Wound Care Question - Thermal burns of mixed degrees... how best to heal?
I've got a burn on my abdomen that's just over two inches square. Some of it's first degree, though most of it is second and third. I'm not sure how best to care for the burn as the third degree is dry/leathery and the second has popped blisters/fluid. Also there is some dirt and lint in it.
Can I use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound, or should I use water and a gentle antibiotic soap? Would it be better to cover it with a gauze pad or let it breathe? It doesn't hurt but I don't want it to get infected.
"I asked the sun to tell me about the big bang. The sun said 'It hurts to become.'" -- Andrea Gibson, I Sing The Body Electric Especially When My Power Is Out
I'd treat it as a 2nd/3rd degree burn.
As per woundcare guide here
Quote:
A thermal burn needs to get checked out by a doctor ASAP if: It is a 3rd degree burn and is larger than 2 fingers put together. It is a 2nd degree burn and is larger than 3 fingers put together. It is a 1st degree burn and is larger than 4 fingers put together. The burn is on a joint, the hands, feet, genitals, face or the burn has jewelry, dirt or anything else stuck in it. The burn goes all the way around a part of your body.
See a doctor.
I don't feel OK advising ANYthing else. Personally yes I treat my own burns when they come up, but it is NOT the smartest idea.
However; DO NOT USE PEROXIDE. It kills both living/good and dying/bad cells. I'd cover it FOR NOW until you get to the ER.
I do not have any money -- literally, 9 cents to my name -- nor do I have the means to access medical care. I realize it's far from an ideal situation, but right now I'm on my own and would like to minimize harm/do the best I can considering the circumstances.
"I asked the sun to tell me about the big bang. The sun said 'It hurts to become.'" -- Andrea Gibson, I Sing The Body Electric Especially When My Power Is Out
If you really can't, then the only thing I can suggest is keeping it CLEAN, and trying to **gently** (can't emphasize this enough) get the dirt/lint out
Do you live with your parents/on their insurance, because you could use that.
No, I'm staying with a friend who's letting me crash in her apartment temporarily. She's gone for the next six hours or so though. I am not insured.
Is it safe to cover the wound with the gauze pads/waterproof medical tape from our bathroom, or had I better leave it uncovered to breathe?
"I asked the sun to tell me about the big bang. The sun said 'It hurts to become.'" -- Andrea Gibson, I Sing The Body Electric Especially When My Power Is Out
Ok. Thank you for your help! I've done a gentle wash and covered with gauze. Hopefully it'll heal well if I take care of it.
"I asked the sun to tell me about the big bang. The sun said 'It hurts to become.'" -- Andrea Gibson, I Sing The Body Electric Especially When My Power Is Out
Can you not apply for medicaid? (I really don't know how it works, but I've heard you can do that at an ER)
Also.. I'd be really careful with the gauze, it could get stuck in the burn.. and then open it up or other bad things when you try to remove it..
I would suggest a visit to your GP/ER but of you cant the next best thing is to really keep an eye on it and treat it the best you can.
Make sure that you cool the area thoroughly, if its still hot, carry on cooling. If the skin blisters, dont pop them, they are playing an essential part in keeping the burn moist and preventing infection.
The best thing you can do, if you cant go see a doctor is to give the wound a good clean, use cooled boiled water and a clean piece of gauze, wet the gauze and wipe the wound from one side to the other. Only use each piece of gauze once, and don't rub it - this will help prevent any infection. Keep doing this until it is clean from visible dirt, and then gently dry the area.
You can then use something like a cream designed for burns, or an antiseptic cream - this is pretty important as it will help keep the burn infection free as well as aid the skins healing.
After that use something clean and dry to cover the entire wound - make sure that you don't use anything that is fluffy or leaves bits of lint behind. Something like a menolin adhesive dressing, or a dressing pad held on with skin tape is best.
Take the dressing off every day and clean it, like I described above, then re-apply the ointment and a clean dressing.
If at any stage it becomes more painful or any sort of yellow/green fluid comes out of the burn make sure you go to see a doctor, because that is indicative of an infection, which can become very nasty and cause something called septic shock, which is very dangerous.
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Do kep it covered, yes and try and clean off all the debris as mch as possible. Yes, it will hurt but it NEEDS to be done or it will become infected.
I would also seek information about help with payment for ER and medical care, if not for now, also for the future. See if you have any help in your area for them as there will be some and also sch as medicaid. They are unlikely to help you for this as it is prestanding at the time you sought help with them (though they may do) but I would sort it out as soon as possible as you will need to seek medical help for definite if it becomes infected and ordinarily, with a burn that size at the levels you say it is then you would need to get it looked at.
Keep it covered with dressings. Gauze isn't the best as it sticks to the wounds and burns especially but if you can put lots of antibacterial cream or such as vaseline on the inner side of it that will help prevent it.
Otherwise I echo what Gracehasaname says.
Keep it covered if at all possible by a wound dressing and DO NOT USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ON IT. All that will do is damage it further, stop it from healing and potentially lead to it becoming infected at a later stage when you stop sing that. It really is something that we STRONGLY advise against.
The gauze has gotten stuck in the wound; I'm afraid to get it wet or try to remove it, because I'm pretty sure it'll take the whole scab off and start bleeding. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have used gauze. Should I just let it be, and hope that when the scab falls off on its own it'll take the gauze with it? Or should I take a deep breath and pull the gauze off? I'm visiting a friend right now so I don't have any replacement gauze or bandages, it'll need to wait for a day or two I think.
"I asked the sun to tell me about the big bang. The sun said 'It hurts to become.'" -- Andrea Gibson, I Sing The Body Electric Especially When My Power Is Out
I'd advise you to soak the gauze in warm waterand then it should peel off easier. It may take of the scab but the dressing needs to be removed. Just leaving it there is likely to make it become infected and it will become more stuck to the wound.