It is estimated that more than one million burn injuries occur every year and of that, 50 percent could be avoided. Burn Awareness Week, observed the first full week in February each year, is an opportunity to remind parents and children about potential hazards that can lead to burns in the home.
According to statistics from the American Burn Association, 43 percent of all burns happen at home. The kitchen is the most hazardous place for burn injuries to children under five. Scald injuries are the most common in children of a young age, and in Colorado, the most common pediatric burn occurs when children place their hands on the glass door of a fireplace.
Dr. Gordon Lindberg, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center?s School of Medicine, heads one of the top burn units in the Rocky Mountain region and the only unit in Colorado that has received verification by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons. University of Colorado Hospital also has one of the only dedicated, outpatient burn clinics in the area. Lindberg suggests the following checklist as a reminder to parents with small children in the home:
Keep hot liquids out of reach of children
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove
Keep children out of the kitchen when cooking
Always turn off an iron when unattended
Turn down the house water heater to 120 degrees
Always check water temperature prior to bathing or showering
Develop an indicator of hot liquids for your children ? if the cup has a spoon in it, it?s hot
Lindberg said the most common mistake adults make at home is to pick up a pan of burning grease and run outside with it. He said the best method to stop a grease fire is to ?put a lid on it.?
?The best advice I can give if you have a fire in a pan on the stove ? cover it,? said Lindberg. ?Fire needs oxygen to thrive and if you cover the pan, the fire dies.?
Lindberg also points out that butter and ice are the worst things you can put on a minor burn at home; cool water is best.
Anyone who suffers any kind of serious burn should immediately seek the advice of a health care expert, and heed the advice of the American Burn Association:
If you do suffer any kind of burn, stop the burning by removing any clothing that is covering the skin and run cool ? not cold ? water over the injury. However, if clothing is stuck to the skin, do not pull it off, but seek immediate medical attention.
Never put ice on a burn as it can worsen the injury.
Cover burns with clean, dry cloths or bandages, but do not apply creams, ointments, salves or butter to the burn as this can hold in heat and make it worse.
Do not break any blisters unless instructed by a physician.
If the burn is less than the size of the victim?s palm, it probably can be taken care of at home, but contact your primary care physician for specific advice.
Seek immediate medical attention for any burn larger than the victim?s palm.
?The safest response is to get any injuries evaluated by a professional,? said Lindberg. ?Don?t try to treat it yourself. At the outpatient burn clinic at University of Colorado Hospital, patients can receive ointments and therapies that heal burns faster and with less scarring than any home remedies.?