Does emergency medicine perform minor burn treatment?

The clinician considers how deep the burn appears, how large the area is, where it is located and what caused it. Care may include cooling advice, gentle cleaning, a suitable dressing and pain relief guidance. The team may also check movement around a joint and whether the burn encircles a finger or limb. A burn that looks small can still need specialist assessment when it involves the face, hands, feet, genitals, a major joint or the airway.

Move away from the heat source and cool the burn under cool running water for a sustained period; remove jewellery and tight clothing near the area if they are not stuck to the skin. Cover it loosely with a clean, non-fluffy dressing or cling film. Do not apply ice, butter, toothpaste or adhesive material, and do not break blisters. Bring details of the chemical, electrical source or hot liquid if one was involved.

Seek urgent care for a burn caused by electricity or chemicals, smoke inhalation, blistering over a sensitive area, white or charred skin, numbness, rapidly increasing swelling, or a burn larger than your hand. Get immediate help for trouble breathing, facial swelling, confusion or collapse. Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus or fever during healing may indicate infection and needs medical review.

Ask how often to change the dressing, which pain relief is suitable, how to protect the area while it heals, and which changes suggest infection. Ask whether the burn needs review, a tetanus update or referral because of its location or cause.