First Aid Guidance

Quick Guide:

‘Cool, Call and Cover’:

1.  Cool the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes and remove all clothing and jewellery.
2. Call for help – 999, 111 or local GP for advice 
3. Cover with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth. Make sure the patient is kept warm.

Detailed Guide:

1. Stop the burning process:

• Remove person from the source of the burn if safe to do so.
• Electrical injury sources should be isolated before rescue.
• Cares should be taken to avoid cross-contamination from chemical injury sources.
• Burning clothing should be extinguished using water or the ‘drop and roll’method 

2. Cool the Burn:

• Cool the burn immediately with running tap water for 20 minutes.
• Cooling is beneficial for up to three hours after injury, and should still be performed, even if there is a delay in accessing a method of cooling.
• Keep the patient, especially children, as warm as possible during cooling: ‘cool the burn but warm the patient’

3.Clothing and jewellery:

• Clothing and jewellery should be removed immediately
• Clothing or jewellery that is melted or firmly adherent to the wound should be left undisturbed, but this should not deter from cooling the burn wound

4. Covering the wound:

• Cover the cooled burn with cling film, or where this is not available, a clean cloth or nonadherent dressing. Chemical injuries must be first fully decontaminated.
•  Cling film should be applied loosely, but not on the face. Burn gel wraps may be used to provide analgesia, but only after adequate cooling has occurred as they are not as effective in removing heat from the wound.
• Produced by the BBA 2015.