Treatment of a burn with boiling water in a child. A child was burned by boiling water: treatment of burns in children. What to do in case of a thermal burn

Reading time: 7 minutes. Views 3.9k. Published 07/24/2019

Skin burns are one of the most well-known and dangerous incidents. Among the many burns, the first places are occupied by those that result from contact of the skin with boiling water. In most cases, children are burned within the home.

Therefore, despite caution, parents should know what to do if their baby is burned and what medicinal products to use.

About the effects of hot water

A boiling water burn is a type of thermal injury. With them, both the surface layer of the skin and the inner layers suffer. Basically, such an injury does not occupy a significant area on the child’s body.

However, it is worth considering how much boiling water was poured onto the baby. Minor skin injuries from hot water are classified as 1st degree, while deeper burns are classified as 2-3rd degree.

First degree expressed by damage to the surface of the epidermis. The skin becomes red and swollen in the area of the burn. When palpated, the child feels pain.
Second degree involves violating the integrity of the surface layer and a small part of the skin underneath it. The consequence of this is blisters on the surface of the dermis, containing a cloudy liquid inside.
Third degree- the presence of a wound on the skin deep to the subcutaneous fatty tissue. A scar remains on the child’s body at the site of the burn.
There is also a 4th stage, in which case the entire skin becomes dead, and the bones and muscles become charred. But if you receive a burn from boiling water, this stage cannot occur.

Regardless of the type of burn the child received, parents are obliged to provide him with first aid without harm to health. Only after this can you begin the treatment itself.

What to do first

If a child is burned by boiling water, first aid is provided immediately.

Stages of first aid for burns:

Initially, parents need to undress the child. This will prevent clothing from coming into contact with the skin layer.
Next, you need to assess the degree of the burn and its area. This point is very important, since further tactics will depend on it.
If you receive a 1-2 degree burn without extensive injuries, you do not need to call a doctor at home. But, if large blisters have formed on the skin in a short time, inside of which bloody fluid is visible, calling a doctor is considered mandatory.
It is easy to determine the area of the burn yourself. Doctors set it as follows: each arm or leg and back - 9% of the body area, head and both shoulders - 21%, and pelvis - 18%. If a child only burns his hand, it will take about 2.5%, and his hand and stomach will take about 11.5%. In case of thermal injury with damage to 15% of the body area, as well as a 3rd degree injury with damage to 5-7% of the area, the child will need the help of experienced specialists.
After a visual assessment, adults can call an ambulance. But if the lesion is small, it is permissible to use therapeutic measures at home. One way or another, first aid for a burn should be refused by parents correctly.
It is forbidden to treat a boiling water burn with sour cream, butter, cream for baby skin, as well as anything greasy. This will lead to disruption of heat transfer, thereby slowing down the healing of the wound. During this process, the child will feel pain in the injured area.
First you need to cool the injured area of skin. Cold tap water is suitable for this. After turning it on, you need to place the affected part of the body under the tap for 10-15 minutes.
Afterwards, a sheet or diaper soaked in cool water is applied to the burned part of the body. It is prohibited to use ice to cool the burn site.

The main thing is the presence of high temperature. It must be measured using a regular

With a 2nd degree burn, the child has fever and body aches, which can be removed with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.

Together with it, you can give Suprastin or Loradatin - antihistamines that relieve swelling in a short time.

To eliminate pain, the affected area can be sprayed with a spray containing lidocaine, and sprinkled with Baneocin powder on top of the burned skin. Further thermal injury needs to be wrapped dry bandage. At the same time, you should not tighten the burn site too much. The child should be taken to the emergency room or hospital. He will be given appropriate treatment.

For a minor burn wound, parents can plan therapy on their own. However, all treatment rules regarding thermal burns must be observed.

What treatment should be carried out

Let's figure out what to do in case of a burn from boiling water, and what remedies can be given to a child.

When treating thermal injury, antibacterial drugs are not used. They are prescribed only if there are blisters on the dermis that rupture and can cause dangerous fungus or infection.

You cannot pierce the blisters, otherwise there is a risk of worsening the situation.

A burn wound of 2nd degree or higher is treated according to medical prescription. As a rule, treatment of burns with boiling water is performed at home. But if there is large-scale damage to an infant or a child under 2-3 years old, it is better to place him in a hospital setting.

The goals of burn therapy are:

pain relief;
destruction of infection if present;
restoration of tissue regeneration.

Parents should treat and bandage the burned area on the baby's body. Mild skin lesions do not need to be covered with a bandage. If there are blisters on the skin, it is recommended to use a dressing.

It is important to know how to help with a burn from boiling water correctly.

The processing process should consist of the following steps:

Treat the affected area with antiseptic agents. In this case, you should not use medications containing alcohol. IN best case scenario It is allowed to use furatsilin solution or hydrogen peroxide.
When treating a burn, do not thoroughly rub the medicine into it. This will cause pain to the child and others discomfort. A regular cotton swab is suitable for application.

Therapy with medications

If there are no blisters on the epidermis, it is advisable to use medications that stimulate tissue regeneration. Ointment for burns: boiling water m or a healing cream is applied to gauze and pressed against the burn area.

Panthenol ointment, Olazol or Radevit aerosol are especially popular among parents. If skin blisters burst and turn into ulcers, it is advisable to use an antibacterial drug.

Levomekol ointment shows a quick healing effect. As aid Baneocin ointment can be used for treatment.

Applying a bandage to the injury site

A burn on a child's skin can be dressed with materials that have previously undergone sterile processing. To ensure proper blood supply, the bandage should not be applied too tightly.

Dressing should be done at least 3-4 times a day. Ointment or cream is applied liberally to the burn. When the lesion begins to heal, dressings can be stopped.

The final stage of treatment is the use of products that lead to skin restoration (Contractubex and Radevit). The use of such medications can be long-term because scars on the skin do not heal quickly.

As practice shows, a wound from hot water heals within 3-4 weeks if all the basics are followed. treatment tactics and the correct medications are used.

Traditional medicine in in this case powerless. Therefore, parents are not recommended to actually practice the recipes alternative medicine to improve and heal the skin after a burn.

What not to do

At burn lesions varying degrees care should be taken to take prompt therapeutic measures to improve the child’s condition, as well as to prevent errors. In case of burn injuries to the skin, the following actions are prohibited:

immediately apply the healing preparation without first cooling the skin;
use cauterizing and antimicrobial drugs, for example, brilliant green;
Use oils immediately after getting a burn.

Bottom line

A burn is a painful injury that requires long-term treatment. Even a first-degree burn causes discomfort in the baby and requires therapeutic measures.

In case of serious skin damage (2-3 degree burns), immediate qualified assistance from a pediatrician is required.

Little children are inquisitive and restless, they explore the world around them, want to see and touch everything. The task of adults is to protect the baby as much as possible, to remove everything that could cause him injury. One of the most common childhood injuries is burns from boiling water. The complications and consequences of thermal damage to the skin and other tissues depend on how quickly parents react and what measures they take.

Content:

Classification of boiling water burns

Boiling water burns are thermal damage to the skin, in which, depending on the impact, the skin or deeper layers are damaged. Children most often receive such injuries at home. In first place are burns with hot liquid, in second place with boiling oil. As a rule, the lesions are quite large in area. Burns from 1st to 4th degree are diagnosed.

1st degree. Only the outer layer is exposed to thermal effects. The skin turns red, feels painful, and swells. Such burns go away quickly enough and almost always do not require hospitalization.

2nd degree. The skin and part of the underlying layer are affected. Blisters with thin walls filled with liquid appear. It is treated for 1-2 weeks, with proper therapy there are no traces left. For extensive lesions or injuries in children under 1 year of age, doctors advise treatment in a hospital.

3A and 3B degrees. The deep layers of the skin down to the fatty tissue suffer. Blisters may form, but with thick walls, filled with bloody contents. When the blisters are opened, a deep wound is left. With such injuries, the outer layer of the epidermis is destroyed, and after healing scars remain, so most often for grade 3 (especially grade 3B) skin grafting is recommended.

4th degree. In case of injuries from boiling water, such burns are rare and are formed by prolonged exposure to hot liquid. The deep layers of the skin, the muscles located underneath them, and the nerve endings suffer. For such lesions, surgical cleaning and removal of necrotic tissue is performed.

If a child is burned by boiling water, an immediate response from an adult is required. The faster first aid is provided, the less pronounced the injuries will be.

First aid for burns with boiling water

From the speed of reaction of adults and timeliness measures taken The severity of the child’s injuries will depend. Therefore, help for burns with boiling water, as doctors put it, should be literally “emergency”:

It is necessary to remove wet clothes from the child as quickly as possible to stop contact of the hot surface with the skin.
Burned areas should be cooled to reduce the temperature and avoid injury to the deeper layers of the skin. The skin is cooled under running water for at least 7-10 minutes. Then a cloth soaked in cold water and wrung out is applied to the affected area. It is better not to use ice or frozen foods in these cases, since inflammation (for example, of the lungs or brain) may accompany the burns.
It is important to calmly examine the child to assess the extent of the damage. Subsequent actions depend on this.
To relieve pain, the affected area is treated with a spray or gel with lidocaine, and after drying, Baneocin powder is applied (precisely a powder, not an ointment!). Apply a sterile, loose bandage.

Video: What to do if a child is burned by boiling water

How to assess the degree of damage from boiling water

Doctors estimate the area of the burn surface in several ways, the most common of which are the “rule of nines” and the “rule of the palm.”

Rule of nines

According to this technique, the human body is divided into zones, and each of them is equal to the number 9. Thus, the numbers will be as follows:

defeat of one upper limb– 9% of body surface;
one lower limb – 18%;
head and neck – 9% each;
back and buttocks or chest and abdomen – 18%.

Please note that this ratio is approximate. In children due to age characteristics the ratio of body parts will be different.

Palm rule

The meaning of this technique is that the human palm is 1% of the surface area of the body. When determining the affected area of a child’s skin, the size of his palm is taken into account, not that of an adult.

Important: The help of a specialist is necessary if a child’s burn with boiling water is 15% or more of the body area for burns of 1-2 degrees and 7% of the body for burns of 3 degrees. If even small areas with 4th degree burns are diagnosed, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What not to do when providing first aid

Contrary to popular belief, it is strictly forbidden to lubricate burned skin with animal fat, oil or fatty baby creams. This reduces heat transfer from the injured surface. It is also not recommended to use kefir or sour cream: the acid they contain, if it comes into contact with open wound will cause pain to the child. In addition, the products are corrosive and slow down the healing process.

You should not pierce, let alone rip off blisters, as this natural protection from infection of the wound, apply cotton wool and cotton swabs, which leave lint, and also cover the wound with a band-aid.

Immediately after an injury, as well as during the healing process, doctors do not advise treating wounds with alcohol-containing solutions, as this can cause an additional burn, already a chemical one.

Treatment of burns

For 1st degree burns and small area affected for 2nd degree burns, treatment is usually carried out at home. For extensive burns of 2nd and even minor 3-4 degrees, you should call " ambulance"or take the child to a traumatologist yourself. It is also obligatory for the child to be examined by a specialist if he is under 3 years old for injuries of any degree.

Treatment includes mandatory treatment of the affected surface with antiseptics. A solution of furatsilin, miramistin, chlorhexidine is used. For processing, a gauze swab is used; you can apply an antiseptic by spraying. For the first 3 days, treatment is carried out every day, then, according to the doctor’s recommendations, you can disinfect the wound after 1-2 days until complete healing.

After treatment, a sterile bandage is applied to the affected surface, which should not be too tight and not too dense so that the wound has the opportunity to “breathe”, the blood supply is not disrupted and Greenhouse effect, from which it will heal much longer.

Important: During the healing process, do not tear off the dried gauze bandage from the wound. As a rule, only a doctor does this and only after soaking. disinfectant solution. At the last stages of tissue regeneration, it is recommended to leave the dried bandage; during the process of complete healing, it will fall off along with the dead tissue.

In the absence of blisters, ointments or sprays (panthenol, dexpanthenol, olazol, radevit and others) are used to speed up tissue regeneration and relieve pain. If there were blisters that have already burst, open wounds have formed in their place, use antibacterial ointments(levomekol), baneocin powder.

For 4th degree boiling water burns, necrotic lesions are removed surgically. Antibacterial and anti-shock therapy is carried out, removing tissue breakdown products from the body through intravenous administration special solutions. To restore tissue after 3-4 degree burns, drugs with a regenerative effect (Actovegin) are prescribed to prevent the formation of scars (Contractubex) or proliferation connective tissue, the appearance of so-called colloidal scars (lidase).

For burns from boiling water, antibiotics are rarely prescribed to children, only if there is a danger of infection of the affected surface.

Consequences of burns from boiling water

The consequences of 1-2 degree burns are minimal, treatment is possible even at home. There are no scars or scars left. 3rd degree burns carry the risk of forming unsightly colloidal scars, which subsequently require contacting a plastic surgeon. For 3B and 4th degree burns, the damaged tissue is completely removed, so skin grafting is often required.

Often, with 3rd and 4th degree burns, painful shock and so-called burn disease develop, which require urgent hospitalization.

Often, after skin damage by boiling water, wound infection is observed, which leads to abscesses and sepsis, lymphadenitis, development of phlegmon, impaired sensitivity and motor functions affected areas.

Prevention

Preventing a child from getting burns of varying degrees depends entirely on how adults were able to create safe conditions for the child to be indoors. The following rules must be observed:

Do not allow your child to play in the kitchen, where there is an increased risk of such injuries.
Do not carry hot liquids (tea, soup) over the child. If the baby accidentally pushes, all this will spill out on him.
Do not leave hot foods and drinks in places where a child can reach. Children are very curious, they need to check everything, so a bowl of soup or a bright mug of tea will definitely attract them. By pulling, the baby will spill hot liquid on himself.
The same applies to teapots and pots with hot contents. During cooking, they should be placed on distant burners, and after cooking, immediately put out of the reach of children.
Do not leave your baby alone in the bathroom when bathing, as small children often open taps with hot water, which can lead to thermal injuries.

If possible, a special thermostatic device should be installed on the hot water tap, which sets a certain temperature. The water in the tap will not heat above the set temperature.

Video: How to act if skin is damaged by boiling water

Great curiosity in children, which is aggravated by high activity, often leads to a situation where the child can be injured, causing pain to himself and a lot of anxiety to his parents. Until the age of five, children should not be left unattended in the kitchen or bathroom. Otherwise, children may get burned.

Most common reasons Burn injuries in children are caused by boiling water - liquid food and hot drinks. It should be remembered that little man the feeling of caution is not yet familiar, and he can easily scald himself with boiling water, based on the desire to see what is inside the kettle.

My child was burned by boiling water, what should I do?

Of course, no one is immune from such situations, and even if you keep your child constantly in sight, you cannot be sure that he will not get burned. How should you behave in case of unfavorable developments?

Eliminate the baby's contact with the source of thermal injury;
Free the affected area from clothing by carefully cutting it. Do not tear off the stuck fabric to avoid major damage.
Cool the injured area with low-pressure running water. Perform the procedure for ten minutes.
A severe burn requires the application of a sterile dressing.
Considering the baby's age, give him a painkiller.
Do not apply thick and tight bandages to the affected area and do not apply anything to the burn. In particular, you should not use adhesive tape.
If the child has a large and severe burn, an ambulance is called or urgently taken to a burn center for examination and treatment.

Degrees of damage and parental actions

Having overcome the first shock, parents are obliged to provide their child with emergency assistance in order to alleviate his condition and prevent serious consequences.

There are several degrees of damage from high temperature (thermal burn) and it is extremely important that adults promptly understand the degree of burn in this case and take the right actions.

First degree burn

Redness of the skin is observed. The burn is superficial.

The wound must be cooled using cold water(do not use ice);
a reddened area of skin can be treated with menovazine;
ointments and creams containing fats should not be applied, which can only aggravate the situation and add pain.

Second degree burn

It is characterized by deeper damage to the skin layers and the appearance of blisters.

The burn area should be cooled and an ambulance should be called;
while waiting for doctors, apply a non-pressure bandage of sterile dressing material to the affected area;
with strong pain You can give your baby a painkiller.

Third degree burn

The damage is very deep, up to blood vessels and nerve endings.

This case requires immediately calling an ambulance and, after cooling the affected area, cover it with a sterile napkin to avoid infection. Do not take any action on your own until the doctors arrive. Self-medication in this situation can pose a serious danger.

Fourth degree burn

Serious deep and extensive lesions are characteristic.

In this situation, it is necessary to urgently call doctors.
It is forbidden to take any action on your own, even to remove the baby’s clothes;
To prevent the child from losing consciousness, it is necessary to constantly talk to him.

First immediate aid

If a small child gets a burn, you should immediately provide him with first aid, which consists of clearing access to the affected area (remove or cut clothes) and cooling the burn surface. For what you can use everything that is at hand:

tap water;
ice cubes wrapped in cloth and applied to the burned area also through several layers of gauze to prevent tissue hypothermia;
cold metal objects.

Then apply a loose bandage using sterile material to prevent infection of the wound. The child may need a children's pain reliever, which should be kept at your home pharmacy for emergencies.

Treatment

It should be remembered that the parents of the baby can only provide first aid to the injured child, and the treatment of a burn, even something as simple as a burn with boiling water, should be handled by specialists.

Drugs

If children receive a burn, the degree of which is classified as first or second, the doctor may prescribe treatment at home using the following medications:

aerosols Olazol or Panthenol;
the use of an anti-burn gel wipe with a cooling and antimicrobial effect;
Solcoseryl gel/ointment.

Folk remedies

No one expects misfortune and a child getting a burn, for example, with boiling water, can take parents by surprise when there is not a single medicine at hand. In this case, it is worth remembering traditional medicine.

You can apply grated raw potatoes to the surface of the damage and cover with a loose bandage;
The cabbage leaf can be held in the affected area until it is heated, and then replaced with a new one;
Soak a gauze bandage in fresh aloe juice and apply to the affected area. Change the dressing after a few hours;
You can water the wound or apply a soaked bandage using chilled green/black tea.

Application of these folk remedies will make it easier for the baby pain syndrome, will relieve swelling and heat from the affected area.

Caring for a child's burn

You need to take proper care of the burned area. To do this, it is necessary to follow a number of measures that will promote rapid healing of the burn area.

Protect the burn surface from exposure to the sun in summer and frost in winter;
do not allow the baby to scratch the affected area;
do not independently replace the medication prescribed by the doctor to avoid allergies/intoxication;
protect the wound from infection.

Burns from boiling water are a common household injury, especially among children. The reason for its receipt is most often the carelessness of parents. Young children who are unaware of the danger but are very curious may accidentally get scalded by spilling water from a kettle or pan. First aid for burns with boiling water at home is provided to a child by parents or other older relatives. Depending on the situation, hospitalization or additional treatment may be required.

Why are boiling water burns dangerous for children?

Burns in children from boiling water cause necrosis (death) of the damaged tissue. Minor injuries with rapid cessation of exposure lead to redness and peeling of the skin, a sensation similar to sunburn. At severe injuries boiling water may cause damage to the bone, scalding and charring of damaged areas.

The consequences of a boiling water burn in severe cases include:

loss of ability to move a limb;
wound infection and subsequent amputation;
death due to painful shock or blood poisoning.

The risk of consequences depends on the area of the burn and its degree. Injuries that occupy more than 15% of the skin surface are considered severe. As a result, a burn of the same size is more dangerous for an infant than for a teenager or adult.

Four degrees of burn are diagnosed depending on how deeply the skin is damaged:

In the first degree, only the top layer (epidermis) is damaged. The skin turns red, the temperature of the area rises, and pain occurs when touched. This type of injury goes away in 1-5 days.
Second degree burns are characterized by large or small blisters. They are formed due to the peeling of areas of the skin, under which water released from the damaged layers accumulates. A second degree burn heals within a week.
With a third degree burn, the skin dies, fatty and muscle tissue. A weeping ulcer appears at the site of action of boiling water, after which a scar forms over time. If the wound area is large, skin grafting may be required after boiling water.
A fourth degree burn is characterized by damage to soft tissue down to the bone. The affected area is charred. The most severe degree of damage that cannot be cured without surgical intervention. Rarely remains after boiling water, more often it occurs from exposure to fire or hot metal.

Despite the difference in severity of the condition, urgent Care for all types of burn injuries it turns out according to an identical algorithm.

Further treatment and the likelihood of a favorable outcome depend on the degree of damage from boiling water and its size.

First aid for a child who is burned by boiling water

When a child is burned by boiling water, the main thing is not to panic. Even small children feel good emotional condition adults are nearby, the panic of others increases their fear. The child begins to run and rush around, does not allow the injury site to be examined, and may cause additional damage to himself. Therefore, it is important for an adult first responder to remain calm.

Rendering first aid comes down to executing a simple algorithm:

Stop exposure to the damaging factor if the child has not done this on his own.
Open the burn site. It is best to cut off the clothing so as not to injure the damaged area during removal.
Rinse the burn area with cold water for 15 minutes. It is best to use running water for this, but with extensive damage this can be difficult. In this case, it is better to immerse the damaged area of the body in a basin or bath of water. You can also wet several towels and apply them to the burn site, changing them often.
Apply a sterile bandage to the injury site if there are blisters (second degree burn). If necessary, give any painkiller from home first aid kit– Paracetamol, Ibuprofen. For recommendations on further treatment, contact your therapist.

What to do in case of a thermal burn

There is a list of erroneous first aid measures that parents follow. If a child has been burned by boiling water, this should not be done:

This measure is enough to stop the destructive effects of heat on the affected tissue. All other measures can lead to various complications, including painful shock, intoxication, and increased damage.

Further treatment

Depending on the extent of the injury, further treatment of the burn may be necessary.

1st degree

No specific measures are needed; the burn will go away on its own, most often without complications. You can lubricate the injury site with special ointments and sprays - Panthenol, Zinc Ointment, Olazol. These products will soften damaged skin, speed up its healing, and relieve pain. They are prohibited from being used for first aid - only for further treatment after treating the burn with cold water for 15 minutes.

Such wounds do not need to be covered with bandages; they heal better with open treatment.

2nd degree

Some burns need to be covered. These are places that come into contact with clothing or often get dirty. For example, if the burn is on the back of the hand, a bandage is required. If the wound is on the forearm, and the child wears clothing that leaves the injury site open, wearing a bandage is canceled.

During healing open method less risk of developing infection with subsequent suppuration. When the blisters burst, you need to treat the wounds with antiseptics, but not alcohol-based ones. Furacilin, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and peroxide are best suited. Alcohol should not be used, as it will dry out skin damaged by boiling water and worsen the burn.

3rd degree

Such burns must be treated under medical supervision. If the damage is minor, then hospitalization is avoided. The wound is washed with antiseptics 3-5 times a day, then covered with a sterile bandage. It should hold, but not be tight. A tight bandage causes disruption of blood supply.

After treatment with an antiseptic, Panthenol can be applied under the bandage, Zinc ointment or other anti-burn agent. During the recovery stage, it is better to use products that will prevent the formation of scars - Contractubex, Radevit, Boro Plus.

4th degree

Such a burn from boiling water cannot be cured without surgery. Doctors will remove the charred tissue and subsequently perform a skin transplant operation. The child will be hospitalized during treatment. After discharge, you will need to wash the wounds with antiseptics 3-5 times a day and change sterile dressings. Additionally, anti-burn ointments are also used, and for scarring of wounds - Contractubex, Radevit, Boro Plus.

It depends on the area of damage and age what to apply to the burn at different stages of treatment. For children, it is better to use products in aerosols, since they are more convenient to apply. Schoolchildren with minor burns find it easier to lubricate the injuries with ointments.

Most anti-burn medications are supplied in both forms; all that remains is to choose the one that is convenient for a particular case.

When to see a doctor

Many people prefer to treat burns from boiling water themselves. With the first degree and a small area of injury, this decision is correct. But when blisters and wounds appear, many people suspect that they cannot do without medical care. You should call a doctor if:

A burn of any degree with a large area of damage was received. The size of the victim's palm can be taken as a metric unit. If the area of injury from boiling water is the size of this palm or larger, it is better to contact a burn center for advice and assistance in treatment.
Received a III-IV degree burn. Regardless of the area of damage, such injuries should be treated only under the supervision of a physician. When treating deep lesions there is a risk of complications. Only doctors can prevent their occurrence and provide competent assistance.
A child under one year old was scalded. For young children, injuries from boiling water are much more dangerous than for adults. Therefore, in any case, the child should be examined by a doctor, even if everything is limited to redness of the skin in the area of thermal influence.

In addition to these situations, people go to the emergency room when the wound becomes infected and suppurates. Doctors will help treat the injury, prescribe antiseptics, and, if necessary, prescribe antibiotics. Without these measures, there is a risk of injury from boiling water leading to blood poisoning.

How to protect your child from thermal burns

It is difficult to prevent a preschooler from getting injured by boiling water, because children of this age do not understand the meaning of their actions and quickly forget the rules. By repeatedly keeping them out of danger and explaining the reasons for such actions, you can ensure that the child does not go near boiling water. Until then, only your vigilance is required. You should not leave your baby alone in the kitchen or bathroom so that he does not spill boiling water on himself.

Children school age, as a rule, are able to comply with safety regulations. It’s up to adults to explain these rules in a timely manner and create opportunities to comply with them when working with boiling water:

It is important to teach schoolchildren that water becomes hot before it reaches boiling point and it is sometimes impossible to visually determine that it can burn.
Therefore, you can only check the temperature of liquids heated on the stove using a special thermometer.
Be sure to use oven mitts while cooking - they protect against hot oil splashes and accidental contact with a pot of boiling water on the stove.

It is advisable to teach your child the rules of first aid for scalding with boiling water. In this case, he will be able to help himself and other children if an emergency situation arises and adults are not around.

Raising a child is not easy. Especially when the mother is also responsible for housework. Children have an interesting property - as soon as their mother turns away, they immediately find adventures. Alas, not all adventures end well and are fraught with consequences. A burn in a child ranks third in childhood injuries. Before them are only injuries from falling from a height and various injuries. We are talking about burns.

What are burns?

Burns are damage to tissue under local action high temperatures, chemical substances, ionizing radiation or electric current.

Burns are divided into several categories:

Thermal. These are burns from flames, steam, boiling liquids, and burns after contact with hot objects.
Chemical. Burns resulting from exposure to household chemicals.
Radiation. This is a sunburn.
Electrical. They arise under the influence of current and lightning.

Burns are classified according to the degree of tissue damage:

1st degree. Affects only skin covering. The first degree is characterized by redness of the skin, slight swelling at the burn site, itching, burning. Healing occurs on its own in 7-10 days, no treatment is required, and no scars remain.
2nd degree. It is characterized by swelling, redness, the appearance of blisters with transparent contents, and severe pain. With the right approach to treatment, it heals within 14–21 days and leaves no scars. If treated incorrectly (especially for chemical burns), the process can deepen.
3rd degree. It is characterized by swelling, the appearance of blisters with bloody contents, sensitivity is reduced or absent. Such burns are treated in a hospital. The wound heals with the formation of scars and scars.
4th degree. Characterized by damage to the skin, subcutaneous fat, and muscles. The wound is deep, black, and insensitive to pain. As with third-degree burns, treatment is carried out in a hospital. After recovery, scars remain.

Not only the depth, but also the area of the burn is important. The easiest way to assess is by looking at the baby’s palm. An area equal to the palm of your hand is equal to one percent of the total body area. How larger area, the worse the prognosis.

Features of burns in children

Children have thinner skin compared to adults. That’s why burns in children are deeper;
the child is helpless at the time of injury, does not immediately react, and is unable to help himself. Because of this, exposure to the traumatic agent may be longer, which deepens the injury;
Burn shock in children can occur with a smaller burn surface than in adults.

Considering all of the above, in case of a burn, starting from the second degree (especially with a large area of injury), you need to show the child to a doctor.

We will now discuss what to do before you see a doctor, and how first aid is provided for burns.

Chemical burn in a child

Children get chemical burns quite often. The cause is poorly cleaned household chemicals or hidden nearby acetic acid. Unfortunately, children not only douse themselves, but also drink liquid from beautiful packages.

What can cause a burn?

acids (sanox, adrilan, acetic acid);
alkalis (cleaning products, ammonia);
petrol;
potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
creams, ointments, some medications used by adults (fortunately, such burns are shallow).

The severity of a chemical burn is affected by:

substance concentration;
how long the substance was on the skin or mucous membrane;
amount of substance;
feature of the victim's skin.

Features of symptoms when exposed to various chemicals:

acids. A scab appears at the site of the injury, the burn spreads slowly into the depths, a dense crust forms, which prevents the wound from becoming infected;
alkalis. The burn quickly deepens, the surface of the wound becomes wet, and cases of wound infection are frequent.

Chemical burns in children and first aid

The sooner you start providing first aid for a burn, the better.

Help with chemical burn skin:

Remove or cut off clothing from the damaged area of the body.
Rinse the wound with running water. Rinse the wound for at least 15 minutes. Water should be poured onto the burn.
Apply a dry aseptic bandage and seek help from a surgeon.
In case of severe pain, give an anesthetic drug (Ibuprofen) in an age-appropriate dosage.

Chemical eye burn, first aid:

Rinse your eyes under running water as quickly as possible, try to open your eyes. Rinse the wound for at least 15 minutes.
Apply a dry aseptic dressing.
Consult an ophthalmologist for help.

If a child drinks household chemicals from a beautiful package, it is important not to waste time and call an ambulance. Before the doctor arrives, you can try to give the baby water to drink and induce vomiting. Unfortunately, the younger the baby, the more difficult it is to do this.

What should you not do for chemical burns?

Do not wash the wound with anything other than water. Chemical reactions only aggravate and deepen burns, especially if it is a burn on the mucous membrane or eyes;
do not rub the wound with a cloth or immerse the victim in a bath;
don't wait, contact us for medical care as soon as possible;
do not treat the wound surface with antiseptics. They can also react with the damaging substance and make the situation worse.

Thermal burn in a child

Just like in adults, thermal burns can be classified according to the damaging factor:

boiling water burn;
steam burn;
burns upon contact with a hot surface (iron, stove, hot dishes);
flame burn.

Very often you see thermal burns of the legs with boiling water. Typically, these burns occur in children who cannot walk, but are already eager to explore the world, and flatly refuse to sit somewhere. And as often happens, the mother, taking the baby in her arms, begins to prepare dinner. The baby shakes his leg and falls straight into a boiling pan.

Another option is when an older child accidentally pours boiled liquid on himself.

In the second case, the burn area is larger. But most often it is not as deep as in the first case, since the liquid has time to cool.

A child gets a burn from boiling water, what should I do?

Any liquid tends to spread. As a result, the burn area is often quite large. Therefore, first remove the child from the source of danger as quickly as possible.
Remove clothing from the burned area. This will reduce the temperature at the burn site. If it is not possible to remove it, cut it off and place the wound under cold water.
After cooling the burn area, apply a bandage to the area. The bandage should not press, it should lie loosely.
If you see a 2nd degree burn on a child, there are blisters and strong pain, do not puncture the blisters.
Give the victim water or any drink the child likes (tea, fruit drink, juice).
Give your child an anesthetic in an age-appropriate dosage.
In cases where the burn area is more than 10%, even if it is a 1st degree burn, it is better to show it to a doctor. If a child is burned with boiling water of 2nd degree or more and the area is more than 10%, the child must be taken to a burn hospital.

Children often grab hot surfaces with their hands - stoves, irons, ovens. In case of a burn from a hot surface in a child, first aid is provided in the same way as in the case of a burn with boiling water. The only peculiarity of hot surfaces, for example, an iron, is that the child’s burn from the iron will be of a small area, but perhaps quite deep - 2-3 degrees.

Fire burn in a child

If a child catches a flame on his clothes or hair, the flame must be put out, the best option- water. If there is no water nearby, throw a thick blanket or blanket over the victim.

The main thing is to stop the supply of oxygen to the fire.

Try not to cover the victim's face to avoid poisoning. carbon dioxide and thermal burn respiratory tract.

Remove the child from smoldering clothing as quickly as possible, cool the wound, apply a loose aseptic bandage and any in an accessible way take the baby to the hospital.

What should not be done and what can aggravate the situation and deepen the burn?

Do not rub the burned area with a cloth.
In case of a chemical burn, do not put the victim in the bath. You need to wash the wound only by pouring water on the wound.
Do not apply oils, petroleum jelly, or other substances that create a protective film to fresh burns. You can apply these products to the damaged area only after the wound has completely healed.
Do not apply alcohol-containing solutions to burns.
Do not puncture the blisters, as this may cause the wound to become infected.
Do not apply medicinal ointments and creams immediately to a still hot burn, this can also aggravate the situation.

Burn disease

First aid was provided, and it seemed that everything would soon improve on its own, the pain would go away, the wounds would heal. For first-degree burns and second-degree burns with a small area of damage, this will most likely be the case. But what can happen in case of large area and deep burns? Everything can end in burn disease.

Burn disease is a disruption of the activity of all organs and systems caused by the loss of plasma and the breakdown of protein fractions in the human body.

Burn disease in children develops when a child receives deep burns of 3-4 degrees or shallow burns of 2 degrees, but more than 10% of the area.

There are four periods of illness:

burn shock – develops in the first three days after a burn;
acute burn toxemia;
septicotoxemia;
recovery.

Treatment of burn disease is carried out only in the hospital.

Treatment of burns in children

How can you treat burns in children? I remind you once again that treatment must be prescribed by a doctor.

If you decide to take a risk and treat a minor 1st-2nd degree burn yourself, please note that all ointments and creams cannot be rubbed in. They need to be applied to the skin, as if creating a protective layer. The dressings should not press, they should be applied loosely. Do not apply a patch to a burned surface.

The most famous burn remedies for children:

Dermazin. Approved for use in children from 2 months. Burn cream is used to apply to the skin 1 - 2 times a day. Can be used under a bandage or on open skin. You need to change the dressing every day. The drug resists the spread of wound infection well;
Panthenol. Ointment for burns for children with dexpanthenol. Recommended for the treatment of 1st degree burns. Apply after cooling the burned skin.

Prevention of burns

To summarize, I would once again draw your attention to special caution when performing household duties:

try to keep your child away from hot household appliances;
do not pick up the baby when preparing dinner, especially do not hold him over a boiling pan;
When pouring lunch for your child, check the temperature of the dish;
wash your hands with your child, check the temperature of the water coming from the tap every time;
do not allow children to play with open fire;
keep household chemicals, medicines and hazardous chemical substances under lock and key.

Be careful and extremely careful. The health of your children depends on you.

Watch a video about burns in children.