Burns and Scalds 101

Written by Calgary EMS

• Burns can result when the body is exposed to hot surfaces, caustics, radiation, or electricity.
• Scalds are burns that result from contact from hot liquid or steam.
• Whatever the cause, the severity of a burn is classified three ways:
1st degree: Affects only the top layers of the skin causing minimal pain. Akin to mild sun burns.
2nd degree: Deeper and more painful than 1st degree burns; blisters will develop.
3rd degree: All layers of the skin are involved. The area may appear white, charred, and leathery.
 

Prevention
• Check the temperature of your hot water tank. Many homes have hot water temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius (or 140 F). This temperature can scald a child in just seconds.
• Avoid picking up a child while holding any hot liquids.
• Use placemats instead of tablecloths. Tablecloths can be tugged downward by a child causing hot drinks or food to spill.
• Ensure hot items are well out of a child's grasp: i.e.: turn pot handles to the back of the stove and ensure cords from kettles and slow cookers cannot be reached.

First Aid
• To minimize injury from a burn, cool it immediately with copious amounts of cold water (except burns caused by dry lime).
• If the burn is severe, call 9-1-1. This includes burns involving the face, neck, airway, genitals, hands or feet.
• 3rd degree burns covering > 5% of the body (i.e.: 5 times the area of the patient’s hand) are also considered severe.
• Never apply butter or creams to cool a burn. This can actually worsen it by insulating more heat into the affected area.
• Do not break blisters. This can delay healing and lead to infection.

The best way to treat a burn is to prevent one from happening in the first place.

Each year The City of Calgary Emergency Medical Services responds to serious emergencies where young children have been burned in the home. The most common cause is a small child tipping or pulling hot liquids onto themselves, such as coffee, tea, or soup, resulting in severe burns or scalds. It is important to note: a child’s skin burns more easily than an adult’s. Hot liquids or steam that may only cause a mild burn on an adult may cause a scald of much greater severity on a child.

For more information on safety and prevention, log onto:
• calgary.ca/ems/safey topics
• safekids.org/scalds
• safekidscanada.ca