How to deal with burns that have broken the skin?

Written by Wang Xiang Li
Emergency Medicine
Updated on November 01, 2024
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After a burn that breaks the skin, you can first assess the size of the burned area. For small burns, promptly rinse with cold water for about 20 minutes, or apply a cold compress to the affected area. Then, disinfect and clean the burn site with povidone-iodine, keeping the wound exposed to promote healing. If the burn is extensive, affecting the superficial dermis and reaching shallow second-degree or higher burns, after addressing the site, sterile dressings and treatments such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory are necessary. Therefore, after the initial simple treatment, it’s crucial to seek professional medical treatment at a hospital promptly.

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Written by Zhang Jian Bo
Dermatology
1min 11sec home-news-image

How long does it take for a deep second-degree burn to heal?

Second-degree burns generally require three to four weeks to heal. The healing time for burn wounds depends on the depth of the burn. Second-degree burns include both superficial partial-thickness and deep partial-thickness burns. Superficial partial-thickness burns involve blistering of the upper dermis. The blisters are relatively full, and the base of the wound is red and moist with substantial exudation. There is significant swelling and severe pain. Under non-infected conditions, superficial partial-thickness burns generally heal within two weeks without scarring. Deep partial-thickness burns affect the deeper layer of the dermis. Blistering in this case tends to be relatively flat, and the base of the wound appears red and white, sometimes showing a net-like pattern of vessel thrombosis. These wounds have less elasticity and the pain is less intense. Deep partial-thickness burns generally take three to four weeks to heal and leave scars. Therefore, formal anti-scarring treatment is required after healing of a deep partial-thickness burn.

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Written by Wang Xiang Li
Emergency Medicine
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Can I eat lamb after a burn?

Whether a burn patient can eat mutton mainly depends on the severity of the patient's condition. It is best not to eat mutton because mutton is quite pungent and is considered a hot-natured food. Eating such food after being burned is not conducive to the recovery of the burn and can make the burn more severe, easily causing local wound infection and inflammation. Apart from mutton, spicy and stimulating foods are also not recommended, such as raw onions, raw garlic, chili peppers, Sichuan peppers, leeks, fish, shrimp, beef, and dog meat. Patients should also avoid smoking and alcohol, and it is better for them to have a bland diet, which can promote metabolism and facilitate the recovery from burns.

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Written by Li Xiao Lin
Emergency Department
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What should not be eaten when a finger is scalded?

It is advised not to eat spicy and irritating foods for burns on fingers, and to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. It is recommended to drink more water regularly, consume more fresh vegetables and fruits, supplement vitamins, and eat foods high in protein and energy that are easy to digest. Enhancing nutrition can promote the recovery and improvement of burn tissues. Concurrently, it is necessary to engage in relevant targeted treatments such as medication changes, anti-infection measures, and gauze protection. It is also advised to reduce the activity of the affected limb to avoid worsening the injury.

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Written by Wang Xiang Li
Emergency Medicine
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Do you need to take medicine for a burn on your hand?

Whether medication is needed after a burn depends on the individual. If a hand is burned, it should first be rinsed under running tap water or soaked for at least half an hour. If the skin is not broken, it can be disinfected with iodine and then burn ointment may be applied. If there is blistering and the skin is broken, indicating a severe burn, larger blisters should be punctured at the base with a sterile needle and the fluid can be pressed out with a cotton swab while preserving the overlying skin. Then, sterile gauze should be used daily to re-dress the wound. If the burned area is oozing and the pain is significant, oral anti-bacterial and pain relief medications can be taken. If not allergic to cephalosporins, a cephalosporin antibiotic can be taken. For pain, ibuprofen can be used. If the burn is severe, it is necessary to seek timely medical treatment. (Please follow medical advice regarding medication.)

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Written by Wang Xiang Li
Emergency Medicine
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Can soy sauce be used for burns?

After a burn, do not apply soy sauce because it contains a high amount of salt, which can aggravate the severity of the burn. Additionally, soy sauce may not be clean and could possibly contaminate the wound with bacteria, leading to infection. However, consuming soy sauce does not significantly affect the healing of burns. The correct practice is to immediately soak the burned area with running tap water or cold water for about half an hour, then observe if there are any blisters or similar conditions. You can apply some burn moisturizing cream for further treatment. Generally, the wound should be treated with exposure therapy, and in severe cases of burns, skin grafting or flap surgery might be considered.