880 B
Treating Burns
Immediate care
Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. This works for up to three hours after the injury, so it is still worth doing late.
Do not use ice, do not use butter or oil, and do not break blisters. Ice causes further tissue damage in an area that has already lost its ability to regulate.
Remove rings, watches, and tight clothing near the burn before swelling starts.
Covering
Cover with a clean, non-adherent dressing or cling film laid on loosely — never wrapped tightly around a limb.
When it is beyond field care
Seek definitive care for any burn that is larger than the patient's palm, any burn that is white, leathery, or painless (which indicates full thickness), and any burn to the face, hands, feet, genitals, or across a joint. Burns that circle a limb entirely are an emergency regardless of size.