A Guide to First Aid for Burns which include the types of burns and the corresponding risks and different first aid responses.

Basic First Aid for Burns

1. Burns

2. Functions of the Skin
●Defense against Bacteria and the
Environment
●Sensation
●Temperature Control

3. •Epidermis (outermost layer)
●Dermis (nerve endings, blood
vessel)
●Subcutaneous (fat and muscle)
Layers of the Skin

4. Burn do not only affect the skin –they
affect many others including the body’s
organ.
A burn’s severity is determined by:
●Depth of Injury
●Body surface area involved
●Location and coexisting conditions
●Source of burn
Burn Severity

5. First-Degree or Superficial Burns
●Involves the epidermis
●Red
●Mild to moderate pain
●Heals completely on its own in about a
week
Burn Depth

6. Second –Degree or Partial Thickness Burns
●Involves the epidermis and potentially some
portions of the dermis
●Blister and or glistening or wet base
●With appropriate medical care can heal within
10 –21 days
Burn Depth

7. ●Thick, dry, white leathery
●All layers of skin, fat, bone, and
underlying organs
●Painless at the site, but may be
surrounded by 1
st
and 2
nd
degree burns
●High risk of infection
●These burns never recover on their own,
the only treatment is skin graph
Burn Depth
Third –Degree / Fourth –Degree or Full –Thickness Burns

8. A burn’s severity is determined by:
●Depth of Injury
●Body surface area involved
●Location and coexisting conditions
●Source of burn
Burn Severity

9. 9

10. 10
●Evaluate the depth
of this burn
●Calculate the BSA
affected
Burn Severity by BSA

11. A burn’s severity is determined by:
●Depth of Injury
●Body surface area involved
●Location and coexisting conditions
●Source of burn
Burn Severity

12. Face: Burns to the face can affect the eyes and air
passages.
Indicators of Inhalation Injury:
●Soot in the mouth and or nose
●Singed nasal hair
●Redness, swelling, or actual burning of the tongue
●Damage skin around the mouth
●Hoarse voice
●Breathing difficulty
Burn Location –Coexisting Conditions

13. Inhalation Injury
●Dry Air –A poor conductor of Heat
●Steam –A good conductor of Heat
●Carbon Monoxide Gas (CO) –Binds to hemoglobin
●Cyanide Gas (CN) –Disrupts body’s ability to use Oxygen for energy
Burn Location –Coexisting Conditions

14. Location
●Hands and Feet–Loss of Function
●Genitalia –Form and Function and especially prone to infection
●Circumferential Burns –can produce a splinting or torniquet effect
which compromises limb circulation and may reduce respiratory
muscle movement.
Burn Location –Coexisting Conditions

15. Coexisting Conditions
●Age/Gender –skin in thinner in children, women, and elderly.
●Chronic Disease –Additional complications and longer healing
process
●Distracting Injury –secondary trauma.
●Immune System: Difficulty in combating infection.
Burn Location –Coexisting Conditions

16. 16
●Evaluate the depth of this burn.
●Calculate the BSA affected.
●What are the other complicating
factor/s?

17. ●Remove objects from the burned area –clothing, rings, watches, etc.
●Do not touch the blisters
●Cool the burn with running water for at least 20 minutes.
●Cover the casualty with thermal blanket.
●Give fluids orally if the casualty is fully conscious to prevent shock.
●Do not apply oil, tooth past, ointments
●Do not remove anything sticking to the burn.
●Dress the burn with water gel and sterile gauze then bandage or wrap in
cling-film/plastic.
Treatment

18. Burn do not only affect the skin –they
affect many others including the body’s
organ.
A burn’s severity is determined by:
●Depth of Injury
●Body surface area involved
●Location and coexisting conditions
●Source of burn
Burn Severity

19. ●Thermal (heat) Burn –Most commonly caused by exposure to fire,
steam, hot objects, and hot liquids.
●Radiation / Light Burn –Somewhat rare:radiation, nuclear fallout,
radioactive materials used in medicine, high intensity light sources
used for welding, radio frequency, ultraviolet light, etc.
Common Sources of Burns

20. Electrical Burns
●Make sure the power is off before touching the patient
●There is an entrance and exit wound
Injuries include:
●Thermal burns
●Altered mental status
●Intercranial bleeding
●Renal problems
●Cardiac Arrhythmias
●Ruptured tympanic membrane
●Spinal and long bone fractures
Common Sources of Burns

21. ●Position the victims
●Extinguish the burn or remove whatever
substance is causing the burn
●Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs) –
remember a burn victim is always
conscious, if the victim is unconscious, it is
because of something else.
Treatment