IT was only 4:30 in the morning when my sister Elena, then 12, woke up. She was very excited as she would be going for a field trip with her classmates.
She had to cook rice, which she would bring for her group. She didn’t want to disturb our parents, myself and other siblings. I can cook rice myself, she said.
That was what she did. After putting rice and water in the kettle, she put it at the top of an earthen stove with opening only at the center where firewood is placed.
Then, she poured some kerosene into the firewood.
With a match, she lighted it. She saw the firewood burning but a few second later, the fire expired. But she already ran out of kerosene. She tried looking and saw a can, which she thought contained kerosene.
Elena immediately poured what she thought was kerosene into the dying fire and before she knew it a big fire was created. It was not kerosene, after all, but gasoline.
Totally shocked, she stood still as the gasoline slipped from her hand. It splashed and went all over her feet. Accidentally, the fire caught her.
It was at this moment that I came to her rescue. I went down to quench my thirst that early morning and saw my younger sister engulfed by fire.
Having undergone first aid training during my high school days, I immediately grabbed the wet blanket left by my mother in a basin the night before and wrap her with it.
Our whole family woke up as Elena cried in pain. Seeing what had happened, my parents and I brought my sister – still wrap with blanket on and conscious – to the nearest hospital.
At the emergency room, a doctor treated my sister. “If you were not around,” the doctor told me, “it would have been worse. Good to know you’re familiar with what to do. Thanks for doing the right thing.”
It took my sister three months to fully recover. Today, Elena, now 42, is completely healed. However, there are still some white spots that remained in her legs, as if to remind her of the past that almost cost her life.
In the Philippines, March is observed as Burn Injury Prevention Month to build awareness about burn injuries and their prevention. The editorial of Manila Bulletin some years back is a great reminder:
“Burns are among the most painful and devastating injuries a person can bear. Getting burned is a traumatic experience not only physically but psychologically, as well. Rehabilitation from the injury takes a long period of time.”
There are four classifications of burns: thermal, chemical, radiation and electrical. Chemical and electrical burns are self-explanatory. Thermal burns come from heat, which includes scalding hot liquids.
Radiation burns come from radioactive metals as well as the sun. Sometimes, abrasions are called friction burns.
However, burns are classified based upon their depth, according to Dr. Ben Wedro, who practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The first-degree burn is least serious since only the outer layer of skin is burned, but not all the way through.
The skin is usually red and often there is swelling. Pain sometimes is present.
“Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint, which requires emergency medical attention,” the Mayo Clinic advises.
When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin also is burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn. Blisters develop and skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance.
There is severe pain and swelling.
“If the second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately,” the Mayo Clinic reminds.
For minor burns, including first-degree burns and second-degree burns, take the following action:
1. Running cool water over a burn may alleviate some of the pain.
2. Mild burns may be treated with burn creams. Don’t use butter.
3. Any burn that encircles a body part (such as a wrist or finger), or any significant burn to the face, should be evaluated by a physician.
4. Cover burns with sterile bandages to keep them clean and dry.
5. If blisters form, don’t open them.
“Minor burns usually heal without further treatment,” the Mayo Clinic points out. “They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin.
Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help.”
The third-degree burn is the most serious burns as it involves all layers of the skin and cause permanent tissue damage. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected.
Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white.
Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning, or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.
For major burns, emergency medical help is needed. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:
* If safe, approach and remove person from source of injury (that is, fire) or remove offending substance (examples: put out fire on burning clothes or washing away acid burns with water).
* If there is bleeding (especially from associated injury and the burn itself), apply pressure to the wound by pressing over it with a clean cloth or dressing and maintain the pressure till the bleeding stops or till the medics arrive.
* If there has been crushing or blast injury and the person is trapped or if there is associated spinal cord injury (person conscious but cannot move or feel his limbs or abnormal lie), do not move the victim.
* Keep the person warm because in major burns, body heat is lost rapidly. This can be done with a clean sheet or blanket.
* Raise burned areas above the level of the heart if possible. Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement). If there is no breathing or other sign of circulation, begin CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
* Protect the victim from drafts and keep the victim dry.
