Prevent Burns...

Prevention is better than cure

Dr.Nikhil Panse

Prevent Burns

Prevention is better than cure.

Dr.Nikhil Panse

Vimal Niwas; Sudarshan Society

Model Colony; Shivajinagar

Pune 411016

India

Mobile: =91 9422314809

Email: nikhil.panse@rediffmail.com

drnikhilpanse@yahoo.co.in

Sketches : Mr.Prabhakar Diwakar

295/B,Shaniwar Peth,Pune 30

Telephone: =91 020 24455296

Copyright 2011: Dr.Nikhil Panse

M.S., M.Ch, DNB (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)

Published by Dr.Nikhil Panse at Smashwords

ISBN:978-1-4660-6112-5

Any part of this booklet may be reproduced and copied for teaching and awareness purpose in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, provided proper citation is accorded. The

author would be grateful to learn if you find this booklet useful and would appreciate any

suggestions or comments for the betterment of this booklet.

All reasonable precautions have been taken by the author to verify the information contained in

this booklet. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind,

either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies

with the reader.

The efforts of compiling this booklet

are dedicated to all the burn victims; whose burns could have been

prevented…

Preface:

Burns is the most devastating injury a person can suffer. No other condition is so painful and so

debilitating for so long. Burns is a major public health problem globally. Absence of facilities in

district and peripheral Hospitals combined with traditional unscientific household practices and

lack of safety systems result in high mortality and disability from burn injuries.

World over, PREVENTION is the only way forward for burns as treatment is prohibitively

expensive and outcomes both in terms of morbidity and mortality are still so unpredictable.

It is myth that Burn injuries are accidents; and accidents cannot be prevented. It has been proven

beyond reasonable doubt that Burn injuries happen due to known facts in environment, and can

be prevented to a great extent. Most burn injuries are preventable.

In the present booklet, common causes of burn injuries and their prevention are discussed in

pictorial format.

The aim is to create awareness and achieve prevention of burn injuries in the long run by

educating as many people as possible. Only knowledge is not important. Almost every smoker

knows smoking is injurious to health, but how many actually quit smoking! Behavioral

modification as per our knowledge will help us in prevention of burns. Greater application of

burn prevention strategies globally would go a long way towards lowering the unacceptable

burden of death and suffering from burns.

Together we can make a difference

Nikhil Panse

Acknowledgements:

I express my thanks and gratitude to Mr. Prabhakar Diwakar, who put in a lot of time and efforts

for sketching the pictures again and again to perfection. Without his support and cooperation,

this booklet would not have materialized.

I wish to express my deep sense of appreciation to all the people who have been invaluable in

completion of this book (In alphabetical order of names).

Dr.Atul Shah

Dr.Mukund Thatte

Dr.Parag Sahasrabudhe

Dr.Sunil Keswani

Dr.Surajit Bhattacharya

Dr.Yogesh Bhatt

While any acknowledgement in words falls short of my feelings, I am thankful to my family,

especially my father whose constant support and encouragement helped me complete this

booklet.

For her enduring patience and understanding, I remain in love of my better half Smita.

Nikhil Panse

Cooking on the floor should be avoided as a rule.

There is an increased risk of toddlers coming near the stove and getting burnt. Some types of

stoves, especially used in the developing world need repeated pumping which creates high

pressure in the stove and has a very chance of explosion. These types of stoves should not be

used for cooking purposes.

While cooking, don’t wear loose clothing’s.

Keep clothing from coming into contact with a flame or heating element.

Reaching over the stove could cause garments to catch fire, especially the sleeves of robes,

dresses, housecoats, etc. Wear snug-fitting or short-sleeved clothing. Pure polyester, nylon and

wool are reasonably flame resistant.

Preferably wear kitchen aprons, which are relatively resistant to fire. Slide the sleeve cuff up to

the elbow. Use a band to hold long or loose sleeves out of the way.

Turn handles of cookers, pans and water pots, etc away from the front side where little hands can

reach and pull them.

Store sweets and other foods away from the stove area so no kids will be tempted to reach across

a hot burner.

A child's curiosity is generally what causes him to play with matches, lighters and cigarette

lighters. Keep these things away from the reach of children.

For older children, parents should agree to let their children strike matches and use fire when

appropriate, but only in the presence of a parent or responsible adult and under safe conditions.

When you cook, keep your child away from the stove.

Never hold a child in your arms when you are handling or serving hot food or a beverage like

tea or coffee.

Mark and explain a kid free zone in the kitchen to your kids. Kids free area must be an area

where it would be unsafe and dangerous and accident prone for the kids to play either in

presence or absence of adults.

A tool has a specific purpose and should be used only for that purpose. Teach your children that

the match is a tool for adults and has a specific purpose, such as lighting candles, etc. It is not a

game to be enjoyed.

In general, the average age to begin the "Match is a Tool" education is about five. However,

parents should determine when their individual child is ready .You, as a parent, must set a good

example in your use of fire. If you follow safe practices, your children will do the same.

The proper use of fire includes teaching the safe way to light matches. The following teaching

sequence is suggested.

Open package and remove match.

Close package.

Turn package over to the side with the striking surface.

Hold match in proper position and strike away from the body.

Hold match in horizontal position (after ignited) for 2-3 seconds.

Blow out flame and wait until match is cool to touch (5-10 seconds).

Keep hot foods and drinks away from the edge of tables and counters.

Do not put them on a tablecloth that little hands can pull.

Pulling of the table cloth causes the hot liquids to spill over the infant causing severe burns.

Properly used, the microwave oven is safe and convenient for heating a variety of foods in a

short time, but the microwave can cause scald burns if it is used improperly or unsafely.

Be careful when heating liquids in the microwave. Since the containers may feel only warm,

rather than hot, they are sometimes handled less cautiously, resulting in the splashing or spilling

of a scalding liquid.

Use gloves or mittens while handling hot microwave utensils.

As a general rule, only those who have read and understand the directions should use the

microwave oven.

Generally, children under the age of 7 may be at risk, unless they are closely supervised. Even

children over 7 must be properly taught and supervised.

The child's height is important to consider. Children should be tall enough that their face is not

directly in front of the microwave heating chamber when the door is open.

Young children can be seriously scalded as they attempt to remove heated liquids from the

microwave oven.

Food can heat unevenly in a microwave oven, which can cause serious mouth burns.

When heating foods or milk for a young child, check the temperature by sampling the food

before allowing the child to eat or drink it.

Heating baby formula or milk in bottles with disposable plastic liners may be risky, because the

liner may burst.

Holding a child in your arms while removing items from the microwave may result in serious

burns to the child. Keep children at a safe distance from the microwave oven.

Be careful when removing a wrapper or cover from a hot item. Hot steam escaping from the

container as the covering is lifted can cause a burn.

Frozen foods may be cold or only warm in one spot and scalding in another.

If you are heating a product wrapped in a cover, be sure to perforate the cover so as to prevent

injury due to hot steam.

Always know where your children are and what they are doing. Continuous and adequate

supervision of young children is critically important.

Put a small slide-bolt latch on the upper half of the outside of the bathroom door.

This will prevent young children from entering the bathroom without supervision, and will also

help control other risks, such as drowning in the tub, chemical burns, etc.

There are various types of tap systems available these days. It should be understood that the taps

must be closed in such a way, that whenever the tap is opened, cold water comes first.

This prevents accidental scalds due to high temperature to small children.

Establish safe hot water temperature

Check water temperature before placing child in tub or shower

Instruct carefully any older siblings who help bathe young children

Young children should never be left alone in the tub

Generally the water in a child's bath should not be hotter than 100 degrees F.

Run cold water into the tub first, then add hot water to reach a safe temperature. This will

prevent a scald burn if the child should fall into the tub while it is being filled.

In homes where young children are present, consider using child-proof receptacles or receptacle

covers.

Limit your use of extension cords.

If you have lots of cords lying on the floor, such as the cords coming from your Computer , you

can fit all the wires into a flexible tube to keep your children and pets from chewing on the cords.

Education about and respect for electricity are essential. Always use rubber slippers while

handling electrical equipments.

Making sure that all electrical devices are properly designed, installed, and maintained helps

prevent electrical injuries at home and work.

Any electrical device that touches or may be touched by the body should be properly grounded.

Three-pronged outlets are safest. In case of electrical injury,pull the plug at the wall or shut off

the current.

Do not touch the victim while they are in contact with electricity.

All chemicals should be stored out of the reach of young children - preferably in a locked

cabinet;

Avoid mixing different products that contain toxic chemicals such as ammonia and bleach. The

mixture can give off hazardous fumes;

Avoid prolonged chemical exposure. Leave the labels intact for easy identification and injury

prevention.

Chemical eye burns usually occur when a chemical is splashed in your eye.

Chemical burns to the eye are a medical emergency. Wash your eye with water immediately for

at least 10 minutes. Do not rub your eyes. It may cause more damage to the already injured eye.

The longer a chemical is in your eye, the more damage will occur.

After washing your eye, contact a doctor immediately.

Don’t light crackers on your hands.

People have a tendency of lighting the fuses by bringing the cracker to the candle or incense

rather than bringing the candle or incense to the fuse. Moving the candle of the incense to the

fuse is the recommended method. They may burst in your hand causing severe injury.

Never throw firecrackers at a person or animal.

Avoid picking up firecrackers that may have failed to explode (nagmintis or dud crackers)

because these are likely to explode in the picker’s hand or face.

Firecrackers that do not explode should be doused with water or with sand.

Children must be discouraged from picking up these types of firecrackers.

Discard used fireworks in a bucket of water or bucket of sand.

In this manner you can avoid people from stepping on to and hurting their feet from used

fireworks, which are thrown on the ground.

Always use footwear while bursting crackers.

Bottle rockets can fly into people's faces and cause eye injuries; crackers can damage your

eyesight if they explode at a close range.

Injuries may result from standing too close to fireworks when they are lit up; for example, when

someone leans over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a

misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person.

Light crackers in open spaces. Light rockets preferably from terrace when there is not much

wind.

While lighting the crackers stand at an arm’s length from the cracker.

.

Little do people realize that in our increasingly populated and polluted cities, the temporary joy

of watching the firecrackers is soon replaced by the intense air pollution caused by these.

The toxic substances used in the firecrackers release toxic gases that are harmful to the health of

all living beings.

The high level of noise generated by the crackers cause immense suffering to birds and animals.

Besides, that, crackers are dreaded by the sick and the ailing. Crackers that make a noise of more

than 125 decibels at four meters distance from the point of bursting are banned by the law.

Common burn-related injuries include burns from radiator contact, having the vehicle turn over,

trapping a person and having gasoline spill on them, causing a chemical burn or igniting, and of

course sun burns.

To protect from sun burns and silencer burns, wear proper clothing and footwear in addition to

safety helmets.

Children should be kept away from hot surfaces such as radiators.

When the radiator overheats, the temperature of the fluid increases drastically and pressure

builds. When the cap is removed, the liquid boils or even explodes out, potentially causing

serious burn injuries.

In addition to scalds, radiator fluid contains antifreeze that may cause chemical burns.

Never open a hot radiator cap! Allow radiator to cool before removing cap.

Never look into or lean over the radiator opening. Carry a first aid kit in your vehicle.

Never leave a child in a vehicle with the windows closed, especially in hot weather.

If a child has to be left in a vehicle, the child must always be accompanied by an adult for

supervision

Teach children not to play in, on, or around vehicles.

Keep the vehicle doors and trunk locked at all times, especially when parked in the garage or

near houses. Children may become trapped while playing inside the passenger compartment or

trunk of a car.

Use window shades in the front and rear windows. Place a light covering or shading over seats to

reduce heat build up in the vehicle parked in the sun.

Before entering a car parked for a long time in the sun, run the air conditioner to help cool off the

vehicle.

Avoid hot surfaces in your vehicle. (e.g. safety belt buckle and latch plates, vinyl or leather seats,

dashboards and sides of vehicle) that can cause contact burns.

Do not smoke while refueling the vehicle.

Cell phones are asked to be switched off at petrol pumps as they are a potential ignition source to

the flammable vapors in that atmosphere.

This step has been followed after realising that there is risk of fire accidents due to ignition of

batteries of cell phones.

Common safety precautions during thunderstorms include remaining inside a closed car or in a

building away from doors and windows, fireplaces, and metal objects such as pipes, sinks,

radiators, and plug-in electrical appliances.

When outside and unable to find shelter, maintain distance from tall trees, hilltops, or other

exposed areas. A person caught outside in the open without cover should crouch on the ground

with his or her limbs close together.

Dry caves, ditches, and valleys may provide some protection from lightning strike. Lightning

can travel through water; thus, swimming, boating, and bathing should be avoided during a

thunderstorm.

Always be prepared to face a unexpected fire.

Keep a plan ready in case the fire erupts. Plan for ways to get out of the house and explain it to

the children as well. Windows can be a source of emergency exit. Decide who will take charge

of each child. Designate a meeting place at a safe distance outside the house.

In case the fire erupts, don’t waste time taking out baggage and materialistic goods. Prioritize the

safety of the family members .

If a fire occurs and the room door is CLOSED

Get out of bed to the floor. Keep low.

Crawl to the door, as smoke is generally at a higher level.

Feel the door. Use the palm of your hand to feel parts of the door to be sure it is not hot.

Brace yourself against the door and open it very slowly. Toxic gases or fire may be on the other

side.

If smoke or hot gases rush into the room when you open the door, quickly close it and seek

another method of escape.

If a fire occurs and the room door is OPEN

Get out of bed to the floor. Keep low.

Check for smoke and fire.

If it is safe to leave, cover your nose and mouth with a moist cloth. Get low and get out quickly.

If there is smoke or fire, immediately close the door. Shut off the crevices and small openings

below doors and windows with moist towels and use an alternate escape route.

Use stairs to get from upper floors to ground level. Never use elevators; they can easily

malfunction during a fire.

In case of burns, never panic and run around.

Running around only provides more oxygen to the fire, and increases the fire.

Stop, lie and roll to try and extinguish the fire. Always use water or fire extinguishers to

extinguish the fire.

In case of burn injuries, pour ample of water over the burn wound till the burning sensation

stops.

Please do not apply ink, toothpaste, Vaseline, Amla leaves or any other products over the wound

before taking the patient to a doctor.

Application of these agents over the burn wound makes assessment of the depth of wound

difficult

Make sure the burned victim is breathing. If the victim’s airway is blocked open the airway, and

if necessary begin mouth to mouth resuscitation.

In the event that someone is burnt, don’t remove burnt clothing (unless it comes off easily), but

do ensure that the victim is not still in contact with smoldering materials.

Remove off the smoldering material gently by cutting it off with a scissor, and not by peeling it

off. It causes further injury to the burnt skin.

In case of burns, please remove any constricting materials like rings and bangles as soon as

possible.

After burns, swelling of that particular area sets in, and it becomes difficult to remove these

ornaments later.

If not removed early on, they can cause constriction and compromise the blood supply to a

particular body part.

In the event of burns, do not pour ice-cold water or apply ice over the burn area.

This can lead to hypothermia, especially in case of children.

Try and avoid friction over the burn wound. Try and shift the patient to a health care facility.

During transportation, head end of the patient should be kept opposite to the direction of the

journey.

This prevents pooling of blood in the legs during motion.

It also prevents temporary reduction of blood supply to the brain.

Blankets and heaters must be provided to prevent hypothermia.

References:

Burn prevention: Success stories and lessons learned; WHO library cataloguing- in publication

data 2011.

http://www.ameriburn.org/preventionEdRes.php, last accessed 11.11.2011.