![]() Burns can cause massive swelling and the jewelry can act like a tourniquet as the tissue expands. If the burn is in a place with a watch on the wrist or rings on the fingers, remove them. If you have access to a Nasal Pharyngeal Airway (NPA) and have been taught how to use it, this might be an appropriate time, depending on the casualty’s tolerance or level of consciousness. This isn’t a difficult procedure to learn, but it should not be attempted unless you are well trained by competent instructors. Military medics are taught a surgical procedure called a cricothyroidotomy to help maintain a clear airway. be sure to monitor the casualty closely if you see burns around the airway. Singed facial hair and soot in the nose and mouth might also be an indication of an airway burn.įlash burns to the face might indicate an airway emergency. This damages the tissue and causes swelling which, if not anticipated, will close up the airway to the point where the casualty suffocates.īurns to the airway might be suspected if you see redness and/or blistering around or in the casualty’s airway. Inhalation burns might occur when the casualty gasps from surprise and breathes super-heated air into their lungs. Look for anything that might indicate inhalation burns to their mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. A blanket, coat, or something similar is a good way to smother it. We need to quickly reduce the amount of oxygen to the fire, so it goes out. This is bad because it’s literally fanning the flames of the fire and increasing the damage. When a person is on fire, they might panic and begin running around. Don’t become another victim in your attempt to take care of the casualty. Scene Safety is a very important aspect to emergency medicine. One of the risks of treating a burn is becoming a burn victim yourself by not making sure the fire is out before touching the casualty. Go to the hospital so the victims pain is managed to acceptable levels. Even a mild sunburn is uncomfortable, so any injury causing a serious burn is likely to be excruciating. This ensures they are treated for their injury and keep it from getting worse, but perhaps more motivating is that the burn victim will be able to get some relief from the pain.īurns are extremely painful. Whenever I get questions about burns, I always recommend the victim gets seen at a hospital. In my circle of friends and family I am the community medic and I get calls asking about one thing or another. Not only can they be very dangerous, but burns are very painful. I'll start this off with saying burns are nothing to screw around with. This way, you’ll better understand what I’m talking about in this next in the series about how to treat this type of emergency. If you’re just jumping into this article, go check out the last article I wrote explaining the degrees of burns and some of the risk factors associated with them.
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