Hi all....new to forum and made a few posts in other threads.... a quick background on myself for purposes of medical background....
I served in the US Army for 8 1/2 years as a combat medic, have multiple deployments and have treated a diverse group of patients. My forte is obviously field trauma medicine, however I did work in the US Army's burn trauma center for several months while undergoing other medical training. I have had to treat different kinds of burns ranging from blast injuries, chemical, boiling water, burns from JP8 ( jet fuel) that ignited on someone. The advice I will be giving is based upon the fact that most people here have been posting under the scenario that they are in the wilderness. With that said there will be govt implemented standards of quality pre hospital care that are assumed, or disregarded for a survival situation.
In training we are taught about body surface area- BSA and how to calculate it percentage wise, this is great for describing to someone who hasnt seen the patient for themselves how much of the body is damaged due to burns. Rather a waste of time if the person is in front of you... if you want more info on BSA I will be glad to share on it later on.
1st deg burns for all intensive purposes are a minor annoyance, the meat and potatoes comes in the differing levels of damage and pain from 2nd and 3rd deg
Since I'm assuming that most reading are hear to get quick advice on how to help a friend or loved one in an emergency I will not go into a whole lot of depth describing each difference between degrees of burns.... also if the person/s are wearing jewelry in the affected area, you may want to remove it, as burnt flesh tends to swell...think of hot dogs in the microwave, if left on has a potential to cause an amputation.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid
2nd-moderate depth of burn, most recognizable by the blistering that occurs post burn
A. Severe enough that the bodys thermodynamics will have difficulty in regulating core temperature
3rd-' full thickness burn' will be noticable because the skin will look like a burnt steak
A. If a hospital is not in the immediate future great care must be taken in treatment, as well as given to the patient
Here's the tricky part... for every doctor you find that will tell you that dry sterile dressing are the best, you cand find just as many to say moist sterile dressings are the best.... in survival you must make the call, I myself am a proponent of wet dressings. There are a few emergency ways to go about this.
1. Buy petroleum impregnated gauze online
2. Go to a drug store and by either 2x2" or 4x4" gauze pads and white petroleum, and fill a container with the petroleum and let the gauze soak in it
3. In a pinch lip balm will work and some cloth if you do not have a first aid kit with you
The skin is the organ of the body that helps to prevent infections and to help regulate thermodynamics, with this protective barrier gone/damaged the body is now very prone to hypothermia and infection.... the more severe the burn, the more severe the risk of these are. The petroleum/neosporin/lip balm or whatever you use will help to create a water and airtight barrier against these outside threats. Not fool proof but better than a poke in the eye. Also burns get very dry and if non adhesive dressings are not available, this barrier helps to prevent further tissue damage/disruption.
If you are going to be ' stuck ' in this situation for a while you will also need a way to replenish the resources you have spent. IFAKS are great things to have, but the have very limited supplies in them, gauze will run out quickly. While not optimal, boiling a bandanna or it like will provide a fairly sterile wrap.
The other thing you must take into consideration, esp with more severe burns is hypothermia. Now burn patients are not only a high risk for infection, and they will 9/10 get one, hypothermia will kill them quicker. I have read posts on here that advocate the use of a lot of water, that's fine for minor burns, but for the more severe, you might want to reconsider.
Hypothermia is also a reason people argue to finite detail about dry vs wet dressings. the thought process is that if you cool them with wet dressings, you will kill them. this is when the big boy pants have to be put on and you have to make a conscious decision about what you are willing to do, and what you are willing to put the other person through.
the other thing not spoken about in these posts that I have read is the patients cooperation... They will be in a lot of pain and may not be still enough for you to help them properly without restraint, more likely the case for children. You may have to restrain them to help them. The amount of pain they experience is staggering, and pretty much nothing short of narcotics is going to help them. You will need to vigilantly assess and reassess while treating for shock.
If the burn is serious enough, even moving them to get them to help could put them into shock. If you can get them to a hospital, that's best, if not... my best advice is to keep them as clean, dry, warm, and comfortable enough until you are able to.
I hope this helps you out. I am no doctor and the advice given should be considered with a grain of salt. Most people who practice medicine may take issue with the advice I have given, because they more than likely have not been in a situation where they have had to provide care for seriously injured people for up to a week without the helps of special trucks and teams of nurses or doctors. I have...it is not fun, nor do I wish for any here to experience it first hand.
Good job I'm a peaceful bloke.
