Cooking oil burn - pics of injuries 10-12 percent partial/full thickness burns.

[Leigh Robinson]

I wanted to share what happened to me a couple of weeks back as a learning experience. It's a cooking oil burn. Roasting dinner went wrong. I'm on the mend now after quite a rough ride. Luckily I had all the resources at hand to minimise the damage but it has got me thinking.....

I have fires in the woods 2-3 times a month. Never had any burns. But what can I do to minimise the risk of burns? And what treatments can I do in the field? It could be potentially hours before we got to hospital. I am looking at getting some heat resistant gloves to help manage the fire/stove etc. Also I will be adding clingfilm to my FAK as this really helps with burns. It stops the air getting to them, reducing the pain, reduces risk of infection and doesn't stick to damaged skin.

If anyone could recommend some good gloves, other products or any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Needless to say, I will be quite apprehensive with my next fire!

[/URL] Leg by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
Looks full thickness. The white colouring is the same change of colour that happens when you cook chicken. The pink dotting is partial burn. The partial burn will help heal the full thickness areas. This was the initial concern for skin graft due to thickness. As its a smallish area and healing well, no skin graft.

[/URL] Hand by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
Fingers hurt the most as they are least burnt. Being badly burnt doesn't hurt much at all as nerves are dead or gone asleep. My fingers aren't so bad so the nerves are working just fine. The dressing dried to them and had to be torn off. That is the most pain I have ever experienced and nearly passed out.

[/URL] Arm_01 by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
It's worth noting the wash pattern. If someone has an oil/chemical burn its worth checking them all over, not just the obvious. I got burnt on the leg and foot too. The white is full thickness. Luckily immediate first aid has prevented a skin graft. I am 32, eat well, exercise and don't smoke, so all goes in my favour. First thing Dr's ask is 'do you smoke?'. It restricts veins etc so slows healing.

[/URL] Arm_01_160114 by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
This was taken about a week later. The white is dissapearing, It's a lot redder and healing well. No sign of infection.

[/URL] Arm_02 by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
Looking a lot cleaner and tidier. All I could think was 'it looks like something out of the deli section'.

[/URL] Arm_02_160114 by Arborvita Online, on Flickr[/IMG]
When it heals over there will be moisturising 3 times a day. Then see how the scars are going. Have to keep them out of the light.

Hopefully that's provided some insight into potential injuries, treatment and recovery. If this post can reach out and make just one person be a little bit more careful, or get a little extra in the FAK then it done its job. I know I will be much more careful from now on!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nasty. Glad you're on the mend.

 

[Clouston98]

Wow, that looks excruciating! Glad your healing well!

 

[slowworm]

I, rather sensibly , managed quite a bad burn on my hand whilst working down my woodland - worst thing was not having clean water to cool it. So now I keep a cooling burn dressing in my pack like this: http://boundtree.co.uk/burnshield-burns-dressing-100mm-x-100mm?keyword=burn&category_id=0

I've not used it (and hope to never need to!) but it should be ok for small burns. I'd be interested to hear what people with experience of such things think.

Hope you heal up ok!

 

[sausage100uk]

cool cool then cool some more, then cool it again. the residual heat will carry on damaging tissue longer than you think. you can drape (do not wrap) cling film over a burn and then carry on cooling as it is sterile between the wraps (I assume its irradiated in the factory) . The long term worries are infection but if dirty water is all you have then dont worry, youll probably get ABx if its significant and you let the Dr know you cooled from a dirty source. im surprised that the dressings stuck, there are many specialist products and dressing for burns specifically to prevent this, if all else fails morphine is your friend

hope all mends ok and remember ...chicks dig scars... ;-)

 

[ozzy1977]

Glad that you are on the mend.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Ouch. Those look painful.

To your questions: I use welding gauntlets for fire tending. Including picking up burning embers etc... They work very well. They were under a fiver from toolstation.

As for what to carry into the woods, these are compact, easy to carry and do work very well. As an immediate first aid measure, well worth having a few around.

For more substantial burns, Dressings like these are brilliant, you have to be careful about how long you leave them on so as to not pickle the skin around it, but as a first aid treatment until you get to A&E, they are brilliant.

Usual disclaimer applies, make sure you have the training, evaluated things yourself, I accept no responsibility etc...

J

 

[weekender]

Glad your on the mend Leigh they look painful enough so I can only imagine how much that really hurt.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Ouchie! I can't believe that's from roasting a dinner! Hope you mend well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sandbender]

Ouch! Nippy sweeties (as we'd say in my part of the world).

Thanks for posting these, if nothing else it does bring home how dangerous some common tasks can be.

Mend well, all the best.

 

[Mafro]

I was wincing the whole time I read that, it looks so painful especially your hands!

Hope you heal well, and it would be good to see update picture on how you are getting on.

 

[rik_uk3]

My sympathies chap. As said cool, cool and cool is the quickest pain relief and treatment.

Regarding gloves I use leather gloves when using the woodburner and cooking, even on an open fire. Look at gardening gloves.

Heal fast and well.

 

[Toddy]

It hurts just looking at the photos

Of all the aches, pains, damages I've done to myself, the burns are the ones that still make me flinch.

I really hope that you heal quickly and thoroughly with no more pain.

I know other people fry at camp, some even make chips, but I am incredibly wary of doing so. I use as little oil as possible at home, I do the same when I'm out, and I still manage to spatter myself when doing stuff like stir fry. I bought the burn get sachets, but for something as bad as your burns I think I'd just head straight into the nearest burn or loch and stay there until I knew I could get straight to medical aid.

I have welding gauntlets for working near the fire, but I think hot oil would still go through the leather. Might give me time to get them off though before the worst damage is done.

I'm following the links given to the FA supplies for burns, and paying heed.

Horrible injuries to post, but if it makes us all think and be aware and stops someone else suffering a similar fate, worth it; so thank you for putting them up.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery,
Mary

 

[Shewie]

Ow, that made my legs go funny when you mentioned having the dressing ripped off

Good to hear you're on the mend Leigh, get well soon

 

[John Fenna]

Ouch!
Heal fast and well!

 

[lannyman8]

as others have said,cold water, clean if possible,running the whole time 10 mins as a minimum for a small burn, one like that 30-40 mins if possible, the problem is it starts to feel cold so people take it out from the water, by the time it starts to burn again its too late, damage is all ready done by then...

oil burns are bad,for me the worst burns are from steam though. very ouch....

if you ever burn your self and have dressing fitted, IF they stick, DONT JUST PULL THEM OFF!!!!!! wet the dressing with clean cool water, let it soak if needs be, then very slowly and carefully peel them off, that should work fine, always leave the skin on if possible, never burst the blisters your self,the liquid is your bodys way of healing and protecting the wound, doctors will do what ever needs to be done, and it helps prevent scars too...

good luck with recovery old son and keep that burn out of the sun for a year or 2, and if you cant cover it up with clothes factor 50 minimum dude, you will feel it otherwise, trust me....

all the best.

chris.

 

[Monikieman]

Do you know and one in the Fire Brigade?

They have good fire resistant gloves that get ditched when old. They will still work though.

Sorry to see your injuries, hope all continues to improve.

 

[TurboGirl]

OMGodz, Leigh, deepest sympathies and gratitude for the warnings... my mum did a similar with a chip pan fire, the scars she carries have made me healthily paranoid around burny stuff :S

When the skin is fully healed over, lavender oil is great for minimising long term scarring and working the skin more flexible so it doesn't become the factor that can restrict joint movement x

 

[Leigh Robinson]

Hi,
Thanks for all of your concerns. I have had great support.

In regards to the bandages sticking. I was seen by the nurse. They only have 10 min slots. I needed a triple appointment so really slowed them down. I think they rushed it to get me out tbh. Then next time I had my bandages changed, I really paid for it. All round the fingers. The NHS shouldn't be so pressured.

Might be worth mentioning I saw a patient with horrific facial burns and another who had a skin graft all up his arm. So very grateful it didn't go over my face or private parts! Apparently the guy with the graft had a kitchen cooking oil fire. Threw water on it and it exploded and burned the house down.

With bigger burns you loose a lot of fluids. So if you are in that situation it really is worth going to A&E. They will check your vitals and stick some fluids in if needed. Loose fluids, loose blood pressure and risk heart attack. Also, with the bigger burns its also worth mentioning that running cold water over a big burn will cool your core temperature and you have associated risks with that e.g. hypothermia. Basically if it looks like a small plaster won't do the job, get to A&E. They will look after you.

I will be getting some heat gloves and some of those heat plasters. I didn't know they are about so thanks for that. I will probably carry a lot more water in the future just in case too.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I know other people fry at camp, some even make chips, but I am incredibly wary of doing so.

One you see a lot in summer is people camping, with a hangover, wearing flip flops and deciding to fry bacon. Dip the pan slightly off level, and it pours boiling hot oil on your bare feet. Not a pretty sight...

J