Burn

[tibgrrl]

Doc,

I burned my arm on my oven door. The burn is 3.5 inches long by 2 inches wide across my forearm. I am making a guess of it being mostly a second degree burn by the amount of tissue damage -> much blistering and angryness in the middle, some skin gone, not to the flesh though... the sides are first degree-> redness and pain

I have been doing a good job of nursing it myself (did a lot of study to want to become a para-med, couldn't though because of allergy to immunization... protein thing).

I was just wondering if you had any recommendations of treatement during the initial healing stages to assist its progress and to keep it from scarring. So far, I have been using a vitamin e cream on it recommended specifically for burns. I cannot leave it uncovered at work because it hits my desk too often (i am a software developer and i frequently rest my forearms on my desk). I leave it uncovered in the evenings and overnight.

Thanks,

-t


<hr noshade width=60% size=1 align=left>They copied all they could follow
but they couldn't copy my mind
so I left them sweating and stealing
a year and a half behind.

--Rudyard Kipling

[sharkracer]

Keep the cream on it and keep it clean. If it gets worse go see a doctor about it. Dont put to much cream on it because it needs to be able to breathe a little.


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left>98' Silver Tib FX
2 JL 12" w3d4's, 600 watt amp
Alpine CD head deck
Weapon R Dragon Intake
NGK plugs
4 guage wiring for sound
More mods to come

[Doc]

Sounds like a nasty burn...How is your arm now?

Sorry about the delay, I was out of town since Friday. I will have some information posted about burn managment for you tomorrow, if your arm seems to be getting worse, go get it checked!

<img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left><img src="http://24.128.218.194:90/upload/accent/images/docsfron.jpg">

Going from point A to point B in a Hyundai! I may be old school, but have been driving Hyundai's for many years!

[Doc]

Keeping it covered with silver sulfadiazene (silvadene) cream or bacitracin ointment and wrapped in a light dressing (cloth) is good. Keep the burn area clean and change the dressings and apply topical antibiotic cream 2X/day at home.

The main thing to be concerned about now is to keep it from being infected. It also sounds like you definately had 2nd degree burns (3rd degree burn is possible since the skin had been gone in the center of it and it hasn't been evaluated in a hospital setting). You have free health care in Canada right, get it checked to make sure no infection has started, just to be safe.

Here's some other things you can put on it and do as well
1. Aloe vera pulp, gel, or liquid applied to the burn as needed to relieve pain and speed the healing process. I like to have an Aloe plant around (burn plant) to put on a burn as soon as it happens, because applying the aloe vera immediately after a burn really helps to heal it quicker and you don't get as much pain.

2. Vitamin E (you already are using it): helps prevent scarring and needed for tissue healing.

3. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: promotes wound healing (taken internally). Take powdered Vitamin C add 1 tablespoon vitamin C to 1 quart cold water and mix. Spray this on the burn site. This has been found to enhance wound healing.

4. Zinc (no more than 80-100mg/day): helps with scarring and tissue healing. (taken internally)

5. Vitamin A: for tissue repair (taken external and internal)

6. Eat more bananas for potassium loss from the burn.

7. High protein diet to aid in the healing and repair process.

8. Watch for signs of infection, odor, pus, or extreme redness in the area of the burn.

9.Protect the injury from exposure to sun or tanning beds.

10. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the healing phase.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
<img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left><img src="http://24.128.218.194:90/upload/accent/images/docsfron.jpg">

Going from point A to point B in a Hyundai! I may be old school, but have been driving Hyundai's for many years!

[tibgrrl]

Even with my percaution, my burn started to look bad on Saturday. I went into the hospital and am now on a course of antibiotics for 10 days. I caught the infection before it got serious. It now looks like it is healing properly. Thanks for your suggestions, Doc. I am now using an ointment with a few different vitamins to assist the healing and reduce scarring. The mistake that I made is that I probably should have initially treated it with an antibiotic cream and then worried about the scarring a little later. Burns sure aren't something that one should mess with. <img src=/images/forums/snitz/uhh.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/approve.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left>They copied all they could follow
but they couldn't copy my mind
so I left them sweating and stealing
a year and a half behind.

--Rudyard Kipling

[Doc]

Glad to hear you caught the infection before it became serious. Antibiotics is the treatment protocol for burn type infections. So did the Doc's tell you what degree burn it was? Hope all goes well.

<img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0><img src=/images/forums/snitz/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left><img src="http://24.128.218.194:90/upload/accent/images/docsfron.jpg">

Going from point A to point B in a Hyundai! I may be old school, but have been driving Hyundai's for many years!

[tibgrrl]

They didn't tell me the degree but he did mention that a serious burn like this one should never go unchecked. He was surprised that it was 5 days old, he figured that it was maybe burned earlier that day <img src=/images/forums/snitz/oogle.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>. (I burned it on Monday night and went in on Saturday). I think that he couldn't really tell the degree because of the age of it. He also mentioned that I came in before it got really serious.


<hr width=60% noshade size=1 align=left>They copied all they could follow
but they couldn't copy my mind
so I left them sweating and stealing
a year and a half behind.

--Rudyard Kipling