Oh No! What To Do If Your Child Gets Burned This Summer
Posted on: 5 August 2018
Summer is a great time for kids to get out and enjoy themselves. It's also a time when accidents can happen. When they do, you need to be prepared to take action quickly. Burns are one injury that can happen during the summer. Whether it's from hot water or a fire pit, if your child gets burned, you need to know what to do right away. Here are three steps you should follow if your child is burned this summer.
Give Them a Cold Bath
If your child receives a burn this summer, the first thing you'll need to do is assess the size of the burn. If it's a small area, place the burn directly under cold water and let the water run over the burn for several minutes. If the burn covers a larger area, turn the shower on to cold, remove your child's clothing carefully, and place them in the water. Be sure to leave them in the cold water until the burn is cool to the touch. The cold water will stop the burn from doing further damage.
Take Care of the Wound
Once your child's burn has cooled to the touch, you'll need to take care of the wound. The most important thing you can remember is that you need to keep the blister intact. The blister is protecting the damaged tissue from becoming infected. Carefully dry the area with a soft, clean cloth and them cover the burn with medical gauze. Don't apply any ointments to the burn, especially things like butter. Applying ointments can actually make the burn worse, since it locks the heat in to the tissue. Be sure to have your child avoid touching the area. Touching the burn can lead to infection and can break the blister. It's important to note that if the blister has broken, you'll need to take care when covering the burn. You want to avoid doing further damage to the area.
Get to the Urgent Care
Once you've cooled and covered the burn, you should head to the urgent care center. A doctor will need to assess the wound and provide additional treatment. If you can, it's a good idea to call ahead to the urgent care center to let them know that you're on your way. That way, they can have an area prepared for you ahead of time.
Now that summer is here, you need to be prepared for accidents and injuries. If your child is burned this summer, use the tips provided here to treat the wound. Contact a clinic, like Alaska Urgent Care LLC, for more help.
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