treating burns

[Westside]

What do you pack and keep in your trauma kit and WHY?


This is one place I think my kit severely lacks and I am wondering what other have and use. Now lets add a scenario to this question.

You are primitive camping and someone falls into the smoldering embers of the fire and has burns to his chest, hands, arms. You have notified emergency services but they will not be able to get there for several hours. What is in your trauma kit and how do you use it?

Ready go.

 

[themadmedic]

Assuming you are just dealing with the burns, and not airway issues, the best treatment may actually be in your tent, not in your trauma pack. Dry, clean sheets make great burn dressings. Preventing hypothermia will be key in this setting.

Fortunately, in this given scenario airway burns/compromise is not as likely to be an issue but should be observed.

From my trauma kit, IV fluids and pain medications are the primary things that would be used but I'll have my scalpel handy in case an escharotomy is necessary in the event that any of his burns are circumferential.

 

[longbow]

Water gel makes some good kits and products. I have used several. I focus on the smaller burns. Major burns would be a problem.

 

[WETSU]

Cooling/stopping the burn and preventing further tissue damage, airway issues, circumferential burns, pain management and fluid maintenance are my primary concerns. I don't need any special products to achive those goals in an austere setting. Know more, carry less.

 

[Zoub]

You are primitive camping and someone falls into the smoldering embers of the fire

The only time I have ever witnessed that scenario alcohol was involved. Let Darwin do its thing.

The absolute best treatment is avoidance. A bandana can easily be folded to 16 layers, good for protecting your fingers. Guess why I always carry one.

 

[themadmedic]

Water gel makes some good kits and products. I have used several. I focus on the smaller burns. Major burns would be a problem.

These are ok for small burns, not a huge fan personally of their use in large surface area burns. Big concern is preventing hypothermia.

 

[Westside]

These are ok for small burns, not a huge fan personally of their use in large surface area burns. Big concern is preventing hypothermia.

OK, I am pleading ignorance here, so why is hypothermia a big concern.

 

[Viking Queen]

Aloe Vera plant - split open rub gel on burn. This kills the pain. Then Raw Unfiltered Honey Applied directly to the burn. Or any open wound. Bacteria will not grow in honey.

Google Honey for Wound Care and you will be amazed at what you will find.

Here is just one link:
raw honey as medicine: the medicinal value of raw honey

I made small packets, about the size of a McDonald's Salad Dressing packet, with my vacuum sealer, and filled them with Raw Honey then sealed them, without vacuum. They will last forever.

A friend's hound dog recently had a 2 inch wide x 8 inch long open cut on his side that could not be closed with sutures. The emergency vet clinic had us pack the wound with raw honey and top with a bandage - we changed the bandage 2 times a day for 2 1/2 weeks. It healed beautifully with no evidence of the wound now.

It is amazing!!

Best of Luck, Viking Queen

 

[flatlander]

Cooling/stopping the burn and preventing further tissue damage, airway issues, circumferential burns, pain management and fluid maintenance are my primary concerns. I don't need any special products to achive those goals in an austere setting. Know more, carry less.

Would you care to share what you would do? I know I have a huge hole in preps when it comes to this.
Given the scenario, most of the burns would be pretty superfical so OTC pain meds would work. When my fingers got fused by an explosion (mostly 2nd degree) I was ready to kill for pain meds. The treatment was worse than the incident but at least I still need gloves instead of only mittens

Bob

 

[Sylvain]

I dont have anything for burns in my first aid kit (like burn gel and other products), your best option would be to cool down the wound for at least 10 minutes with cold water.
If you are camping next to a river it's your best first aid option in my opinion, even better than most products you can buy.
If the wound is really bad then I have regular bandages to cover it after I cooled it down with water.

Also your best option is to try not to fall into the embers in the first place.
Use gloves if you are cooking with a fire and such.

 

[Westside]

Aloe Vera plant - split open rub gel on burn. This kills the pain. Then Raw Unfiltered Honey Applied directly to the burn. Or any open wound. Bacteria will not grow in honey.

Google Honey for Wound Care and you will be amazed at what you will find.

Here is just one link:
raw honey as medicine: the medicinal value of raw honey

I made small packets, about the size of a McDonald's Salad Dressing packet, with my vacuum sealer, and filled them with Raw Honey then sealed them, without vacuum. They will last forever.

A friend's hound dog recently had a 2 inch wide x 8 inch long open cut on his side that could not be closed with sutures. The emergency vet clinic had us pack the wound with raw honey and top with a bandage - we changed the bandage 2 times a day for 2 1/2 weeks. It healed beautifully with no evidence of the wound now.

It is amazing!!

Best of Luck, Viking Queen

my only word of warning is that temperature swings (hot to cold and visa verse) can cause the honey to crystallize. it is still good the sugar is just crystallizing out of the liquid.

Also if you keep bees propolis has a ton of uses as well. when consumed or applied to the skin. Propolis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ( I know it Wikipedia but it gives a descent brief summary.)

 

[rmabrey]

OK, I am pleading ignorance here, so why is hypothermia a big concern.

Ill save most of the boring physiology of it, but basically burns cause the body to lose heat. The bodies natural reaction to repair injury is to send fluid that way. Between the burns and the soon to be fluid loss, your body loses heat, inducing hypothermia. That is why you use clean, sterile, and DRY sheets to cover the body, and keep them warm. Obviously fluid replacement is a concern as well, some say warm fluids. I say the amount of fluid it takes to raise or lower the body temp one degree is to great for that to be a concern.

 

[Double T]

Silvadene can be used to treat an open burn and road rash. But, if there is any chance of a compromised airway then they need to be seen to monitor with blood draws and a strict control of body temp.

Large 3rd degree burns need a different treatment, and I doubt anyone wants to put a bud through that much pain.

Avoidance is THE best treatment. Burn victims, and the treatment, is some of the messiest stuff I've ever had to deal with. Either way, a simple triple ATB oinment, non-stick bandage, and kerlix would suffice for most minor burns and some small 2nd degree. Pain management and infection prevention is paramount.

 

[tooleman]

if your camping and help is on the way something you might try is plain, yellow mustard. I have used mustard for minor burns, but dont know how it will work for major burns.

 

[flatlander]

if your camping and help is on the way something you might try is plain, yellow mustard. I have used mustard for minor burns, but dont know how it will work for major burns.

DO NOT USE MUSTARD!! This is an old wives tale that has been debunked. Minor 1st degree burns are more a matter of time and mental to heal than anything else so we THINK the mustard is working. It will hold the heat in (more damage) and also introduce bacteria etc which MAY cause infection (very bad thing). Keep it covered with a sterile bandage and replace lost fluids are the biggest things to do.
YMMV

Bob

 

[.45kohnACP]

Burn products and aloe vera work well at treating the area after the first hour or so. You first need to help the victim would be to cool the area by whatever means you have, ice, cool clean water etc.

I have treated many minor (less than 4 inch square) burns this way, but when using ice it is important to protect the skin do NOT apply ice directly to skin.

 

[Sweetums]

I'd stick with the clean, dry sheets. If having fallen in a camp fire, which likely means that the burns are over 10% of the body, don't be using any of the burn treatment products. As mentioned before, it's a matter of keeping a person hydrated and their body temperature in check. There will be nothing you can do to keep a person comfortable in that type of situation.

 

[bubba16430]

my only word of warning is that temperature swings (hot to cold and visa verse) can cause the honey to crystallize. it is still good the sugar is just crystallizing out of the liquid.

If your honey has crystallized drop the sealed container in hot water. Problem solved.

 

[WETSU]

Flatlander, sorry for the delay in responding. I haven't checked in for a few days.

Well, I guess "what I would do" can't really be covered in depth here. I would urge you to fill that gap in your knowledge. Read up. From a lot of sources. The good/bad news is, that you have been burned. You know what it does and how it feels, heals, etc.

But, as far as your question, You start at the moment of burn. Stop the fire/burny thing. Then as quickly as possible cool the tissue (not ice or snow, but cool water and lots of it). Depending on the severity, monitor the pt for shock. In austere environments, administer water/electrolytes ASAP, orally. RFN. As much as they can stand. Cover the burns with clean or sterile nonstick bandages.

Shock, pain, dehydration, infection, scarring and loss of function will be the greatest worries in a remote setting without proper medical care.

I had a very similar burn wound to the hands, pyro flashed in my hands during training. 1st and 2nd degree burns. I watched my fingers turn into bratwurst in 90 seconds. I plunged my hands into a cold creek and removed my wedding band, but still manged to tear off flesh in the process. Vicodin and two bags of frozen peas were my friend that night. Over the next week, I kept my hands clean, debrided as needed, and took antibiotics. Everything healed perfectly except the scar on my ring finger. No big deal. I was lucky and diligent about self care. I was also prepared to seek medical attention if needed or over my head.

Once again, study up on it. Red cross 1st aid, then a remote/austere medical guide. Look at the range of products out there and hwo they are used. Some are goofy, some are good, but understand the REASON for their use. Ask a doc about burn care. Seek deeper and deeper understanding of how burns happen and how they heal. The more you know, the deeper you will go, to the point of studying emergency medical manuals and dermatology textbooks.

 

[.458socomhunter]

Silver Sulfadiazine 1%. (Silvadine) After a burn is debrided, cool the ointment and apply. Unless its worse than 2nd degree.