B2B Blog

IV stands for “intravenous” or “inside the vein”. It means that the patient receives substances directly to their veins through a tube called a cannula. This could be either medication or nutrition.

IV infiltrations and extravasations occur when fluid leaks out of the vein into surrounding soft tissue. Common signs include inflammation, tightness of the skin, and pain around the IV site.

IV Therapy is nothing new in the medical community, nor is it a crazy fad. Medical professionals first attempted injecting medications into veins in the 1600s, but due to poor hygiene, the practice was abandoned.

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more water and fluids than you take in. Dehydration is a state whereby your body doesn’t have enough water and fluids to carry out its normal functions.

Side Effects of IV Therapy

IV therapy involving severe complications like extravasation, particularly from chemotherapy drugs, can leave permanent damage, including third-degree burns or necrosis.

Compartment Syndrome

Compartment syndrome occurs when excessive pressure builds up inside an enclosed muscle space in the body. It can be an emergency, requiring surgery to prevent permanent injury.

Compartment syndrome may cause nerve, tissue or muscle damage. The condition often requires emergency surgery to decompress the affected area. Patients should expect more extensive rehabilitation and healing time.

Necrosis

Necrosis is the name given to the unprogrammed death of cells and living tissue.

It is less orderly than apoptosis, which is part of programmed cell death. Wounds with necrotic, or dead, tissue cannot heal and must be removed to allow healthy tissue to grow in its place.

Permanent Nerve Damage

Peripheral nerves send messages from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body, helping you do things such as sensing that your feet are cold and moving your muscles so that you can walk. Nerve damage from IV insertion is relatively rare. It can be caused by puncturing the nerve with the needle when an IV is started, or from compartment syndrome.

Medication dosing errors

A medication error is a failure in the treatment process that leads to, or has the potential to lead to, harm to the patient. Infiltrations mean patients don’t receive the appropriate amount of medicine into their bloodstream making treatment less effective.

Benefits IV therapy for dehydration

There are have some benefits of IV therapy for dehydration. They are;

Hydration IV Therapy is More Efficient

Drinking fluids is actually not an efficient way to stave off dehydration. When you drink from a water bottle after a workout the tissues in your throat and along your digestive tract absorb most of the liquid. Hydration IV therapy injects the fluids directly into your bloodstream so your body can deliver the fluids where you need them most. It’s a faster, more efficient way to hydrate your body.

You Need More Than Just Fluids

Drinking water doesn’t do that. Plus, drinking isn’t an efficient way to deliver the nutrients you need when you need them. Hydration IV therapy allows you not only to get hydrated but also can refresh and replenish your body with the nutrients you need right away.

Hydration Therapy is Easier on Your Digestive System

Drinking a lot of fluids can be hard on your digestive system. Often you have to drink a higher volume of fluids than your body can absorb at one time.

Hydration IV therapy allows your body to absorb nutrients and fluids without relying on the digestive system. It creates less waste than drinking fluids, and your body can retain more of the nutrients it needs.

Reduced Recovery Time

Hydration is critical to the recovery of your body. Athletes need hydration after a workout to help decrease muscle soreness and stiffness. If you are feeling tired after a long day at the office, you are actually dehydrated and need fluids right away to restore your energy. Fluids even help you recover from a hangover faster.

Hydration IV Therapy is Customized to Your Body

Hydration IV therapy is completely customized to your body. You get the perfect mix of fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients that you need to feel your best.

You can have hydration IV therapy that focuses on:
 — Athletic recovery
 — Energy boosts
 — Hangover recovery
 — Skincare
 — Immunity boosts

Improves Cognitive Function

Your brain needs to be well hydrated to work effectively or at its best. By the time you experience thirst, you are already dehydrated. At the earliest signs of dehydration, your brain begins to slow down.

When you are well-hydrated, you make better decisions. However, the brain is one of the last places to get hydrated when you are only drinking fluids. Hydration IV therapy improves your cognitive functions much faster than just drinking water.

Improved Skin, Joint, and Muscle Health

Hydration IV therapy will rapidly improve the health of your skin, joints, and muscles. The powerful influx of fluids and nutrients flushes toxins from these areas and restores them to full health. Hydration IV therapy helps you look and feel healthy, so you can always be at your best.

Treatment Reference

Sever’s Disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, is a disease of the growth plate of the bone and is characterized by pain in the heel of a child’s foot, typically brought on by some form of injury or trauma. This condition is most common in children ages 10 to 15 and is frequently seen in active soccer, football, or baseball players. Sport shoes with cleats are also known to aggravate the condition. 

Sever’s disease also commonly called growing pains in the heels, can be a lot more serious than it sounds. It is in actually fact not a disease at all but an injury that occurs in the child’s heel which can be associated with a growth spur. Sever’s disease is categorised by inflammation of the growth plate in the calcaneus where the achilles tendon/calf insert.

It is a medical condition that causes heel pain in children’s feet while they’re growing. Sever’s disease occurs most commonly in boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 14.

This forces the child to bear weight on their toes while walking. When a toe gait develops, the child must change the way they walk to avoid placing weight on the painful heel. If this is not properly addressed, this can lead to further developmental problem.

The most common symptom of Sever’s disease is acute pain felt in the heel when a child engages in physical activity such as walking, jumping or running. Children who are active athletes are among the group most susceptible to experiencing Sever’s disease. This is due to the extreme stress and tension placed on their growing feet.

The most common signs and symptoms of Sever’s Disease are:-

• Pain the heel
• Limping
• Tight calf muscles
• Heel swelling and redness
• Decreased ankle range of motion
• Heel pain that is worse during or after activity

A child with Sever’s disease should also wear shoes that properly support the heel and the arch of the foot. Consider purchasing orthotic shoe inserts which can help support the heel and foot while it is healing. 

Sever’s disease may affect either one heel or both. It is important for a child experiencing heel pain to be examined by a foot doctor who can apply the squeeze test. The squeeze test compresses both sides of the heel in order to determine if there is intense pain. Discourage any child diagnosed with Sever’s disease from going barefoot as this can intensify the problem.

When foot curling, the foot is pointed away from the body, then curled toward the body to help stretch the muscles. The curling exercise should be done in sets of 10 or 20 repetitions and repeated several times throughout the day.

Get familiar with the signs of Sever’s disease in your child, and always consult a professional for a proper diagnosis:

• Swelling and redness of the heel
• Limping or your child walking on the top of their toes
• Pain when squeezing either side of the heel

Treatment of Sever’s disease

There are have some treatment of sever’s disease.

They are

Avoiding hard surfaces

Kids need as much shock absorbency as possible when recovering from Sever’s disease.

Stretching, strengthening, and good flexibility

To reduce the stress on your child’s heel, ensure they’re stretching regularly and strengthening their body. It’s especially important to be stretching calves and hamstrings on both legs, and is effective in reducing the pain from Sever’s disease. Make sure your child is stretching daily.

Heel cups and insoles

You can add heel cups and insoles to assist the support of your kid’s shoes. This can be useful for kids who’ve experienced sore heels for an increased amount of time, but they should always be wearing supportive shoes, too.

Treatment Reference

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common cause of knee pain in growing adolescents. It is an inflammation of the area just below the knee where the tendon from the kneecap attaches to the shinbone.

The bones of children and adolescents possess a special area where the bone is growing called the growth plate. Growth plates are areas of cartilage located near the ends of bones. When a child is fully grown, the growth plates harden into solid bone.

Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children who participate in sports that involve running, jumping, and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, figure skating, and ballet.

Osgood-Schlatter disease focuses on reducing pain and swelling. This typically requires limiting exercise activity until your child can enjoy the activity without discomfort or significant pain afterward.

Osgood-Schlatter disease is typically diagnosed in adolescents during the beginning of their growth spurts. Growth spurts usually start between ages 8 and 13 for girls, and between ages 10 and 15 for boys. Teenage athletes who play sports that involve jumping and running are more likely to develop the disease.

The discomfort can last from a few weeks to several years. The symptoms typically go away once the growth spurt of adolescence is finished.

When this tendon becomes inflamed, it can result in Osgood-Schlatter disease. Osgood-Schlatter disease is an overuse injury of the knee, common in growing adolescents.

Outdoor sports activities that involve a lot of running and jumping may induce stress on the thigh muscles, which in turn pull the patellar tendon that connects the kneecap to the tibia.

Risk factors for OSD

There are have some risk factor of Osgood-Schlatter, They are;

· Age: female 8–12 years & male between 12–15 years

· Soccer

· Gymnastics

· Basketball

· Cross-country track and distance running

Treatment tips for Osgood-Schlatter disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease usually resolves on its own once a growth spurt ends. Treatment typically involves:

· icing the affected area two to four times a day, or after doing physical activity

· taking over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen

· resting the knee or reducing physical activity

· wrapping the knee or wearing a knee brace

· stretching

· physical therapy

Diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter Disease

The diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease includes the review of your symptoms and medical history. A physical examination will be performed where your doctor will examine your child’s knee for pain, swelling, and inflammation. An X-ray or MRI scan may be ordered to examine the bones of the knee and affected tendons and tibia.

Prevention of Osgood-Schlatter’s disease

There are have some prevention of Osgood-Schlatter’s disease.

They are:

• Stretch regularly. Static stretching immediately prior to sport and exercise is not now recommended unless followed by some muscle activation exercises. Dynamic movements are recommended before exercise to prepare the body for the range and type of movement involved in the sport.
• Warm-up and cool down before and after activity. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, layering is good so that they can reduce clothing once the body is warmed up.
• Monitor the growth rate and flexibility of children (measure their height on a weekly basis and monitor a range of movements
• Modify the type and intensity of training during growth spurts and before restrictions in flexibility have been addressed.
• Functional stability exercises should be incorporated into their activities and training.
• Until the growth plates have fused care needs to be taken with the type and intensity of training.
• It is possible for them to overtrain. Signs of this can be recurring pain, undue tiredness, disturbance of sleep, failure to maintain weight, disturbances or cessation of the menstrual cycle (girls), recurrent minor systemic illnesses such as colds, and plateauing or reduction in performance.
• Finally, If you are concerned over a child’s risk of developing this condition or other injury get them assessed by a Chartered Physiotherapist who can help provide them with an appropriate management plan.

Treatment Reference

Extensor tendinopathy is swelling within the tendons that pass over the top of the foot. Physiotherapy is an important treatment for extensor tendinopathy.

The extensor tendons in your feet attach the muscles at the front of your legs to the toes and run across the top of your feet with a very little padding to protect them from a variety of injuries. These tendons have an important job and are in vulnerable locations.

Symptoms of extensor tendonitis

In some cases, both knees have symptoms, although one knee may be worse than the other.

· Knee pain and tenderness at the tibial tubercle

· Swelling at the tibial tubercle

· Tight muscles in the front or back of the thigh

· Pain localized to the top of the foot

· Pain worsens with activity

· Crepitus or crackling noise at the affected tendon site

· Stiffness of the joint

· Decreased range of motion

· Redness, warmth or swelling

Exercise for Extensor Tendonitis

Big toe stretch

Keeping a wide range of motion in the big toe is important. The following exercise also has three stages, and it was designed to stretch and relieve pain in toes that have been squashed in shoes.

Toe extension

The toe extension is useful in preventing or treating plantar fasciitis — a condition that causes pain in the heel when walking, as well as difficulty in raising the toes.

To do this exercise:

• Sit up straight in a chair, with the feet flat on the floor.
• Place the left foot on the right thigh.
• Pull the toes up, toward the ankle. A stretching feeling should be felt along the bottom of the foot and heel cord.

Achilles stretch

The Achilles tendon is a cord connecting the heel to the calf muscles. It can strain easily, and keeping it strong may help with foot, ankle, or leg pains.

To do this exercise:

• Face a wall and raise the arms, so that the palms rest flat against the wall.
• Place one foot back, keeping the knee straight. Then bend the knee of the opposite leg.
• Keep both heels flat on the floor.

Sand walking

Walking barefoot on sand is a great way to stretch and strengthen the feet and calves. This is a good exercise in general because sand’s soft texture makes walking more physically demanding.

To do this exercise:

• Head to a beach, desert, or even a volleyball court.
• Remove shoes and socks.

Treatment Reference

Bunions are bumps that occur at the joint and soft tissue between the base of the big toe and the first metatarsal foot bone like you see in the picture above. Bunions can be very painful.

Wearing shoes that are too small or too narrow in the toe area is the most common cause of bunions. This can be thought of as a pressure-response effect. Women are more likely than men to develop bunions.

Many people get relief from bunion pain by wearing larger shoes with a wider toe box. For example, someone with a bunion might choose to wear athletic shoes instead of high heels for pain relief.

The procedure of Bunion surgery

Some of the most common types of bunion removal procedures are osteotomy, exostectomy, and arthrodesis.

Osteotomy

Knee osteotomy is used when a patient has early-stage osteoarthritis that has damaged just one side of the knee joint. In an osteotomy, your surgeon will cut your big toe joint and realign it to a normal position.

During this procedure, a wedge of bone is removed from the outside of the tibia, under the healthy side of the knee. As a result, the knee can carry weight more evenly, easing pressure on the painful side.

Exostectomy

In an exostectomy, your surgeon will remove your bunion from the joint without performing an alignment.

Arthrodesis

Arthrodesis is also known as syndesis or artificial ankylosis. It is also commonly referred to as joint fusion. It is a method of surgical joint ossification used to fuse the bones in a joint when other treatments do not yield positive results. In an arthrodesis, your surgeon will replace the damaged joint with screws or metal plates to correct the deformity.

The arthrodesis procedure fuses the bones of the joint and prevents movement in that joint. Joint replacement surgery substitutes an artificial joint for the damaged one. These replacement joints will have the same range of motion of natural joints, but artificial joints can also wear out quickly.

Types of Surgeries for Bunions

There are have some surgeries for Bunions treatment. They are;

Bunionectomy

A bunionectomy is a surgical procedure to excise or remove, a bunion. A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe and is comprised of bone and soft tissue.

· Residual edema at the surgical site after prolonged ambulation or after exercise that resolves upon rest and elevation of the foot

· Dermatologic color changes over the dorsum of the foot at the end of the day or after having the foot immersed in warm water for a prolonged period of time

· Mild transient neuritis of some superficial nerves at the surgical site

· Increased sensitivity at the surgical scar

· Some limited first MTPJ ROM, especially in plantarflexion as compared with the preoperative measurements

· Induration with palpation of the first interspace

Bunion osteotomy

A bunion osteotomy is a procedure where the joint is realigned to prevent the big toe from leaning towards the second toe. During the surgery, a doctor will use plates and screws to hold the joint in place. The doctor may also do minor surgery on loose joints and tendons to help keep the joint where it should be.

Treatment Reference

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes, an infection.

If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet, you’re at greater risk of complications of ingrown toenails. Once the edge of the nail breaks through the skin, it produces inflammation. Initially presenting as a minor discomfort, it may progress into an infection in the adjacent skin and/or become a reoccurring problem.

Ingrown toenail symptoms and signs

Ingrown toenail symptoms and signs include redness, pain, and swelling. Sometimes there may be a clear yellowish drainage, or if it becomes infected, pus drainage.

Minor foot problems like ingrown toenails, Dallas may cause serious complications in some people. See a doctor if you have an ingrown toenail and have diabetes or another condition that causes poor circulation, or you have a compromised immune system.

The patient should also see a doctor if:

· Pain and swelling are severe.

· Home remedies don’t improve the condition.

· You have an allergic skin reaction to a home remedy.

· You have questions about how to care for an ingrown toenail.

Surgical Treatment

An ingrown toenail, which doctors might call onychocryptosis, is a common complaint. This painful condition happens when the toenail grows down into the skin. It most commonly affects the big toe, with the corner of the nail growing into the nail bed.

People can often treat ingrown toenails, Dallas at home by wearing sandals to avoid putting pressure on the toe, soaking the toe in warm water, and keeping the area clean to help it heal on its own.

Ingrown toenail, Dallas irritate the skin. As a result, they can make it easier for bacteria and other microbes to get in, which increases the risk of infection. Promptly treating an ingrown toenail reduces this risk. Some signs of infection include:

· swelling

· pus

· redness

· extreme pain

· a fever

If the toenail is very swollen or inflamed, or it does not get better after a few days, a doctor may diagnose an infection and prescribe antibiotics. They might also prescribe a special splint to prevent the toenail from growing deeper into the skin. If the toe still does not heal, a doctor may recommend surgery.

Treatment Reference

Surgery that involves a cut incision in the skin can lead to a wound infection after surgery. Most surgical wound infections show up within the first 30 days after surgery.

Surgical wound infections may have pus draining from them and can be read, painful, or hot to touch. You might have a fever and feel sick.

Skin is very sensitive during the wound healing process. Because of this, it can sometimes lead to surgical wound incisions reopening. If this happens, make sure to reassure the patient that they should not worry, as this is very common. Breaks can happen in a couple of different ways and can range in severity.

Cleaning process of a Wound

Step 1:

After hands are washed, remove the old wound dressing from the surgical area, use the wrapper of the gauze to keep it sterile while wetting the new wound dressing with a saline wound wash.

Step 2:

Clean the wound area gently with mild soap and water, antiseptic wash, or saline spray.

Step 3:

Remove any additional dirt with gauze sponges and pat dry.

Step 4:

If there’s any bleeding, stop it by applying pressure to the surgical wound area with the gauze sponges.

Step 5:

Treat with Neosporin antibiotic ointment to fight off wound infection for minor wounds. Please consult with a physician before use on a major wound.

There are a lot of ways for doctors to close a surgical incision after a medical procedure. Whether it’s stitches, staples, or surgical glue; these different methods need different guidelines to care for a wound, depending on which was used to close the incision.

Caring for surgical wound

The medical term for stitches is sutures. Other methods that can be used to close a surgical wound include metal clips or staples and adhesive dressings, tapes, or glue. The method your surgeon uses will depend on where your wound is, how big it is, and how strong the closure needs to be.

Stitches

Stitches are a type of medical thread sewn through the skin at the site of injury that brings the wound together to heal properly.

If a patient has received stitches, the doctor will either remove them after the wound has healed, or they will dissolve over time. If the stitches are dissolvable, medical tape may be used to hold the wound together.

Dissolvable stitches typically begin disintegrating one to two weeks after surgery. Although it is not the norm, be aware that sometimes dissolvable stitches can take up to several months before they disappear completely.

Surgical Staples

Surgical staples are a special type of staple used in medical procedures, instead of stitches, to bring wounds together to heal properly.

If a patient has received staples to close the incision, don’t worry about the removal process. As the doctor will schedule a time to remove them after the wound has fully healed.

You need to keep these dry if you have a shower, so put a waterproof dressing over the strips because they could come off in the water. They’ll usually come off by themselves after a week to 10 days.

Surgical Skin Glue

Surgical skin glue is a special kind of medical skin adhesive often used in surgery. It works by fusing the edges of the wound, and this allows for the wound to heal underneath the glue.

Your surgeon may use skin glue to close your wound, especially if have a small wound. An advantage of skin glue is that it brings the edges of your skin together very quickly. This helps to seal the wound and form a barrier that lowers the risk of infection.

It is important not to use any ointment or moisturizer near your wound as it may cause the glue to peel off too soon. It’s also important to keep your wound out of the sun until the glue is gone and your wound has healed.

Symptoms of Surgical Wound Infections

Surgical wounds are frequently monitored to make sure they are healing properly. Infections may affect only the skin, the tissue under the skin, or implants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Trusted Source. Signs of a surgical wound infection include:

· increased pain and redness around the wound

· delayed healing

· the presence of pus

· a foul smell, or drainage from the wound

In some cases, an infected surgical wound can appear dried out or deeper. Fever may also be a common symptom.

Conclusion

Optimal management of surgical wounds is an important part of post-operative recovery and health care professionals should monitor the process of acute wound healing, prevent wound complications, and treat appropriately if complications arise.

The key elements of post-operative wound management include a timely review of the wound, appropriate cleansing and dressing, and early recognition and intervention of wound complications.

Treatment Reference

An ingrown toenail is caused by the pressure from the ingrowth of the nail edge into the skin of the toe. Once the edge of the nail breaks through the skin, it produces inflammation.

Initially presenting as a minor discomfort, it may progress into an infection in the adjacent skin and/or become a reoccurring problem. Ingrown toenails most commonly affect the large toes.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

An ingrown toenail happens when the corner or edge of your toenail curves and grows into the surrounding skin. This may cause pain, redness, and swelling. The condition is very common in both men and women. Your big toe is most likely to be affected.
 
 Common causes of ingrown toenails are:

· toenail trauma, such as stubbing your toe

· wearing shoes that are too tight

· cutting toenails too short

· cutting toenails at an angle

To prevent infection, it’s important to treat ingrown toenails as soon as they occur. Mild cases may require minor treatment with home remedies. Serious cases may need surgical intervention.

Symptoms and Signs of Ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenail symptoms and signs include redness, pain, and swelling. Sometimes there may be a clear yellowish drainage, or if it becomes infected, pus drainage.

Young children may show signs of limping in order to avoid putting pressure at the ingrown toenail site. If the ingrown toenail has been present for a long time, a very vascular tissue called granulation tissue may form that easily bleeds.

Minor foot problems like ingrown toenails may cause serious complications in some people. See a doctor if you have an ingrown toenail and have diabetes or another condition that causes poor circulation, or you have a compromised immune system.

The Patient should also see a doctor if:

· Pain and swelling are severe.

· Home remedies don’t improve the condition.

· You have an allergic skin reaction to a home remedy.

· You have questions about how to care for an ingrown toenail.

Surgical treatment

There are different types of surgical treatments for ingrown toenails. Partial nail removal only involves removing the piece of nail that is digging into the skin.

Following surgery, it is advisable to keep a bandage around the wound until it heals.

An ingrown toenail, which doctors might call onychocryptosis, is a common complaint. This painful condition happens when the toenail grows down into the skin. It most commonly affects the big toe, with the corner of the nail growing into the nail bed.

People can often treat ingrown toenails at home by wearing sandals to avoid putting pressure on the toe, soaking the toe in warm water, and keeping the area clean to help it heal on its own.

Ingrown toenails irritate the skin. As a result, they can make it easier for bacteria and other microbes to get in, which increases the risk of infection. Promptly treating an ingrown toenail reduces this risk. Some signs of infection include:

· swelling

· pus

· redness

· extreme pain

· a fever

If the toenail is very swollen or inflamed, or it does not get better after a few days, a doctor may diagnose an infection and prescribe antibiotics. They might also prescribe a special splint to prevent the toenail from growing deeper into the skin. If the toe still does not heal, a doctor may recommend surgery.

Treatment Reference

Burns is one of the most common and devastating forms of trauma. Patients with serious thermal injury require immediate specialized care in order to minimize morbidity and mortality.

The Southwest Wound care center describes a burn injury as a complex trauma needing multidisciplinary and continuous therapy. Most non-complex burn injuries will heal spontaneously with conservative treatment.

Burns is a type of painful wound caused by thermal, electrical, chemical, or electromagnetic energy. Smoking and open flame are the leading causes of burn injury for older adults. Scalding is the leading cause of burn injury for children. Both infants and older adults are at the greatest risk of burn injury.

First-degree burn wound

First degree burns are painful because they affect the top layer of skin, called the epidermis, which is meant to be a protective covering. This protection keeps our temperature stable, keeps fluid inside the skin layers, and keeps the body protected from infectious agents.

Second-degree burn wound

Second-degree burn damages the top layer and some underlying layers of skin. A second-degree burn is a more serious burn. Second-degree burns look similar to a first-degree burn, but in this case, the damage has caused blistering of the skin, with the pain usually being more intense.

Third-degree burn wound

Third-degree burn damages all layers of skin and the underlying fat, muscle, or bone. Third-degree burns extend to the lower levels underneath the epidermis and the dermis levels of the skin. Third-degree burns are also called full-thickness burns, as they extend beneath the top layer to the hypodermis or subcutaneous areas of the skin.

Causes of Burns Wound

There are have some causes of the burn wounds. They are;

Hot Water

Burns from hot water, or scalding injuries, are the leading cause of burns in small children. A pot of water boiling on the stove can be spilled, resulting in very severe injuries that require emergency medical treatment or a visit to the emergency room. In serious cases, scalding injuries can be fatal.

Fire

One of the most common causes of burns is direct or indirect exposure to open flames. Whether the exposure is caused by a campfire or a stove burner, even brief exposure to open flames can result in serious burn injuries.

Heat

Exposure to high levels of heat can result in burns. Open flames do not have to be present for it to occur. Prolonged exposure to high heat levels can result in dehydration and burned or blistered skin.

Sun Exposure

Direct sunlight is responsible for one of the most common types of burns: sunburns. People with light-coloured skin can become sunburned after only a few minutes in direct sunlight. Although sunburns are usually minor, certain medications and health conditions can make direct sunlight exposure potentially severe.

Taking care of Burn Wound

There is having some caring burn wound treatment. 

They are;

· When you clean the burned area, wash it gently with mild soap and warm water. Don’t use deodorant soap.

· Check for any changes or signs of infection, like pus, swelling, or increased redness.

· Doctor recommended using an antibiotic ointment, use a clean cotton swab to put a thin layer of the ointment on the burn. Don’t touch the tube of antibiotic cream to the burned area. If you need more cream or ointment, use a new cotton swab.

· Need to cover the burn, cover it with a sterile non-stick bandage.

· Protect the burn from pressure and friction.

· Don’t bump the burned area. Try to use it less than you normally would. This can help it heal.

· Drink enough water or juice to prevent dehydration.

· Avoid exposure to sun and to extreme hot and cold temperatures.

Treatment Reference

Burn injuries are caused by fires or flames, hot liquids or steam, contact with a hot object, or agents like grease or tar, chemicals, or electricity.

If you go to a doctor for burn treatment, he or she will assess the severity of your burn by examining your skin. He or she may recommend that you be transferred to a burn center if your burn covers more than 10 percent of your total body surface area, is very deep, is on the face, feet or groin, or meets other criteria established by the American Burn Association.

The burn depth depends on how hot the agent was and how long the burned area was in contact with the agent and how thick the skin is in the area. There are three levels of a burn injury:

First-degree burns

A first-degree burn is called the epidermis. It considered the least severe because it only affects the outer layer of skin. These burns cause minor damage to the skin. The skin may be red and tender or swollen. An example would be a mild sunburn that turns red, swells, and may peel. First-degree burns can generally be treated at home.

Second-degree burns

Second-degree burns are also called partial-thickness burns. These burns go through the second layer of skin, called the dermis. These burns cause pain, redness, white, wet, and shiny skin blisters and are often painful.

The injury may ooze or bleed. They usually heal within 1 to 3 weeks. After healing, the skin may be discolored. These burns generally do not leave raised scars.

Third-degree burns

Third-degreeburns are also called full-thickness burns. These burns damage both layers of the skin and may also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. Injured skin may turn white, black, and/or gray. It may feel dry and leathery. Sometimes there is no pain because the nerve endings under the skin are destroyed.

Symptoms of third-degree burn include:

· waxy, white-colored skin

· char

· dark brown color

· raised and leathery texture

Burns caused by an electrical shock is also too risky for home treatment. These burns often reach layers under the skin and can even cause damage to internal tissues. The internal damage may be worse than you expect.

When to see a doctor

It’s important to recognize when a burn can be treated at home and when you need to seek medical care. You should seek help from a doctor if:

· a burn affects a widespread area more than 3 inches in diameter

· the burn includes the face, hands, buttocks, or groin area

· the wound becomes painful or smelly

· you develop a high temperature

· you think you have a third-degree burn

· if your last tetanus shot was more than 5 years ago

Third-degree burns should never be treated at home. They carry the risk of serious complications, including infections, blood loss, and shock.

Often referred to as a full-thickness burn, a third-degree burn reaches underlying tissues and can even damage the nerves.

Treatment Options for Burn Wound

After you have received first aid for a major burn, medical care may include medications and products that are intended to encourage healing.

Water-based treatments.

Your care team may use techniques such as ultrasound mist therapy to clean and stimulate the wound tissue.

Fluids to prevent dehydration.

You may need intravenous (IV) fluids to prevent dehydration and organ failure.

Pain and anxiety medications.

Healing burns can be incredibly painful. You may need morphine and anti-anxiety medications, particularly for dressing changes.

Burn creams and ointments.

If you are not being transferred to a burn center, your care team may select from a variety of topical products for wound healing, such as bacitracin and silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene). This helps prevents infection and prepare the wound to close.

Dressings.

Your care team may also use various specialty wound dressings to prepare the wound to heal. If you are being transferred to a burn center, your wound will likely be covered in dry gauze only.

Treatment Reference