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Rule of nines picture. Rule of Nines: Essential Guide to Burn Assessment and Treatment

What is the Rule of Nines. How is it used in burn assessment. Why is it important for determining treatment. How does it differ for adults and children. What are the key factors in burn severity evaluation.

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Understanding the Rule of Nines: A Critical Tool in Burn Assessment

The Rule of Nines is a rapid and effective method used by medical professionals to estimate the total body surface area (TBSA) affected by burns. This crucial assessment tool plays a vital role in determining the severity of burn injuries and guiding appropriate treatment decisions. By assigning percentages that are multiples of nine to different body regions, healthcare providers can quickly calculate the extent of burn damage.

Origins and Development

While often referred to as the Wallace Rule of Nines, honoring Dr. Alexander Wallace who first published the method, its creation is actually credited to Pulaski and Tennison. This distinction highlights the collaborative nature of medical advancements and the importance of accurate attribution in the field.

When is the Rule of Nines Applied?

The Rule of Nines is primarily used for assessing:

  • Second-degree burns (partial-thickness burns)
  • Third-degree burns (full-thickness burns)

These more severe burn types require careful evaluation to ensure proper treatment and management.

Breakdown of the Rule of Nines for Adults

For adult burn victims, the Rule of Nines assigns the following percentages to body areas:

  • Head and neck: 9%
  • Each arm: 9%
  • Chest: 9%
  • Abdomen: 9%
  • Upper back: 9%
  • Lower back: 9%
  • Each leg: 18%
  • Groin: 1%

This standardized breakdown allows for quick mental calculations in emergency situations, providing a valuable initial assessment of burn severity.

Clinical Applications of the Rule of Nines

The information gathered using the Rule of Nines serves multiple critical purposes in burn management:

Fluid Resuscitation

How does the Rule of Nines guide fluid replacement? When burns cover more than 20-25% of TBSA, significant intravenous (IV) fluid administration becomes necessary. The percentage of burned area directly informs the volume of fluids required to maintain proper hydration and prevent shock.

Determining Level of Care

The extent of burns assessed using the Rule of Nines helps medical teams decide on the appropriate treatment setting. Burns exceeding 10% TBSA often necessitate treatment at a specialized burn center. This threshold is lower for certain high-risk groups or when burns affect critical body areas.

IV Access Requirements

The Rule of Nines also informs decisions about IV access. For burns covering 15% or more of TBSA, at least one peripheral IV line is needed. When burns exceed 40% TBSA, a minimum of two IV lines becomes necessary to ensure adequate fluid administration.

Adapting the Rule of Nines for Pediatric Patients

Children’s body proportions differ significantly from adults, necessitating adjustments to the Rule of Nines for accurate assessment. Key differences include:

  • Larger head size relative to body (approximately 20% larger than adults)
  • Smaller leg size (about 13% smaller than adults)

These anatomical variations lead to the following modifications in pediatric burn assessment:

  • Head and neck: 18% (double the adult percentage)
  • Each leg: 13.5% (reduced from the adult 18%)

Recognizing these differences is crucial for providing appropriate care to young burn victims.

Limitations and Considerations of the Rule of Nines

While the Rule of Nines is a valuable tool, it’s important to acknowledge its limitations:

  • It provides an estimate, not an exact measurement
  • Accuracy may vary depending on body composition (e.g., obesity can affect percentages)
  • It doesn’t account for burn depth, which is also crucial in determining treatment

Healthcare providers should use the Rule of Nines in conjunction with other assessment methods for a comprehensive evaluation of burn injuries.

Beyond the Rule of Nines: Additional Factors in Burn Assessment

While the Rule of Nines focuses on TBSA, other critical factors influence burn severity and treatment decisions:

Burn Depth

How does burn depth affect treatment? The depth of a burn (first, second, or third degree) significantly impacts healing time, risk of complications, and treatment approaches. Deeper burns often require more intensive interventions, including possible skin grafting.

Location of Burns

Certain body areas require special consideration due to their functional importance or increased risk of complications:

  • Face and neck (risk of airway compromise)
  • Hands and feet (impact on functionality)
  • Genitalia (high risk of infection)
  • Major joints (potential for contractures and mobility issues)

Mechanism of Injury

The cause of the burn can influence treatment decisions:

  • Chemical burns may require specific decontamination procedures
  • Electrical burns can cause internal damage not immediately visible
  • Inhalation injuries from smoke or hot gases may complicate respiratory function

Advanced Burn Assessment Techniques

While the Rule of Nines provides a quick initial assessment, more precise methods are available for detailed burn evaluation:

Lund and Browder Chart

This chart offers a more accurate estimation of TBSA by accounting for age-related changes in body proportions. It’s particularly useful for pediatric burn assessment.

Digital Imaging and Software Analysis

Advanced imaging techniques and specialized software can provide highly accurate measurements of burn surface area. These tools are especially valuable in research settings and for tracking healing progress.

3D Scanning Technology

Emerging 3D scanning methods offer the potential for even more precise burn area calculations, accounting for body contours and irregularities.

The Importance of Prompt and Accurate Burn Assessment

Why is rapid burn assessment crucial? The timely and accurate evaluation of burn injuries using tools like the Rule of Nines can have a significant impact on patient outcomes:

  • Enables quick decision-making regarding treatment location (local hospital vs. specialized burn center)
  • Guides initial fluid resuscitation efforts to prevent shock
  • Helps determine the need for early interventions like escharotomy or fasciotomy
  • Informs decisions about pain management and wound care strategies
  • Assists in predicting potential complications and long-term prognosis

The Rule of Nines, despite its simplicity, remains a valuable tool in the initial stages of burn management, providing a foundation for more comprehensive assessments and treatment planning.

Burn Prevention and Public Education

While understanding burn assessment is crucial for healthcare providers, preventing burns is equally important. Public education initiatives can play a significant role in reducing the incidence and severity of burn injuries:

Home Safety Measures

What are some key burn prevention strategies for the home?

  • Installing and maintaining smoke detectors
  • Keeping hot liquids and foods away from edges of tables and counters
  • Setting water heater temperatures to a safe level (below 120°F/49°C)
  • Using back burners on stoves and turning pot handles inward
  • Keeping flammable items away from heat sources

Workplace Safety

In occupational settings, especially those involving high heat or chemicals, proper safety protocols are essential:

  • Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Implementing regular safety training programs
  • Ensuring proper labeling and storage of hazardous materials
  • Maintaining emergency shower and eyewash stations

First Aid Education

Teaching proper first aid for burns can significantly improve outcomes:

  • Immediately cooling the burn with cool (not cold) running water for at least 20 minutes
  • Removing any clothing or jewelry near the burned area
  • Covering the burn with a clean, dry dressing
  • Seeking medical attention for severe or extensive burns

By combining effective prevention strategies with improved public awareness of burn first aid, we can reduce both the frequency and severity of burn injuries in our communities.

The Future of Burn Assessment and Treatment

As medical technology advances, new approaches to burn assessment and treatment are emerging:

Artificial Intelligence in Burn Evaluation

How might AI transform burn care? Artificial intelligence algorithms are being developed to analyze burn images, potentially offering more accurate and consistent TBSA calculations than traditional methods. These tools could assist healthcare providers in making rapid, data-driven treatment decisions.

Regenerative Medicine Approaches

Stem cell therapies and tissue engineering techniques show promise in promoting faster healing and reducing scarring in severe burns. These advanced treatments may revolutionize burn care, particularly for patients with extensive injuries.

Telemedicine in Burn Management

Remote consultation technologies are enabling burn specialists to provide expert guidance to healthcare providers in rural or underserved areas. This can improve initial assessment accuracy and help determine when transfer to a specialized burn center is necessary.

Advanced Dressing Technologies

Innovative wound dressings incorporating antimicrobial properties, growth factors, or smart materials that respond to the wound environment are being developed. These advanced dressings could enhance healing and reduce the risk of infection in burn patients.

While these emerging technologies hold great promise, the fundamental principles of burn assessment, including the Rule of Nines, will likely remain valuable tools in the initial stages of burn management. As the field of burn care continues to evolve, a combination of time-tested methods and cutting-edge innovations will shape the future of treatment for burn victims.

Burns, Children, Adults, Wallace, and More

Rule of Nines: Burns, Children, Adults, Wallace, and More

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Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. D., MPH — By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on July 20, 2018

What is the rule of nines?

The rule of nines is a method doctors and emergency medical providers use to easily calculate the treatment needs for a person who’s been burned.

It’s sometimes referred to as the Wallace rule of nines after Dr. Alexander Wallace, the surgeon who first published the method. The creation of this method is credited to Pulaski and Tennison.

A medical professional will do a visual examination to look for seriously burned areas and use the rule of nines to quickly add up what percentage of a person’s body is burned. While doctors will perform more thorough examinations for burn estimation, they can use the rule of nines to quickly assess a person and start recommending treatment centers and interventions to help a person.

The rule of nines is meant to be used for:

  • second-degree burns, also known as partial-thickness burns
  • third-degree burns, known as full-thickness burns

The rule of nines assigns a percentage that’s either nine or a multiple of nine to determine how much body surface area is damaged. For adults, the rule of nines is:

A medical provider can use calculations from the rule of nines in several ways. This includes the amount of fluid replacement and degree of care a person needs.

When a person experiences a second-degree burn or worse, the protective layer of skin is destroyed. As a result, they’ll lose a significant amount of body water. This makes providing fluids vital to helping a person maintain their total body water. According to the National Institutes of Health, burns that are greater than 20 to 25 percent of total body surface area require significant intravenous (IV) fluids. Doctors will also use the estimated body surface area burned to determine how much fluid to administer.

The rule of nines can also relay to a medical team receiving the patient how serious the injury is. Providers also know that burns that exceed 30 percent of a person’s body can be potentially fatal, according to the National Institutes of Health.

If a person has burns on 10 percent of their body surface area or greater, a specialized burn center should treat their wounds. Other circumstances where a burn center should treat the wounds include:

  • when the person is a child
  • when the burned areas involve key areas of the body, such as the hands, feet, genitalia, face, or major joints
  • chemical burns
  • electrical burns
  • the presence of third-degree burns

Another example of how a provider may use the rule of nines is to determine how much IV access is needed. If a person has 15 percent or more of their total body surface area burned, they’ll need at least one peripheral line to provide IV fluids. If a person’s body is burned 40 percent or more, they’ll need at least two IVs.

Doctors don’t typically use the same calculations in the rule of nines to children. This is because children tend to have different body proportions than adults do, including larger heads and smaller legs. For example, children tend to proportionally have a 20 percent larger head than adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. Infants also have 13 percent smaller legs than adults.

Therefore, there are a few adjustments for the rule of nines in children:

Burns are a serious, painful injury that require immediate treatment and intervention. The rule of nines serves as a quick method of assessment for a medical provider to estimate the extent of a person’s injuries. If the person with burns is a child, the rule of nines should be adjusted due to differences in a child’s proportions.

Last medically reviewed on July 19, 2018

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

  • Assessing burns and planning resuscitation: The rule of nines. (n.d.).
    uwhealth.org/emergency-room/assessing-burns-and-planning-resuscitation-the-rule-of-nines/12698
  • Burn triage and treatment – Thermal injuries. (2017).
    chemm.nlm.nih.gov/burns.htm
  • Helttiaratchy S. (2004). Initial management of a major burn: II—assessment and resuscitation. DOI:
    10.1136/bmj.329.7457.101
  • Lee KC, et al. (2014). History of burns: The past, present and the future. DOI:
    10.4103/2321-3868.143620
  • Quick reference guide: Burn stabilization. (n.d.).
    uwmedicine.org/airlift-nw/Documents/burn-pocket-card-final.pdf

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Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on July 20, 2018

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Beyond Rule of Thirds: How to Master Photo Composition

The rule of thirds is one of the first rules taught in photography classes, a principle that helps photographers create well-balanced and interesting shots. We’re here to talk about the rule of thirds, when to use it, and when you can break it (yes, there are some instances when you can get away breaking the rule of thirds!). But before you can break the rules, you have to understand them. And remember: Following photography guidelines will help you master photo composition.

What is the Rule of Thirds?

While you are looking at your viewfinder or LCD display on your screen, create a grid in your mind that has nine parts, made by three horizontal lines and three vertical lines. This grid will have four points in the center where the lines intersect. Those four intersections are your points of interest. These points correspond with people’s natural line of sight when they first look at an image, and utilizing these points in your work will help you capture the interest and attention of your viewers naturally and dynamically. These are your points of interest to use when framing your image.   

Why Use the Rule of Thirds?

Your photo will be more balanced and interact with your audience most naturally when the points of interest are placed at the intersections of your grid or along the lines. When a subject is placed in either the left or right frame, or even in two thirds of the photo, it creates a movement. But when a photo is placed dead center of the photo, the audience does not experience any movement at all.

In the photo below, you can see red, intersecting lines that act as the guides. The picture is divided into three one-third panels, both horizontal and vertical. The eye naturally follows the flow of the road — starting at the bottom of the middle frame and then moving over to the right frame of the picture. Because the road spans across two thirds of the photo, it creates a natural movement for the eye.

When can you break the Rule of Thirds?

If you have good reason to break the rule of thirds, then do it. A prime example of breaking the rule of thirds is when your subject has perfect symmetry. While the audience tends to look for movement, it is well known that human beings are attracted to others with symmetrical faces and bodies. The same idea can be applied to symmetry found in nature, like a butterfly, snowflake, or a flower.

Another time you can break the rule of thirds is when you feature a shallow depth of field in your image. Why? A shallow depth of field helps create dimension in photos and your eyes will automatically move through a scene that appears to have depth and dimension.

Do you have any instances of when you break the rule of thirds? We would love to hear how you’ve mastered photo composition below! If you’re interested in learning more about photography, consider applying to NYFA’s Photography School today.

Algorithm of action in case of burns – News

Burns are one of the most common fire injuries. Therefore, it is important for all of us to know the techniques and methods of providing first aid to victims of burns.

The tragic consequences of burns would have been much less if help had been provided correctly from the first minutes. It is enough to apply a scheme of actions available to everyone directly at the scene of the incident in order not only to reduce pain, but also to significantly increase the likelihood of saving the victim.

As a rule, burns received in a fire are thermal, that is, obtained from direct exposure to fire, hot metal objects, flashed combustible liquid. By the way, thermal burns also include injuries received from boiling water or hot water.

It is important to be able to distinguish between degrees of burns. There are 4 degrees of burns:

I degree – skin redness, swelling. The mildest degree of burn.

II degree – the appearance of blisters filled with a clear liquid (blood plasma).

III degree – necrosis of all layers of the skin. Proteins of skin cells and blood coagulate and form a dense scab, under which there are damaged and dead tissues.

IV degree – charring of tissues. This is the most severe form of a burn, in which the skin, muscles, tendons, and bones are damaged.

The first factor influencing the severity of the victim’s condition is the area of ​​the burn. You can determine the area of ​​the burn using the “rule of nines”: the skin surface of the palm is 1% of the body surface, the skin surface of the hand is 9%, the skin surface of the leg – 18%, the skin surface of the chest in front and behind – 9% each, the skin surface of the abdomen and lower back of the abdomen and lower back – 9% each. Burn of the perineum and genitals – 10% of the burn area. Burns in these areas are shock injuries. There are superficial and deep burns; limited (less than 10%) and extensive (more than 10%).

REMEMBER! With large burns, life-threatening dehydration occurs.

BURN SCHEDULE:

1. Stop exposure to high temperature on the victim, extinguish the flame on his clothes, remove the victim from the affected area.

2. Specify the nature of the burn (flame, hot water, chemicals, etc.), as well as area and depth. Wrap the victim in a clean sheet and immediately deliver to a medical facility.
3. Carry out transport immobilization, in which the burned areas of the body should be in the most stretched position.

4. With a small burn, the burnt area can be placed under a stream of cold water from a tap for 10-15 minutes, with extensive burns this should not be done.

5. It is better to cut the clothes in the places of the burn and apply an aseptic bandage around the burn, while cotton should not be applied.

6. When transporting the wounded to a medical institution, ensure that he is calm.

IT IS FORBIDDEN:
– to leave the victim alone;

– apply ointment, cream, vegetable oil to the burned area, sprinkle with powders;

– pierce bubbles;

– remove clothing from the burned area;

– in case of a burn of the oral cavity, give food and drink.

The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic reminds:

If you are in an emergency and you need the help of firefighters or rescuers – a single number to call all emergency services from the mobile phone “112” and “01” from the stationary.

Thermal burn: first aid treatment

Causes of thermal burns

  • exposure to open fire on the skin or as a result of ignition of clothing
  • contact with hot metal, sintered objects or other objects (iron, frying pan, hob, asphalt spray, etc.)
  • 90 061 exposure hot liquid or vapor

  • reaction to electrical damage to the body
  • exposure to the sun (sunburn)

Severity of thermal burns. Main symptoms

Thermal burn injuries are: I, II, III and IV degrees .

1st degree burns

1st degree burns are called superficial , or epidermal 1 . Only the top layer of the skin is damaged. Symptoms will be swelling, soreness or burning, red color of the skin. These burns can be treated on their own. As a rule, it is possible to restore the skin in a few days. After healing, the damaged area of ​​the skin will not differ in color from the rest of the skin, but temporary peeling may be present. 9. The damaging effect affects the deeper layers of the skin. Therefore, with such burns, along with reddening of the skin, swelling and pain, blisters with transparent contents form. Healing occurs within two weeks. Often, after complete skin repair, the damaged area will be either a darker or lighter shade compared to unaltered skin.

3rd degree burns

3rd degree burns called deep 1 . The burn process involves all layers of the skin, including subcutaneous fatty tissue.

Structure of the skin

In this case, the symptoms, depending on the cause of the thermal burn, will vary. So, upon contact with an open fire or a hot object, a crust (scab) of a brownish color forms on the surface, and when the skin is scalded with hot liquid or steam, it is wet, white-gray.

Blisters may also form in deep burns.

Recovery of burn injuries takes up to 1.5 months. Skin grafting is often required. Upon healing, a violation of skin pigmentation remains, well-marked scars are formed.

IV degree burns

Burns IV degree not only kill the skin and membranes covering the muscles (fascia), muscles and bones can also be affected 2 . A dark crust and areas of charring appear. Recovery is extremely slow, as a rule, surgical treatment, skin grafting is required. The issue of saving the affected parts of the body is being resolved.

Determining the area of ​​a thermal burn. Injury severity index (ITI)

In most cases, a doctor can diagnose a thermal burn already during a visual examination. If the person is conscious, you can ask about what happened and clarify the specific cause of the thermal burn.

To select the tactics of treatment of burn wounds, it is necessary to diagnose the severity of the burn injury.

In combustiology, a branch of medicine dealing with the study of burns, to determine the burn area use the “rule of the palm” and the “rule of nines”.

“Rule of the palm”

The area of ​​one palm of the patient is 1% of the entire body surface 2 . This rule is suitable for determining non-extensive burn injuries.

“Rule of nines”

In an adult, the area of ​​the skin of the head is 9% of the area of ​​the whole body. Upper limb – 9%, one lower limb – 18%, Front and back surface of the body – 18% each, genitals
and perineum – 1% 2 .

Injury severity index

For a special assessment of the damage area, the injury severity index (ITI) is calculated. This indicator is based on an assessment of the depth and extent of the lesion and is expressed in conventional units.

  • With burns of I-II degrees, 1% of the burn area is equal to 1 unit.
  • For IIIa degree burns, 1% of the burn area is equal to 2 units.
  • In case of IIIb-IV degree burns, 1% of the burn area is equal to 3 units.

Complications of burns

A serious complication of thermal burns is burn shock 2

  • vomiting
  • pressure drop
  • decrease or cessation of urine production by the kidneys (oliguria and anuria)
  • chills and palpitations
  • pallor and dryness of the skin
  • motor excitation

Light shock develops with a deep burn of no more than 20% of the body surface, ITP 30-70 units.

Severe shock – with a burn of 20-40% of the body surface, ITP 71-130 units.

Extremely severe shock – burned more than 40% of the body surface,
ITP more than 130 units.

The shock period lasts from 10 hours to 3 days, depending on the severity of the shock.

From the 4th to the 14th day, due to the general effect on the body of the decay products of dead tissues and bacteria, acute burn toxemia occurs .

Burn shock is treated in a hospital, where adequate anesthesia is performed, bladder catheterization is carried out, and water and electrolyte balance is corrected. Artificial ventilation is often required.

Local complications of thermal burns include infection with bacteria and fungi, loss of function of the affected body part, severe scarring and contractures.

Treatment of thermal burns

Most household thermal burns, given their small size and mild severity, do not require medical attention.

However, it is important to provide correct first aid.

First aid for thermal burns

  • Stop contact with heat as soon as possible or extinguish burning clothing with water or a blanket.
  • Cool the area of ​​thermal burn with cold water, ice, snow, cooling packs. This will allow to lower the temperature inside the tissues and reduce the damaging effects of heat.
  • The burnt part of the body is cut and removed. Adhering clothes are not torn off.
  • Formed blisters should not be pierced. You can use a sterile needle from a sterile syringe if the bubble is single and small. With multiple blisters, you need to seek medical help.

Ointments and creams for burns

What are the types of ointments for the treatment of burns, and how to choose the most effective one.

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Treatment of light superficial burns

In the treatment of first degree burns, soothing creams, aerosols, solutions containing panthenol, dexpanthenol, tannin are used. Changes in the lesion are completely reversible and healing occurs within a few days.

Treatment of II-III degree burns

The formation of blisters indicates a violation of the integrity of the skin, and necrosis of the skin or other tissues of the body is a predisposing factor for the development of infection. Therefore, burns of the second or more severe degrees are susceptible to infection by pathogens .

To prevent the development of purulent complications, proper care and treatment of the burn surface is important, both before seeking medical help and after medical intervention.

A fresh burn wound surface must be washed in order to decontaminate and mechanically remove foreign particles and microorganisms. Usually, solutions of furacilin, potassium permanganate, chlorhexidine are used. Then a 5% iodine solution is applied along the edges of the wound. Moreover, it should be noted that there are special forms of iodine, which are called povidone-iodine.

Treatment of thermal burns with preparations based on povidone-iodine (Betadine®)

For disinfection of the wound surface, it is recommended to use solution of povidone-iodine ( Betadine ® ), which, unlike the above antiseptics, does not contain alcohol, approved for use on the entire surface of the burn, does not cause burning of injured tissues.

Povidone-iodine ( Betadine ® ) contributes to the death of bacteria, fungi, protozoan unicellular microorganisms, viruses 3 . At the same time, the drug is practically not absorbed into the bloodstream 3 , which indicates a high safety profile.

Antiseptic, disinfectant ointment Betadine ® can be used to treat burns. The agent is applied to the burn surface 2-3 times a day with a thin layer. In the treatment of burns Betadine ® ointment can be left under the dressing. In the treatment of infected wounds under wipes soaked in a solution or ointment Betadine ® , during the first 5-7 days the edema and the amount of purulent discharge decreased, there was a decrease in pain 4 . The use of Betadine ® solution or ointment is permitted in adults and children from the age of 3 .

Instruction

Where can I buy Betadine® solution?

Buy

Buy

Buy

Or

Find the nearest pharmacy0003

Iodine-based ointment

Iodine-based ointment: mechanism of action, scope. Ointment Betadine® based on povidone-iodine for the treatment of various skin diseases.

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Treatment of thermal burns at the stage of healing and maturation of the scar

Along with antiseptic therapy, external healing agents based on lanthanum salts, sodium deoxyribonucleate can be used. In some complicated cases, antibiotic treatment may be required. After healing, for the preventive and therapeutic purpose of developing rough scars, preparations based on silicone, hyaluronidase, and glucocorticosteroids are prescribed.

Burn Injury Prevention

  • Small children should not be left alone.
  • Use protective covers for sockets.
  • Install thermostats on the water pipes.
  • Install protective screens on radiators.
  • Mugs, plates, pots, pans with hot contents should be placed closer to the center of the table or on the far burners of the hob.
  • Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
  • Electrical appliances placed on countertops should be moved closer to the wall – away from the water source.
  • Observe safe tanning practices. Stay in the open sun until 11.00 and after 16.00. Use sunscreen with at least 30 SPF.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I seek medical attention for a thermal burn?

Urgently call an ambulance if:

  • burn area over 5% (5 palms) of body surface
  • burn of 3-4 degrees
  • smoke inhalation occurred, airways burned
  • burns of the face or neck, inguinal region, two limbs burned
  • burn injury occurred a eye
  • a child or an elderly person received a thermal injury

If purulent complications appear during the treatment of even small burns, a doctor’s consultation is necessary.

Is it possible to wet the skin after a burn?

Immediately after a thermal injury, it is even recommended to cool the skin with pure cold water. If a burn of 1 and 2 degrees – hold under running water for 10-15 minutes. If the burn is 3 and 4 degrees, use a clean, damp bandage to cool the damaged area of ​​​​the skin. When cooling injured skin with water, do not rub or try to actively clean the wound.

It should be noted that during the healing period of burns, characterized by damage to the integrity of the skin, it is not recommended to contact with water, visit a sauna, bath, pool.

Can I bandage burnt skin?

Bandaging or a clean dressing is recommended for initial pre-hospital treatment of thermal burns and during the healing period. In this case, cotton wool or other pile materials should not be used.

Moshkova Elena Mikhailovna

Dermatovenereologist, Head of the CDO for the provision of paid services, St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution of Healthcare “City Dermatovenerologic Dispensary”, St. Petersburg

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References

  1. Clinical recommendations “Thermal, chemical burns. Sun burns. Respiratory tract burns, 2020.
  2. Mikhailovich V.A., Miroshnichenko A.G. “Guidelines for emergency physicians”, 4th edition, 2007.
  3. Instructions for medical use of the drug Betadine®, solution, RU P N015282/03.
  4. Mikhalsky V. V., Bogdanov A. E., Zhilina S. V., Prvidentsev A. I., Anikin A. I., Ulyanina A. A. “The use of the drug in the treatment of infected wounds”.