Hesperian Health Guides
Caring for Burns
Burns are a common injury. Keep burns as clean as possible. Never put grease, fat, animal skins, coffee, herbs, or stool on a burn. Anyone who has been burned should eat more bodybuilding foods (protein). No foods need to be avoided.
Minor burns
A minor burn does not form blisters, is not on the face, hands, feet, or genitals, does not cross a major joint (like the elbow, shoulder, knee, or hip), and is not part of another injury. To lessen pain and further injury, put the burned area in clean, cool water (not ice water or ice) right away for 20 minutes (but no longer). Then keep the area clean and dry. Take aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen), or ibuprofen for pain. Minor burns should heal by themselves in about 2 weeks.
Severe burns
Severe burns affect large areas or specific parts of the body (face, hands, feet, genitals, major joints), affect many layers of skin, or are combined with other injuries. Treat burns on children especially carefully.
To prevent infection, wash a severe burn with water that has been boiled and cooled, and add povidone-iodine if you have it (mix 4 parts boiled and cooled water with 1 part povidone-iodine). Scrub gently so the burn will not bleed, and rinse with more boiled and cooled water. Then dry the burn by blotting with sterile gauze or sterilized cloth.
Wearing sterile gloves, kill germs to prevent infection by covering the burn with one of these:
- a thin layer of silver sulfadiazine. Do not use for burns on eyelids or lips, or for burns on children younger than 2 months old.
- a thin layer of honey.
- granulated sugar. Pour the sugar over the burn and throw away any sugar that does not stick.
Then gently cover the burn with sterile gauze or sterilized cloth and hold it in place with tape or bandages. If the burn is on an arm or leg, keep it elevated to lessen swelling. Clean the burn every day and put on another layer of infection prevention and a clean, sterile gauze or cloth. If signs of infection appear—pus, a bad smell, fever, or swollen lymph nodes—put an antibiotic ointment on the burn and get medical attention as soon as possible.
Someone who has been badly burned can go into shock from the loss of body fluids. Give rehydration drink as often as possible until the person passes urine frequently. If the person is unconscious or cannot swallow, give rehydration drink in the rectum.
Comfort and reassure the burned person, and treat for shock if necessary. Give codeine or any strong pain medicine you have. For more information about treating severe burns and preventing contractures during healing, see see Hesperian’s Disabled Village Children, Chapter 28.