burned area to help it heal.
burn medicine. | Image from iStock
According to Dr. Angelica Tomas, a pediatrician from Makati Medical Center ,
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You think your child has a burn other than what he has on his skin.
The burned area of the body is large (2-3 inches wide)
For any burn that covers a large area of the body, seek medical help immediately. Do not use wet compresses or ice as this can cause the child’s body temperature to drop. Instead, cover the area with a clean, soft cloth or towel.
The burn comes from a flame, an electrical wire, a socket, or chemicals.
It can be on the face, scalp, hands, genitals, or on the skin over a joint.
The burn appears infected (with swelling, pus, redness, or a red streak near the wound).
Image from iStock
Remove the child from the heat source and remove clothing that has caught fire.
Place the burned skin in cool water. Do not use ice, which can cause further damage to the injured skin.
Do not apply butter, grease, powder, or any other “folk remedies” to the burn as this can further cause infection in the burned part of your body.
Apply aloe gel or cream to the affected area. This can be done several times a day.
Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often.
Keep the affected area clean. You can protect it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage for the next 24 hours.
Image from iStock
Call for emergency medical care. Then, follow these steps until help arrives:
Keep the child lying down and elevate the burned part of the body.
Follow the steps for first-degree burns.
Remove all jewelry and clothing from the burn area.
Do not pop or squeeze any blisters.
Make sure the child is away from the source of electricity before you touch him. Because you could get electrocuted too.
For chemical burns, flush the area with water for 5 minutes or more. If the burn is large, use a tub, shower, bucket of water, or a garden hose.
Do not remove any of the child’s clothing before you begin flushing the child’s burn with water. As you continue flushing the burn, you can remove clothing from the burned area.
If the burn area from a chemical is small, still flush with water for 10-20 minutes, apply a sterile gauze pad or bandage, and call your doctor.
Chemical burns to the mouth or eyes should be checked by a doctor immediately after being thoroughly flushed with water.
It may not be visible, but it can be serious because of possible damage to your organs. Symptoms can vary, depending on the type and severity of the burn and what caused it.
Skin burns can also occur from contact with hot exhaust fumes. The treatment for this depends on the severity of the exhaust burn.
Here are some things you can do to treat a smoke burn:
Check the area of skin that has been burned. If the burn is less than 3 inches in diameter, it can be treated at home. However, if the burn is large and deep, go to the hospital immediately for proper treatment.
Hold the burnt exhaust pipe under running water or, if there is no running water, immerse it in cold water.
Apply a wet compress to the area for 15 minutes. Make sure the material used for the wet compress is clean and soft.
Wrap the burned area with a sterile adhesive bandage or gauze pad. This will help prevent further infection.
You can take over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, to reduce the pain and swelling of the burned skin. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and take only the appropriate dosage.
Clean and change the gauze regularly to prevent infection.
Never put ice, butter, or any type of oil on the exhaust pipe.
If the blister spontaneously bursts and becomes a wound, clean it with soap and water. Then re-wrap it with sterile gauze.
If the burn is severe, especially if it almost reaches the bone, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
The exhaust pipe diameter is more than 3 diameters.
You have not had a tetanus vaccine in the ten years before you were burned by the exhaust.
redness spreads to nearby areas of burned skin
damaged tissue expands
experienced pain that did not go away immediately
signs of infection such as fever, swelling, severe pain, and redness of the burned skin are present.
Remember that if you are unsure about how to treat a burned area, consult your doctor. The remedies and treatments found on the internet are only a guide and it is still important to have a doctor examine your burned skin, especially if the burn is severe.
According to Doc Liza Ramoso-Ong in her YouTube video, when you get a burn on your hand, here are the steps you need to take. These steps can also be used as effective remedies for water burns.
Immediately find a faucet and turn it on. Then place your hand under the running water and let it soak.
Do not use ice, it is better to just let water run from the tap onto the burned hand for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cover the wound or burned part of the hand with a cover or gauze specially made for burns.
Apply antibacterial ointment or silver sulfadiazine. This is an effective treatment for water burns and other types of burns.
Do not pop the blisters, just cover them with gauze.
If you feel pain, you can take paracetamol.
If the burn is large or covers the entire hand, take it to the ER immediately. The same goes for burns to the knee, elbow, face, or other sensitive parts of the body.
Treatment for skin burns depends on the severity of the burn. If the skin burn is minor, such as a scald from hot water, the following treatments may be used:
Clean the burned area with soap and water.
If there is a blister or raised skin, do not break it because open blisters are more susceptible to infection.
A thin layer of ointment can be applied to the burned area. Some ointments that can be used to treat burns include petroleum jelly and aloe vera. Also, remember that the ointment used to treat burns does not have to contain antibiotics. Some antibiotic ointments can cause allergic reactions, so be careful when using them. In addition, do not use lotions, oils, cortisone butter, or egg whites as burn treatments.
If necessary, wrap the burn with sterile non-stick gauze to prevent infection. However, make sure the wrap is not too tight and do not use a dressing that may shed fibers. If fibers from the fabric get into the burn, it can make the wound worse. Also, change the wrap every day.
Tylenol
Ibuprofen
Aspirin
Naproxen
But remember that aspirin should not be given to children under two years of age. The same goes for children under 18 years of age who have chickenpox or flu symptoms . Consult your doctor to find out what pain relievers are safe for your child to take.
There are also plants or herbs that can be used as medicine for minor burns. But remember that as with other therapies, it is important to inform your doctor about your condition before starting treatment.
Here are some herbs that can be applied topically to minor burns:
To relieve the pain of a burn, you can apply aloe vera cream or gel to the burned area. This can be done three to four times a day.
Image from Freepik taken by Jcomp
There are creams available that contain the herb gotu kola. This can help heal skin tissue.
Also known as pot marigold, it can be used to treat burns in two ways. First, you can pick one cup of pot marigold flowers and boil them in water for 15 minutes.
Drain it, cool it, and apply it to the burned area. Test it on a small area of skin first before applying it to the burn to make sure it doesn’t cause an allergic reaction.
The second way to use pot marigold as a burn remedy is to make a tea from it. Take half a cup of the herb and dilute it in ¼ cup of water. When it cools down, apply it to the burn.
This is a resin produced by bees in their hives. It is known to heal skin wounds. According to a Sr. Lukes Hospital article, there is a study in which propolis was found to heal minor burns as well as treatment with silver sulfadiazine, a prescription ointment.
However, it is still important to do a skin test to ensure there is no adverse reaction. Also, never use it as a burn treatment if you are allergic to bee products or salicylates.
Minor skin burns or first degree burns may also heal on their own within 10 to 20 days. However, they can become 2nd degree burns if an infection develops.
Deep 2nd degree burns can also lead to 3rd degree burns. Skin grafts and serious medical treatment are required when the skin burns reach third-degree.
Infection is the most common complication of skin burns. Skin burn infections can also lead to death. This is because the immune system is compromised by the infection. When infections from severe burns worsen, reconstructive surgery is necessary.
Increased risk of developing skin cancer on sunburned skin
Carbon dioxide poisoning in cases of burns caused by fire
Severe heart attack that can lead to cardiac arrest
Adrenal insufficiency
Do not scratch or scrape the burned area. Doing so may cause the wound to become deeper. The deeper the wound, the higher the risk of infection and scarring.
If you think a scar is developing in the burned area or suspect an infection in the burned skin, consult your doctor immediately to find out what to do.
Mommies and daddies, to prevent your child from getting burned, remember the following:
After cooking, make sure stoves and gas tanks are closed or turned off.
If you use a hair straightener, make sure to unplug it from the socket after use. The same goes for a clothes iron. Children can touch it and get burned.
When there is hot food, place it in the middle of the table or out of reach of children.
Do not handle or carry hot liquids if you are carrying a child.
Do not leave your baby in the bathtub. Also make sure the water temperature is appropriate before placing your baby in it.
It is also important to have a fire extinguisher and know how to use it.
Teach your child what to do in case of a fire.
If the person’s clothing catches fire while they are wearing it, roll it on the concrete floor. You can also take a blanket and wrap it around the burning part.
If your hand or finger is swollen from a burn and feels numb, cold, and appears blue, seek medical attention immediately. This may be caused by blood flow restriction.
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is one of the side effects of a burn, so it’s important to drink water to stay hydrated.
Remember not to panic immediately if your child gets burned or if you get burned. Observe first and apply first aid and if you notice that it is serious, immediately rush him to the nearest hospital.
Kids For Health, Healthline , Mayo Clinic,St. Lukes Hospital,Cleveland Clinic,Doc Liza Ramoso-Ong,Healthfully,Kass and Moses
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Philippines
……Read full article on theAsianparent - Health
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