Care for Second Degree Burns

How to take care for second degree burns?

Dealing with burns is most painful, even though you might have dealt with either a scald or a minor burnt area on your skin. So in case you are faced with second degree burns, how in the world do you manage in this situation? If you’d like to get some basic facts right, read on!

Burns; the basics
A burn is an injury to the tissues of the body. Burns are generally classified according to the amount of tissue that has been burnt or the affected area as also the extent of its depth. “Second-degree burn” injures refer to the top layers of skin, known as the epidermis, and extends down to even deeper layers, known as the dermis. While children and older people are more likely to be prone to “second degree burns”, especially as far as the complications are concerned, these are not restricted to these age groups and can be experienced by just about anybody.

Most “second-degree burns” are caused by contact with flames, hot liquids, or chemicals, or by severe sunburns. Burns caused by heat are known as thermal burns. These are different from scalds that are caused by hot liquids or steam.

Symptoms of Second Degree Burns
Skin with a second-degree burn is extremely red and blistered, and may look wet because of fluid loss. Extremely painful second degrees usually cause the pulse of the victim to increase in response to the pain. “Second degree burns” fall into two categories. The “smaller second-degree burns” usually heal without scarring, whereas larger “second-degree burns” can cause the victim to go into a state of shock. This state of shock occurs when there is extreme loss of fluids that can cause the blood pressure to become so drastically low that there’s little blood reaching the brain and other major organs. Symptoms of shock may include fainting, general weakness, rapid pulse and breathing, nausea and vomiting, a blue tinge to the lips and fingernails, accompanied with pale, cold, moist skin. If you still have a problem with the your second degree burns, it’s best if you see a doctor immediately, especially in a case of burns being either on the face, hands, feet, or genitals.

Diagnosis of Second Degree Burns
Although your doctor can best examine the burnt area and classify it according to the amount of tissue affected as well as the depth of the burn. Typically doctors then ask as to how has the burn occurred. The doctor generally probes further for ensuring that the patient is not a victim of child abuse. Doctors assess the severity of a burn by determining what percentage of the total body surface area (BSA) is affected. In patients older than nine years, they may apply what is known as the “rule of nines” to determine the percentage of BSA. For example, the genital area is considered 1% of BSA. The head and neck are 9%. Burns on each arm, including the hand, is also 9% of BSA. Each leg, including the foot, is 18% and so on.

Treating burns
Minor burns are largely treated at home, while moderate and critical burns require hospitalisation. The goal of treatment for second-degree burns is to reduce pain and prevent infection. If the burn was caused by fire, and the victim’s clothing is on fire, smother any flames with a blanket or water, if available, or have the victim use the “stop, drop, and roll” method. If the burnt area has blisters that are not open, at first try removing any clothing or jewellery from the injured area. Then, hold the burned area under cool running water for around 10 minutes to stop the burning process. You can also use a clean towel or wash cloth moistened with cold water. However, it’s advisable that you do not use ice or ice water because this might further damage the tissue. Don’t even break open the blisters, as an open burnt skin is prone to infection. If blisters are open, don’t even remove any clothing that might be stuck to the burn, and definitely don’t run water over the burnt area. In cases like these your pouring water can increase the risk of the shock. Whether the blisters are broken or not, you can place a dry, sterile gauze pad over it and not use any bandages with adhesive.

If your burnt area is larger, lightly drape a clean sheet over it to protect it until you get medical treatment. It is important for the bandage to be loosened for the burnt area to get some outside oxygen.

It’s best if you could let blisters heal on their own, and even better if you don’t use your grandma’s recipes of applying butter, oils, or burn ointments. Second-degree burns require different methods of healing especially if they fall in one of the two categories mentioned above. Burn Ointments, butter or oils make it more difficult for the burnt area to heal and can actually make it worse as the heat is locked inside the wound. Arms or legs that are burnt should be kept raised for reducing the amount of swelling. If the face or neck are the area that are burned; you could slightly raise the person’s head. This helps greatly especially if he or she has trouble breathing. For complex second degree burns that include effects like the person going into a shock, then it’s best to lay him or her flat on the ground, raise the feet about 12 inches (30 cm), and then call for medical help. You can cover the patient with a blanket for keeping him or her warm.

Another important tip would be to avoid giving the affected person with something drink. Any amount of drink would require some place to travel through the body and in the position that the person may be in, it would be a wee bit complicated. You could on the other hand provide the patient with small sips of clear liquid, such as water or juice.

The other more intensified second-degree burns like chemical burns can be treated a little differently. For liquid chemicals, try removing any clothing or other items that the chemicals may have been spilled upon. Thoroughly wash any chemicals off the skin under running water for about 15 to 30 minutes. For dry chemicals, use large amounts of water to flush the chemicals from the skin. Bear in mind never to use small amounts of water as the oxygen in water if spilled in small amounts may actually activate the chemicals. If no water is available, use a clean cloth to brush any dry chemicals off the skin. Loosely cover the burn with a dry, sterile bandage, and see a doctor for further treatment.