Treating Burns in Children - An Overview

Introduction

Burns are damage to the skin tissue caused by many external factors such as heat, cold, radiation, chemicals, and electric power. Especially in children, there are more possibilities of causing this type of injury due to their delicate skin. In extreme conditions, burns can cause severe damage. The treatment of the burn in children should be very quickly approached, involving the management according to the level of the burns.

What Are the Different Levels of Burns?

Depending on the severity and involvement, there are the following levels of burns:

• First-Degree Burns: In this type of burn, the skin’s superficial layer turns red and bruised. However, this level of burn does not cause any blister on the skin. It can be slightly painful.

• Second-Degree Burns: In second-degree burns, the outer layer of the skin is burned to cause dermis (middle skin layer) damage. With this burn injury, there is more possibility of causing blisters on the skin that can be very painful.

• Third-Degree Burns: With this type of burn, the epidermis (outer skin layer) and dermis both layers are damaged, and the injury is irreversible. The skin can be charred or with excruciating pain.

What Are the Common Types of Burns in Children?

According to age, different types of burns are commonly seen in children, such as

What Are the Causes of Burns?

Some causes of this type of injury include:

• Steam and vapor.

• Vehicle exhausts.

• Ashes from coal.

• Kitchen injury due to touching hot saucepans or hot solid food.

• Friction burns.

• Lighter and matches.

• Drinking or spilling hot milk or other liquid.

• Water from kettles, billies, urns, and thermoses.

• Touching or opening the hot water tap in the bathroom.

What Are the Times When Burns Can Happen to Children?

Taking care of children is a full-time job for parents, especially when they start to walk. However, there are some times when children are more susceptible to burns, such as

• Distracted.

• When they are watching television while drinking or eating.

• In a hurry or when they are doing multiple things simultaneously.

• Tired and not focused.

How to Prevent Burns in Children?

Bathroom and kitchen burns are the most common type of burns seen in children. Most of the scalds in the bathroom are caused by the hot water tap. There are some ways to prevent these injuries, such as

• While giving baths to their child, parents should use a thermometer to check the temperature of the water. The recommended temperature is 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.

• While filling up the bathtub, always keep cold water running at the beginning and the end.

• In the kid’s bathroom, put non-slip bath mats to prevent friction and burn injuries caused by falls.

• Put a safety lock for a child in all the doors of the house.

• Keep the bathroom lock open to keep an eye on children while they are bathing to prevent any emergency.

• Always keep such distance from a child while taking a bath that in a time of injury, one can help them.

What Is First Aid Advice for Burns?

Different types of injury caused by various objects require a specific approach to treatment. For instance:

• Thermal Burns and Heat-Induced Burns: To prevent this type of injury, parents should:

  • Cool down the affected area with a cold compress or cold water to reduce the pain.

  • If there is the formation of a blister, parents should not break it.

  • Apply sunscreen to the child’s skin before they go for outdoor play.

  • Protect the burn with clean and sterile gauze or cloth.

  • If a child is stuck in a severe burning situation, do not remove the brunt of clothing from the skin; instead, cut around the clothing and seek immediate medical attention.

  • Remove any type of jewelry unless it is tucked into the burnt skin.

• Electrical Burn: Any type of electrical burn needs an immediate doctor’s attention. Further, parents should:

  • Unplug the device or circuit breaker causing this injury without touching a child.

  • Check for normal breathing in the child first and call the emergency medical service immediately.

  • Do not give a child anything to eat or drink without a doctor’s advice.

  • In case of facial injury or vomiting after an electrical burn, place a child on his side until medical help arrives.

  • After this injury, do not use an electric blanket to keep a child warm; instead, use extra clothing or a blanket.

• Chemical Burn: It is a very less common type of burn; however, in the case of this injury:

  • Remove the burning source or agent and gently wash it with cool water for 20 minutes. Parents should be extra careful and not touch this agent with their bare hands.

Moreover, this type of injury needs different types of treatment, such as:

• Burns Dressing: Treatment of the burns requires a specific type of dressing depending on the location, size, depth, and dryness of the injury. These are:

  • Most of the burn cases are given a slightly damp dressing.

  • While other doctors use completely covered dressing on the burns so that it will not create any extra stress on the child or parents.

  • Dressing’s main goal is to keep the wound sterile and not infected. Some hospitals support the use of silver-containing dressing on burns due to its antimicrobial property.

  • If there is an injury on the child’s face, it is somewhat difficult to keep dressing the face. So, doctors use petroleum gel to keep the burn moist and provide gentle soothing.

• At-Home Treatment: Burns take longer to heal. So the doctors allow the patient to go home after their condition is stable enough that they can eat or drink. However, at-home management of this injury is quite tricky, and there are some things that parents should keep an eye on, such as:

  • They should not take off the dressing without the doctor’s permission.

  • The outside of the dressing should be dry, and the inside should be damp.

  • Until the doctor gives permission and the dressing is taken off, instead of a bath, give them a sponge bath.

  • As the silver in the bandage reacts, it is normal to ooze out green liquid from the dressing in the first two weeks.

  • If, in any condition, the dressing falls off, call medical personnel immediately.

• Pain Management: Once the dressing or petroleum gel is applied to the injury, there is very less pain in the children. However, in the situation of discomfort, give simple Paracetamol as per the doctor’s advice.

• Nutrition: To provide proper and fast healing, the child should be given a diet with high protein and nutrition with plenty of hydration.

• Follow-up: It takes a long time to heal severe burns. During this phase regulating follow-up is very important to check the healing or any other complications.

Conclusion:

In any form, burns can be very painful for children due to their delicate skin. It can cause a painful scar to an infectious wound if not treated correctly. If a child is met with such accidents, the only wise thing parents can do is seek medical attention immediately, as this injury can often lead to life-threatening situations.