How to manage thermal burn wounds : Medical Management of Burned Animals

How to manage thermal burn wounds : Medical Management of Burned Animals

Burns are generally classified by the depth of damage to the skin:

First-degree burns

• These burns affect only the skin’s surface, or epidermis, and usually result in redness and mild pain.
• Overexposure to the sun can cause a first-degree burn.

Most first-degree burns don’t require medical attention. recommends rinsing the burn area with cool water for five to 10 minutes or until the pain subsides. Next, apply a moisturizing lotion and if needed, take an over-the-counter pain reliever for a few days. If the pain doesn’t subside, see a doctor/vet.

Second-degree burns

• These burns penetrate to the second layer of skin, or dermis.
• They are usually bright red with a moist or blistered appearance.
• Scalding with extremely hot water or other liquid may cause this type of burn.
• Some second-degree burns may require a skin graft or skin substitute to heal.

Blistering and sluffing of skin is common with second-degree burns and can become infected,

Third-degree burns

• These burns involve all layers of the skin and are usually dry or leathery to the touch.
• They can appear ashen or charred black or brown.
• If the burn has damaged nerve endings, the patient may have no sensation of pain.
• Causes can be hot oil, friction, touching hot surfaces such as a stove, curling iron or a motorcycle muffler or even a chemical burn.

These more serious burns can lead to devastating injury, including loss of function or limbs, disfigurement and recurring infection. Severe burns can damage muscles and other tissue that affect every system of the body, and they can result in death.Third-degree burns need immediate medical attention and often require a skin graft or skin substitute to heal.

Treating burns at home

Many minor burns can be treated at home. Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Do:

• Run cool water (not cold or icy) for five to 10 minutes over a burn smaller than your hand.
• Seek medical attention for any burn larger than your hand — fingers to wrist — or if the burn affects the feet, face, eyes or genitalia.
• See a vet doctor if your pets have diabetes and your pet  burn his foot.
• Remove clothing and jewelry near a burn, but don’t try to peel off clothing stuck to the burn.

Don’t:

• Touch or soak a serious burn. Cover it with something dry and get to a hospitalor burn clinic.
• Pop blisters. But if they do burst, gently peel away the dead skin so germs don’t have a home to live in.

For All Burns

Stop Burning Immediately

• Put out fire or stop the person’s contact with hot liquid, steam, or other material.
• Help the person “stop, drop, and roll” to smother flames.
• Remove smoldering material from the person.
• Remove hot or burned clothing. If clothing sticks to skin, cut or tear around it.

Remove Constrictive Clothing Immediately

• Take off jewelry, belts, and tight clothing. Burns can swell quickly.

Then take the following steps:

For First-Degree Burns (Affecting Top Layer of Skin)

Cool Burn

• Hold burned skin under cool (not cold) running water or immerse in cool water until the pain subsides.
• Use compresses if running water isn’t available.

Protect Burn

• Cover with sterile, non-adhesive bandage or clean cloth.
• Do not apply butter, oil, lotions, or creams (especially if they contain fragrance). Apply a petroleum-based ointment two to three times per day.

Treat Pain

• Give over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn).

 When to See a Doctor

Seek medical help if:

• You see signs of infection, like increased pain, redness, swelling, fever, or oozing.
• The person needs tetanus or booster shot, depending on date of last injection. Tetanus booster should be given every 10 years.
• The burn blister is larger than two inches or oozes.
• Redness and pain last more than a few hours.
• The pain gets worse.
• The hands, feet, face, or genitals are burned.

 Follow Up

• The doctor will examine the burn and may prescribe antibiotics and pain medication.

For Second-Degree Burns (Affecting Top 2 Layers of Skin)

 Cool Burn

• Immerse in cool water for 10 or 15 minutes.
• Use compresses if running water isn’t available.
• Don’t apply ice. It can lower body temperature and cause further pain and damage.
• Don’t break blisters or apply butter or ointments, which can cause infection.

Protect Burn

• Cover loosely with sterile, nonstick bandage and secure in place with gauze or tape.

Prevent Shock

Unless the person has a head, neck, or leg injury, or it would cause discomfort:

• Lay the person flat.
• Elevate feet about 12 inches.
• Elevate burn area above heart level, if possible.
• Cover the person with a coat or blanket.

See a Doctor

• The doctor can test burn severity, prescribe antibiotics and pain medications, and administer a tetanus shot, if needed.

For Third-Degree Burns

. Protect Burn Area

• Cover loosely with sterile, nonstick bandage or, for large areas, a sheet or other material that that won’t leave lint in wound.
• Separate burned toes and fingers with dry, sterile dressings.
• Do not soak the burn in water or apply ointments or butter, which can cause infection.

. Prevent Shock

Unless the person has a head, neck, or leg injury or it would cause discomfort:

• Lay the person flat.
• Elevate feet about 12 inches.
• Elevate burn area above heart level, if possible.
• Cover the person with a coat or blanket.
• For an airway burn, do not place a pillow under the person’s head when the person is lying down. This can close the airway.
• Have a person with a facial burn sit up.
• Check pulse and breathing to monitor for shock until emergency help arrives.

For first-degree or second-degree burns smaller than about two inches in diameter, Here we recommend the following home-treatment steps:

Boil 500 g of lime  in 1.5 litre wate

Remove Sediment to  have just water

Mix 500g Peepal tree bark  /chaal

1kg of Neem leaves

250 g if Turmeric

100ml  Turpentine oil

10 tablets of Camphour

500 g ….leaves of Farhat

Mix them well to make paste

Compiled  & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

 Image-Courtesy-Google

 Reference-On Request.