Example Of Creative Writing On First Aid And Treatment For Burns

Burns are common accidents that happen to people on daily basis. With the many activities that involves the use of heat, electricity and highly flammable of corrosive substances, people are prone to burns. This brings the need for understanding how to handle such accidents when they occur. To begin with, burns are categorized in two three; the first degree burns, second degree burn and third degree burn. Burns should never be underestimated and therefore, the best care is required to prevent fatalities and the extent of burn. This is an instruction paper that gives the steps involved in care and treatment of burns.
- The first step is to ensure that the casualty is removed from close contact with the source of heat. This prevents further burns and pain caused by the heat in the affected areas. For instance, if the person was in a burning house, ensure that they are removed and taken to a safer place where first aid is administered. If the clothes had caught fire it should be put out to ensure that the person is not in danger of further burns. If the casualty is alone and the clothes are on fire, he should make sure that he lies down and roll on the ground while covering the face.
This puts out the fire as opposed to running which supplies more oxygen to it and therefore adding the effects on the burns. If the burns are caused by electricity the first thing should be to switch it off.
- Cool the burnt areas by pouring cold water.
This helps to reduce pain by reducing the temperature around the burnt skin. It also ensures that there is no further tissue damage caused by burning as it also puts out the fire around the injured areas. If there is no water around, the burns should be cooled by pouring any cold drink such as beer, milk, soda, juice or any other soft drink. Sometimes first aid gel for burns can be applied on the wounds to cool them and reduce the pain as long as this is done in a way that the gel covers all the affected area as leaving some areas uncovered still causes pain to the casualty.
The patient should also be kept in a cool area such as under a shade as the first aid is administered to reduce the pain. The use of ice on the affected areas is highly discouraged as this reduces the temperatures on the burnt areas and may reduce the blood flow to the parts which may cause further complications to the wound.
- Loosen tight clothing that could be causing discomfort to the patient. This reduces the pain by allowing easier blood flow to the area. It also reduces the risk of swelling and further burns as the clothes could be soaked with hot liquid that may increase the level of burns. In the case of chemical burns, the clothes should also be removed as they could have the chemical. This should be done very fast as a precaution measure but great care should be taken to ensure that the wounds are not touched and in the case where the clothes are stuck on the burnt areas, they should not be touched until the patient is taken to the hospital. Other clothing items like the belts, watches, rings, bangles and other jewelry should also be removed from the affected areas to reduce pain as well as the risk of further burns because they are made of metal that could retain heat after that patient is removed from the source of heat.
- The casualty should be positioned in a way that they are comfortable to ease the pressure on their bodies and especially the affected areas. Sometimes they might complain of dizziness or nausea and in such a case they should be made to lie down without applying pressure on the wounds and the affected parts. The body parts with burns should be kept raised as this eases the pain. The flow of blood to the affected areas is essential as it aids in quick healing, plays a major role in reducing further infections as well as pain. Depending with the degree of burns, the affected areas should remain dipped in water for at least 10 to 20 minutes. This can be achieved by placing the part in a basin or container full of water.
The patient should not be forced to walk if they are feeling dizzy or have severe burns on the limbs. The affected areas like the hands should not be forced to move or the wounds touched. However, cleaning can be done using cold water to remove any foreign substance that might cause complications on the wound.
- The affected areas and the wounds should be covered well after cooling to prevent further complications caused by infections.
This should be done using a non- adherent dressing. A clean piece of non- fluffy cloth especially made of cotton as well as a clean piece of plastic cling film or a kitchen wrap.
The use of fluffy pieces of cloth causes more complications and pain as they stick to the wound making it difficult to remove. The dressing should not be wrapped very tightly as this put pressure on the burnt areas and limit the flow of blood to the areas which causes pain.
The importance of wrapping the burns is to keep air off and thereby, reduce pain. In some instances, Silver Sulphadiazine or any other anti- biotic can be applied to the affected area to prevent infections and facilitate faster healing. The patient can also be administered with a vaccination for tetanus by the health officer if deemed necessary. If the pain persists the casualty should take off the counter pain killers and other drugs recommended by a health provider.
It is important to note that any materials stuck on the wound should not be removed as this may cause further damage on the tissues and increase pain and the time taken for the wound to heal. Blisters should also not be tampered with or peeled skin removed in order to prevent infections and opening up of wounds. Burns should never be under estimated and medical attention should always be sort as only trained medical personnel can determine the degree or level of burn and administer the correct treatment. People should also be very careful when handling burn victims as improper handling can make the situation worse and sometimes turn fatal. Extra caution should be taken when giving medicine to victims. For instance, aspirin is approved as an off the counter pain killer and can be used by any person who is above two years of age, however giving the medicine to children and young adults who have recently suffered from chicken pox may cause problems.