Aid For Burns Research Articles

Practice of first aid in burn related injuries in a developing country

IntroductionFirst aid with cool running water reduces the severity of burn. Low level of knowledge of first aid in burns was shown in previous studies with few patients receiving first aid by water lavage. A study investigating the use of water lavage as first aid in patients presenting to hospital with burn in Lagos, Nigeria was carried out. MethodsPatients admitted to a University Teaching Hospital for treatment of burns were recruited for this prospective study.Data detailing demographics, scene and aetiology of burns, material used for first aid, who administered first aid, level of education and relationship of first-aider with patients, length of hospital stay, complications and outcome of treatment were collected and statistical analysis performed. Results168 patients; 73 (43.4%) children and 95 (56.6%) adults were seen. Burns were sustained at home in 95 (74.2%) cases and outside in 33 (25.8%). Water lavage was used in 49 (29.2%) cases, raw eggs in 21 (12.5%), pap in 16 (9.5%) and other materials in 48.8%. 40 (23.8%) patients had not received any form of first aid at presentation. Patients that received no water first aid had higher complication rate (35.3% versus 18.4%) compared with those that had water first aid. Conclusion and recommendationsThe use of water first aid in burns was shown to reduce complication rate in this study.People should be educated on the efficacy of water first aid in pre-hospital care of burns.

Households’ preparedness for first-aid of burns and falls in Khartoum

Reports of natural disasters and injuries have increased in recent years in both low and high-income regions. Household emergency preparedness can limit the effects of not only natural disasters but also simple injuries. Little is known regarding the level of emergency preparedness in Sudan households. A cross sectional community based survey was conducted in the Alemtidad region of Sudan between September 2012 and December 2012. A random selection of 89 households was done from 3200 in the region as per power calculation. Data were collected using a structured designed questionnaire and analysed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) program version 20 and demographics were presented accordingly. Less than half of households surveyed had any first aid supplies and most of these supplies were incomplete. Only 66% of housewives demonstrated knowledge about first aid for burns and falls, 88% took preventive measures against burns and falls and 51% had an action plan in case serious injury occurred. Knowledge levels of housewives reflect unacceptable levels of preparedness. Education is a significant predictor of preparedness. Household emergency preparedness is poor. It can be encouraged by community based outreach and education programmes focused on prevention and treatment of common injuries. Les rapports faisant état de catastrophes naturelles et de blessures sont en augmentation ces dernières années dans les régions à bas revenus comme dans celles à hauts revenus. La préparation des ménages en cas d’urgence peut non seulement limiter les effets des catastrophes naturelles, mais aussi des simples blessures. Des informations sont disponibles sur le niveau de préparation des foyers en cas d’urgence au Soudan. Une enquête communautaire transversale a été menée dans la région d’Alemtidad au Soudan entre septembre 2012 et décembre 2012. Une sélection aléatoire de 89 foyers a été réalisée parmi 3200 foyers dans la région selon les calculs de consommation d’électricité. Les données ont été collectées en utilisant un questionnaire structuré, analysées en utilisant le logiciel SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 20, et des données démographiques ont été présentées en conséquence. Moins de la moitié des ménages interrogés disposaient d’une trousse de premiers soins généralement incomplète. Seules 66 % des femmes au foyer disposaient de connaissances sur les premiers secours en cas de brûlures et de chutes, 88 % prenaient des mesures préventives contre les brûlures et les chutes et 51 % avaient un plan d’action en cas de blessure grave. Les niveaux de connaissances des femmes au foyer révèlent un niveau de préparation inacceptable. Le niveau d’éducation est un indicateur significatif de la préparation. La préparation des foyers aux urgences est faible. Celle-ci peut être appuyée par une sensibilisation communautaire et des programmes éducatifs axés sur la prévention et le traitement des blessures courantes.

Epidemiology and outcome analysis of scalds in children caused by “guo lian kang”: An 11-year review in a burn center in China

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of scalds induced by “guo lian kang” (literally “stove connected to bed”) in children. MethodsThe demographic, burn features, outcome, and other information of 0–14-year-old children with “guo lian kang”-induced scalds admitted to the burn treatment center of the 322 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army in Datong from 30 September 2001 to 31 December 2011 were analyzed. ResultsAmong the 1993 children clearly documented with scalds due to hot liquid in vessels, 795 (39.89%) had burns due to “guo lian kang.” The proportion of the pediatric burns caused by “guo lian kang” was 55.56% in 2002 and 37.30% in 2011, with a decreasing trend. One-year-old children accounted for the highest proportion of children with burns due to “guo lian kang” (male:female=1.54:1). Scalding mostly occurred from October to May; the most common times were around 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 7:00 PM. Most scalds occurred on the upper limbs, 90.22% of which were dermal burns. The median burn area was 11% of the total body surface area. The burn agent was mainly hot water in pots. Scalding mostly occurred when the children accidentally sat on, or fell or stepped into the pot while playing. Among the children with “guo lian kang”-induced scalds, up to 42.26% of the children did not receive any treatment before hospital admission, and 18.86% of the children were admitted to the hospital ≥6h after the occurrence of burns. In addition, 74.97% of the children's families can afford the medical expenses, while 5.28% abandoned treatment because of financial difficulties. There were no significant differences between children with scalds caused by “guo lian kang” and scalds caused due to other reasons considering the age and sex. Compared to scalds due to other reasons, children with “guo lian kang”-induced scalds had greater burn area and depth, shock incidence, surgery rate, blood transfusion rate, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization costs. ConclusionPreventive measures against burns should be taken from October to May and mainly during cooking time in order to prevent burns in children less than 3 years of age, especially in 1-year-old boys. The most simple and effective preventive measure is to install a barrier between the pot and bed. The incidence of shock in children may be reduced if parents and primary medical staff undergo training to perform first aid for burns and if there are improvements in the referral system after burns.

First aid for burns: too little, too late and often wrong

First aid for burns: too little, too late and often wrong

Burn prevention and first aid knowledge: A focus on adolescents in Zaria

Background: Burns in developing countries accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the impressive advances in the science of injury-control and prevention, burns have remained the neglected disease of modern society and are still regarded by many as an act of fate and bad luck. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of burn prevention and first aid treatment in adolescents as baseline information to develop an effective burn prevention program. Materials and Methods: A survey to ascertain the knowledge of burns prevention and first aid was conducted in 10 junior secondary schools in Zaria. It was divided into three sections; demographic, knowledge of burn prevention practices and first aid treatment at home and a self-report of radio and television viewing habits. Descriptive frequencies were used to describe the student's knowledge of burn prevention and first aid treatment. Chi-square analyses were conducted to identify any significant differences between students who had previous knowledge of burn prevention and those who did not. Results: A total of 335 students from 10 schools took part in the survey. Their age ranged from 10 to 17 years with a mean age of 14.8 years. There were 192 males (57%) and 143 females (43%). Seventy three students (21.5%) had previous knowledge of burn prevention and first aid, compared with 262 (77.3%) who had no previous knowledge of burn prevention. Those who had previous knowledge of burn prevention and first aid for burns were more likely to select the appropriate answers to burn prevention practices and first aid treatment at home (P Conclusion: Knowledge deficits exist in burn prevention and first aid knowledge among adolescents in Zaria. The use of the electronic media (television and radio) is suggested as an effective strategy to increase awareness.

Evaluation of Burn Injuries Related to Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a fuel that is widely used for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. LPG is also commonly used in restaurants, industries, and cars; however, the home continues to be the main site for accidents. In Turkey, the increased usage of LPG as a cooking or heating fuel has resulted in many burn injuries from LPG mishaps. Between January 2000 and June 2011, 56 LPG-burned patients were compared with 112 flame-burned patients. There were no significant differences with respect to the mean age, sex, hospitalization time, and mortality in both groups. In the LPG-caused burn cases, 41 burns (73.2%) occurred at home, seven (12.5) were work-related mishaps, and eight (14.3) were associated with car accidents. The majority of the LPG burns (82%, 46 patients) resulted from a gas leak, and 18% of them were related to the failure to close LPG tubes in the patients' kitchens (10 patients). Burns to the face and neck (82 vs 67%, P = .039) and upper (62 vs 23%, P = .000) and lower (70 vs 45%, P = .002) extremities were significantly higher in LPG-caused burn cases than flame-burned cases. General awareness regarding the risk of LPG and first aid for burns appears to be lacking. The LPG delivery system should be standardized throughout countries that widely use LPG.

How much do parents know about first aid for burns?

BackgroundPrompt first aid reduces burn morbidity. With an estimated 19,000 children attending emergency departments (ED) with a burn or scald every year in the UK, a parent's knowledge of first aid is particularly important. This study evaluates the extent and source of this knowledge. MethodsParents attending the emergency and antenatal departments of a University Hospital answered a structured questionnaire detailing demographics, knowledge of burns first aid and its source. Knowledge was stratified into 4 categories: contraindicated, poor, inadequate and adequate. Individual chi-squared tests and ordered logistic regressions were performed to relate knowledge to demographic features. ResultsThe 106 respondents (44% men) reflected a wide range of socio-economic (SE) grouping and educational level. Overall 32% had an adequate knowledge of burns first aid while 43% had poor or no knowledge. There was no significant correlation between gender, educational status or age and knowledge; however those from higher SE groups (p<0.05) and those who had undergone first aid training (p<0.01) had greater knowledge. Among 40% of parents who had undergone first aid training, 74% had adequate knowledge. The logistic regression accounting for all significant variables showed that previous first aid training was the most influential factor in knowledge of first aid (p<0.001). Interestingly, although 2/3 of parents wanted further training, 75% of those who did not had poor or no first-aid knowledge. ConclusionsOverall, the knowledge of burns first aid among parents is inadequate and correlates with lower SE groups. There was a significant association between knowledge and previous first aid training. Results suggest that targeting burns first aid training to all new parents, particularly those in low income households, would be of value.

First impressions last… A survey of knowledge of first aid in burn-related injuries amongst hospital workers

RationaleThe administration of first aid in burns has been shown to have a significant influence on the ultimate severity of the burn. We wanted to assess in-hospital healthcare (HCW), and non-healthcare workers’ (nHCW) knowledge of first aid in burns. MethodsA purpose-designed questionnaire, including information about previous attendance at a first aid course and four clinical scenarios of burns, was distributed to HCWs in the local hospitals and non-medical students in the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield. Results697 questionnaires were completed – 397 (57%) from HCW and 300 (43%) from nHCW. 59% of HCW had attended a first aid course, 68% of these courses included teaching on first aid in burns.HCW who had completed a first aid course generally did better than those who had not. Only 16% of HCW achieved correct answers in all questions compared to 30% nHCW. ConclusionsWe show that the knowledge of first aid in burns is relatively poor amongst HCW and that attendance at a burns first aid course improves knowledge (although perhaps not as much as one might hope). We recommend that the burns content of first aid courses be reviewed, and that there is a requirement for ALL hospital healthcare workers to undertake a first aid course, which includes appropriate burns first aid.

First aid in burns

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the etiological factors, nature and pattern of injuries, early and late morbidities of injuries, corrective surgeries, and final outcome and rehabilitation in pediatric electrical burns. Materials and Methods: This study includes 53 children, below 14 years of age. All children, irrespective of severity of injuries, were admitted, assessed, and treated. The charts of pediatric patients who had been admitted to the authors' Centre with electrical burn injuries from January 2006 to December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Etiological factors, nature and pattern of injuries, early and late morbidities of injuries, corrective surgeries, and final outcome and rehabilitation were evaluated. Results: Injuries resulted from biting an electrical cord (n = 8), placing an object into an electrical socket (n = 7), coming in contact with a low-voltage wire or appliance indoor (n = 18), coming in contact with a high-voltage wire outdoors (n = 17), e.g., while flying a kite (n = 3). Most of the injuries occurred at the age between 4 and 7 years. Sixty-seven percent of the patients having electrical burns were boys and 33% were girls (M:F, 2.1:1). Most of the injuries occurred between 12:00 and 6:00 PM (51%) and most common organs involved were trunk and upper limb (30%). A 100% skin graft take was recorded in 14 patients (78%) on day 4 postoperatively. Three patients (17%) required partial regrafting and one (5%) experienced a complete loss, which was resolved with regrafting. There were no flap losses. Four amputations were performed and three patients did not survive. Conclusion: The study revealed that if the basic principles of early and adequate resuscitation, proper wound care, maximum tissue preservation, early wound coverage by proper reconstructive procedures, and appropriate rehabilitation are adhered to, there will be a successful outcome for patients with these injuries. Almost every child with high-voltage current injury had a bad prognosis due to the severity of the injury.

Is it time to refine the message?: a population based survey of knowledge of first aid for burns and scalds in NSW, Australia

Appropriate first aid treatment of a burn reduces the severity of injury. Recent research indicates that the optimal time to cool a burn in cold running water is 20 min....

Pattern Of First Aid Treatment In Chemical Burns Of The Face In Patients Presenting In National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH), Enugu

When burns occur in Nigeria, the first reaction is panic by relations and neighbours. All manner of suggestions are made to the victim and his relations by by-standers. Local applications of groundnut oil, palm oil, engine oil, kerosene and other forms of chemicals are usually made in a bid to attenuate the damage as well as ameliorate the discomfort. Some of the applications end up infecting the wound and converts partial thickness to full thickness burns, thereby worsening morbidity / mortality figures. A retrospective study was done on the pattern of first aid given in all chemical burns cases to the face presenting at National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH ) Enugu between January 1996 and December 2005. It was to show the pattern and usefulness or otherwise of the measures adopted by patient’s relations and by-standers. Forty-six patients were seen males = 36 females = 10. M: F ratio = 3.6: 1. Forty-one had first aid. Ignorance on the proper first aid in burns, is still the order of the day in Nigeria. There is still need for more public enlightenment. Too many advisers still control decisions when health matters crop up. Many unqualified advisers take over. The citizens are still gullible in taking these suggestions, due to low level of education and lack of exposure. Chemicals are easily procured in Nigeria and there is lack of proper legislation. Water which is still the best first aid, and is also readily available and cheap, is not usually applied when burns occur. Rather, all manner of solutions are applied on the burns surfaces, and these end up infecting the burns wound.

A 1 year study of burn injuries in a British Emergency Department

Objectives To determine the number of patients attending an Emergency Department with burns and to establish the epidemiology, management and outcome of these cases. Method A retrospective study of all patients attending an Emergency Department with a diagnosis of “burn” during 2004. Results Seven hundred and eighty-five patients presented with a diagnosis of burns, accounting for 1% of all attendances. Fifty-three percent of patients were male and most were young adults of working age. Scalds and flame injuries were the most common causes of injury. Only 30% of patients performed adequate first aid. The majority of burns were small and did not require admission to hospital. Assessment and documentation by the Emergency Department staff was found to be generally poor and this may reflect a lack of experience in managing burns. Conclusion Burns remain a relatively uncommon presenting complaint in the Emergency Department, even in a hospital accepting tertiary referrals. Most injuries are minor and are managed within the department. This study suggests that there is a role for better education of less experienced staff in the management of burns. There remains a need for public education in the prevention and first aid of burns.

“What do kids know”: A survey of 420 Grade 5 students in Cambodia on their knowledge of burn prevention and first-aid treatment

Introduction Cambodia is a developing country of 13 million people where there are an estimated 20,000 burns and 2000 burn deaths annually. Two thirds of the burns occur to children under the age of 10 years. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of burn prevention and first aid for burns in Grade 5 Cambodian school children, as baseline information to design a burn prevention campaign. Methods A 34-question survey regarding burn prevention and first-aid treatment for burn injuries was developed. Additional questions on TV watching habits were included to determine the feasibility of a targeted TV burn educational campaign. The survey was translated into Khmer language and tested on a trial class for accuracy and ease of administration. After obtaining the school director's permission and children's consent the survey was administered by Canadian medical students helped by trained translators and teachers to Grade 5 students from eight different elementary schools in the Kampot province. Results A total of 420 students were surveyed. Average age was 12.5 years (range 9–17 years) and 55% were females. Seventy-four percent routinely cared for other children. Only 52% had TV at home but still 78% managed to watch TV for an average 2 h per day. Even though 36% of students indicated they had received information about burn prevention and first aid, only 13% mentioned application of cool water as initial treatment, only 7% knew to roll on the ground if their clothes caught fire, and nearly 50% would pour water on a burning pot of oil. Half of students indicated that they would not believe a TV message promoting application of cold water on acute burns. Top reasons given were parental influence, belief in other treatments, and not trusting TV messages. Interestingly, 62% of these skeptics would change their mind if the TV message was endorsed by an authority figure such as a physician, teacher, parent, or the Ministry of Health. A set of five Public Service Announcements for Cambodian TV were developed and produced based on the results of this survey. Conclusions This survey identified significant inadequacies in Cambodian children's knowledge about burn prevention and first aid and suggested that a televised burn prevention campaign could be an effective method to improve their knowledge, especially if it was endorsed by an authority figure.

Burns first aid information on the Internet

The Internet is an increasingly important source of health-related information. However, the growth of the Internet and its use as a medical delivery tool should be viewed with caution. One of the key concerns is that although the volume of information is huge, the quality, accuracy and completeness of the information is questionable. The aim of this study was to evaluate burns first aid information on the Internet. The search term used was ‘first aid for burns’ and the first 25 hits from each search engine were analysed by one of the observers. We gathered basic information on the web sites—such as the country of origin, language in which the information was offered, accessibility, relevance and whether the site was commercial, organisational or academic. Quality and technicality of the web sites were assessed and scored. The mean quality score was 4.7/15 (31.5%) The mean technical score was 6.1 of 12 (51.1%). When the total score was categorised by percentage, none of the web sites ranked in the excellent category, 1 was very good, 4 were good, 6 were fair and the majority, 36, were poor. Based on the quality score only, two web sites were in the excellent category and two were very good. For technicality one web site was excellent and three were very good. This study has shown first aid information on the Internet is largely of poor quality, that the technical information provided is inadequate and that the sites include a significant amount of grossly inaccurate information. The few sites that contain excellent technical information make up a very small proportion of what is available. Therefore, the average Internet user may not encounter these resources, instead gaining knowledge from sites of questionable value.

First aid for burns

First aid for burns

First-aid management of minor burns in children: a prospective study of children presenting to the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.

To identify the adequacy of first aid care following minor burns in children. Prospective case series. Emergency Department and Acute Wound Clinic, the Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW), Sydney. 109 children who presented with minor burns (10% body surface area or less) to CHW over the five months from 2 November 1998 to 23 March 1999. Comparison of the adequacy of first aid delivered by parents and carers, general practitioners, local hospitals, and CHW. Burns included scalds, contact, flame, chemical or electrical burns. Adequate initial first aid had been given by parents or carers in only 24 of 109 cases (22%). The 85 children who presented to medical care after inadequate initial first aid was given by parents or carers included 14 of 14 (100%) who had presented to their general practitioner (GP), 22 of 31 (71%) who had presented to their local hospital, 22 of 38 (58%) who had presented to CHW, and 2 of 2 (100%) who had had first contact with other health professionals. This study shows that there is a need to educate parents and health professionals regarding appropriate first aid for burns.

The epidemiology of burns in rural Ethiopia.

The aims were (1) to review inpatient burn records of Attat Hospital (Ethiopia) for the years 1983-1989, and (2) to determine the prevalence of burns and knowledge of first aid for burns in 16 communities served by Attat Hospital in rural Ethiopia. A retrospective review of all records was used to describe characteristics of the inpatient with burns and cost of the service. Adult members of a systematic random sample (20%) of households from 16 communities (total population = 10,183) were interviewed. Questions focused on what to do to put out the fire, what to do for first aid for a burn, the major cause of adult and childhood burns, and a history of burn in any household member. The study was conducted at Attat Hospital and in the surrounding Gurage-Chaha Region of West Shoa Province of Ethiopia. There were 271 burn inpatients during the 7 year period from 1983-1989; 163 households were selected for interview; there were no refusals. During the 7 year period the cost of tertiary inpatient burn treatment at Attat Hospital has been estimated to be US$86,366.72, of which the hospital absorbed 66%. From community based information the cumulative incidence of burns in this population was found to be 5-11%. The absence of a cumulative increase in burns over time in men suggests that female respondents may not fully recall burn histories in adult male household members. The study population possess inadequate knowledge regarding burn prevention and burn first aid. Deleterious traditional compounds were used on 32% of burn patients in the villages. Since most burns are related to household fires, generally in the domain of women in rural Ethiopia, women's groups may be the most appropriate setting for education on burn prevention and first aid. Burn prevention and first aid education should also be recognised as a priority in schools and in the training of community health workers.

British burn association recommended first aid for burns and scalds

Tap water may not be readily available in numerous places as a first aid for burns and, therefore, tea tree oil products are recommended alternatives. Our aim in this study was to compare the cooling effects of three burn-cooling methodologies, running tap water, Burnshield®, and Burn Cool Spray®, and suggest indications for each cooling method.This randomized, controlled, study enrolled patients with burns who used the emergency service of Seoul Bestian Hospital from June 2015 to October 2015. The allocation of the cooling methods was randomly generated using a computer. We cooled the burn wounds by applying one of the three methods and measured the skin surface temperature and pain level using a visual analog scale (VAS) scoring.Ninety-six patients were enrolled in this study. The variability in the median(IQR) skin temperatures of the three groups was from 33.5 °C (31.5–35.0) to 28.7 °C (25.9–30.9), 33.8 °C (32.0–35.4) to 33.2 °C (30.5–35.0), and 34.0 °C (32.0–35.1) to 34.4 °C (32.7–35.6) for the tap water, Burn Cool Spray®, and Burnshield®, respectively. The variability of the mean VAS pain scores was 6.9 to 4.8 (tap water), 5.6 to 4.5 (Burn Cool Spray®), and 5.5 to 3.3 (Burnshield®). The reduction of skin surface temperature by tap water was significantly greater than that by the other two methods. All three methods reduced the VAS pain score after 20 min of treatment (p < 0.001). The tap water had a similar effect to that of the Burn Cool Spray® but significantly better than that of Burnshield®. There was a significant difference in the skin surface temperature and VAS pain score reduction (p = 0.014 and p = 0.007, respectively) between the groups cooled by tap water below and above 24 °C. The patients who visited the center within 30 min showed a significantly higher skin temperature than those who came after 30 min did (p = 0.033).Tap water and Burn Cool Spray® reduced the skin surface temperature, but the Burnshield® slightly increased it. All three cooling methods were effective in relieving pain. The temperature of the tap water used was related to the reduction in skin surface temperature and VAS pain score. The patients who visited the hospital within 30 min of their burn accident needed a longer cooling time to attain a comparable skin surface temperature to those who visited after 30 min.

Emergency! First aid for burns.

Emergency! First aid for burns.

The health education of inpatients on the prevention and first aid of burns

In accidents involving burns most of the patients have not received proper first aid. This observation prompted the authors to start a health education programme for inpatients on the prevention of burns and first aid. They asked each patient about the circumstances of their accident, who applied the first aid and how it was done. They then gave their views and explained how first aid should have been applied under the particular circumstances.