Burns

Burns from fire, hot liquids, chemicals, or electricity are a common and serious injury in Indian homes — especially cooking-related scalds and kerosene/LPG accidents. Correct first aid in the first 20 minutes decides the depth of the burn, the scarring, and sometimes life itself.

First aid — the 20-minute rule

• Cool running tap water on the burn for 20 minutes, even up to 3 hours after the injury — this alone reduces pain, depth, and scarring.
• Remove hot/soaked clothes and jewellery from the area (but don't peel off anything stuck to the burn).
• Cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy cloth or cling film.
• Do NOT apply toothpaste, ice, turmeric, ghee, oil, raw egg, kerosene, ink, aloe paste, or toothpaste. These Indian household remedies worsen burns, cause infection, and make later treatment harder.
• Don't burst blisters.

When to go to hospital

• Burns on the face, hands, feet, genitals, or over joints — always.
• Any burn bigger than the person's palm, or a child's burn bigger than a coin.
• Burns that look white, black, leathery, or painless (full-thickness — nerve damage).
• Chemical burns — wash with running water for 30 minutes first, then hospital.
• Electrical burns — even with small visible damage, internal injury can be severe — go to hospital.
• Any inhalation injury — burns around the mouth or nose, coughing black sputum, breathlessness, hoarseness (from house fire, firecrackers, or LPG burst) — urgent.

Tetanus and infection

• Burns are high-risk for tetanus — check tetanus status, booster if needed.
• Prescription burn ointments (silver sulfadiazine class) are given at hospital — don't self-apply.
• Signs of infection: fever, spreading redness, pus, foul smell — go back to hospital.

Prevention — Indian specifics

• Stove safety — don't wear dupattas and saris too close to gas flames; synthetic clothing catches fire fast.
• Crackers (Diwali) — supervise children, cotton clothes, keep water/bucket nearby, no crackers held in hand.
• Hot chai/milk — never carry hot beverages while holding a toddler; a major cause of infant scald.
• LPG safety — check tubing yearly, don't use near an open flame when the connection is being changed; if you smell gas, don't switch on any electric switch.
• Electrical — no wet hands/wet floor near switches; call an electrician for repeated tripping.
• Fire extinguisher at home + smoke alarm in larger homes.