Basic First Aid for Burns and Scalds
This course is a crucial educational resource designed to equip individuals—whether lay persons, workplace first-aiders, or healthcare support staff—with the essential knowledge and practical skills needed to provide immediate, correct, and effective first aid for burn and scald injuries. Given the annual burden on NHS hospitals (with approximately 13,000 admissions and thousands more A&E attendances), mastering these fundamental steps can significantly reduce injury severity and improve patient outcomes.
The primary objective is to move beyond common misconceptions and ensure first aid providers follow the nationally recognised ‘Cool, Call, Cover’ approach used widely across the UK.
1. Skin (Build-up and Structure)
Before discussing injury, the course establishes a foundational understanding of the body’s largest organ: the skin.
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Structure: Learning about the layers of the skin (Epidermis, Dermis, and Subcutaneous tissue) and their respective functions.
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Relevance to Burns: Understanding these layers is key to appreciating why different types of burns cause different levels of damage and pain. For example, superficial burns affect only the Epidermis, while full-thickness burns destroy all layers, often damaging underlying structures.
2. Burns and Scalds
This section clearly defines and differentiates thermal injuries common in the UK:
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Burn: Injury caused by dry heat (e.g., fire, hot metal, friction, electricity, chemicals).
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Scald: Injury caused by wet heat (e.g., hot water, steam, hot liquids). Scalds are particularly common in the home, especially among young children.
3. Symptoms of a Burn or Scald
Recognising the signs and estimating severity is the first step in effective management. The course will cover:
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Pain Level: Often severe, though paradoxically, the most severe burns (full-thickness) may have little initial pain due to nerve damage.
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Appearance: Redness, swelling, blistering (which should generally not be broken in first aid), and charring/whiteness.
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Systemic Symptoms: Signs of shock, difficulty breathing (especially if the face or neck is involved, or if smoke inhalation is suspected), and signs of infection (later stages).
4. Types of Burn (Severity Classification)
The course wlll teach the internationally recognised classification system, often simplified for first aid purposes:
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Superficial (First-Degree): Affects only the epidermis. Skin is red, dry, and painful (e.g., mild sunburn).
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Partial-Thickness (Second-Degree): Affects the epidermis and part of the dermis. Skin is red, often weeping, swollen, blistered, and very painful.
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Full-Thickness (Third-Degree): Affects all layers of the skin and often underlying tissue (muscle, fat, bone). The skin may appear white, waxy, or charred, and sensation may be lost.
5. Initial Burn Treatments (The UK Standard)
This is the practical core of the course, focused on immediate, life-saving steps:
| Step |
Action and Rationale (UK Protocol) |
Critical Considerations |
| COOL |
Cool the burn immediately using cool or lukewarm running tap water for at least 20 minutes. |
Rationale: To halt the burning process, limit tissue damage, and reduce pain. Do NOT use ice, iced water, or creams/fats (like butter) as these can cause hypothermia or trap heat. |
| CALL |
Call 999 (or arrange for someone else to do so). |
999 (Emergency): Required for large, deep, electrical, chemical, or inhalation burns, or burns on sensitive areas (face, hands, genitals). 111 (Non-Emergency): For advice on minor burns. |
| COVER |
Cover the cooled burn loosely with cling film (plastic wrap) lengthways, or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing. |
Rationale: To prevent infection and reduce pain by protecting nerve endings from the air. Cling film is the preferred, readily available sterile dressing in UK first aid. |
| Remove Clothing/Jewellery |
Gently remove any clothing or jewellery near the burn, unless it is stuck to the injury. |
Rationale: Metals can retain heat, and swelling may make removal impossible later. |
