The trend of acute burns pre-hospital management

Abstract

Objective: To study the trend and knowledge of first aid administration of any kind among the burns patients and also to create awareness to the general public who mostly act as first aid givers who seem ignorant about the appropriate immediate care to render to the burns victim. Methods: Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to the burns victims who had received or not some form of first aid at the scene of the burn injury. Results: The study showed varied first aid knowledge and administration outcomes as a result of different substances such as water or sand, muddy water, starch, corn dough, cow dung, egg white, calamine lotion, gentian violet, ointments, creams, lotions, tooth paste etc. applied as first aid. Conclusions: Burn injuries are common in our settings, a more reason for all to know the immediate intervention to give to victims of such accidents. The kind of first aid administered to burns victims possibly affects the burns management outcome. Thus, the earlier the right intervention implemented, the lesser the complications.

Keywords

• Burns injury
• First aid
• Immediate intervention
• Immediate outcome
• Complications