Prevention of burns: Background-
Burns are a global public health problem. Out of all the burn hazards, Fire-related burns are the most common type. Moreover, Most cases of burns usually occur at home. It is thus essential that we optimise safety measures to prevent any incidence.
Risk factors and risk areas-
- Presence of kerosene cooking appliances
- wearing traditionally loose clothing by women in the kitchen
- exposure to flames, scalds, and also to faulty electrical wiring in the workplace
- undersupervised child may lead to pediatric burn
- violent crimes / suicide attempts / assault
However, most of the risk factors are preventable.
Prevention strategies-
- Improving awareness.
- identify risk factors.
- promotion of promising interventions.
- Provide burn prevention programs.
- Strengthen burn care
- Education
- Engineering changes
- community implementation of smoke detectors
- regulation of hot water heater temperatures
- flame-resistant children’s sleepwear
- safety of electrical wiring
Other recommendations for optimising prevention-
- limiting the height of open flames in domestic environments.
- Promote safer cookstoves and also less hazardous fuels
- education regarding loose clothing.
- Apply safety regulations to housing
- Improve the design of cookstoves
- Inhibit access of cookstoves to children
- Lower the temperature in hot water taps.
- use of smoke detectors
- Avoid smoking in bed
- Promote legislation
- Promoting fire-retardant aprons to be used while cooking around a kerosene stove.
What to do if a burn occurs-
- Stop the burning process by removing clothing
- Extinguish flames by allowing the patient to roll on the ground, or by applying a blanket. use water or other fire-extinguishing liquids
- Use cool running water (however, not excess cool)
- In chemical burns, dilute the chemical agent by irrigating with large volumes of water.
- Wrap the patient in a clean cloth
- transport to a medical care
- wear gloves for chemical exposure
- ensure your own safety
What to avoid if a burn occurs-
- Do not apply paste, cow dung, haldi (turmeric), or raw cotton to the burn.
- Do not apply ice ( it deepens the injury)
- Avoid prolonged cooling with water (hypothermia)
- Do not open blisters
- Do not apply any material directly to the wound
- Avoid the application of topical medication (transfer to a health care)
Also read- https://vcurehealthcare.com/facts-about-tennis-elbow/
