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Daughter spilled boiling water on hands; what to do?!


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Um, I'd be taking her to the emergency room if she has severe pain. Boiling water burns are horrendously painful (I've done it to myself), but the thing is that these are her HANDS. I would take this so very much more serious because of the location of the burn. I wouldn't want to mess around with long term damage to her hands.

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Since it's Saturday, I would probably go to the urgent care. I spilled boiling water on my hand when I was in high school. I kept it under cold water for a long while, and my mom bandaged it properly (she's a RN) until I could get in to see my normal doctor in the morning. They were able to give me a prescription burn ointment which *really* helped. I think it made all the difference in having it heal properly. I don't even have a scar from it. I wouldn't mess around since it's on her hands.

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I think medical attention (after-care or emergency) would be appropriate.

 

However, if you don't want to do that, cold water on the hands, burn ointment and over the counter pain relief. If that doesn't make things MUCH better, then that would indicate (to me anyway) that she needs further treatment.

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Vanilla extract (but we usually do this immediately). My mom spilled boiling water down her front, and poured vanilla extract on it, no sign of anything.

 

I burned my hand on a curling iron, and alternated with aloe vera (straight from plant) and vitamin E (poked a capsule). The area was tender that night, but by the next morning, nothing.

 

I just read something about egg whites as well.

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I have read to not use ice water on 3rd degree burns as it will make it worse, just cool water. And Aloe, lavender, callendula are what I have used for some 3rd degree burns my dd's have had. Going to the Dr. both times after awhile they said we were doing a great job. 1 prescribed antibiotic to prevent infection but it was on the bottom of her foot and the skin was rotting off. She stepped on burning plastic and we used Ice water not knowing that was wrong!! The other was on her neck and from a flying firecracker that flew in her shirt. That Dr. prescribed silvadine cream, but she was already healing. The skin was coming off then too. Wishing you well!

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Um, I'd be taking her to the emergency room if she has severe pain. Boiling water burns are horrendously painful (I've done it to myself), but the thing is that these are her HANDS. I would take this so very much more serious because of the location of the burn. I wouldn't want to mess around with long term damage to her hands.

 

As a former ER, nurse :iagree:

 

This could blister up quickly, and she needs treated now.

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Call the manager at work and ask them what to do (they will need to file a claim) this should be covered by workers comp insurance. They may have a policy that she has to be seen and there may be a time limit.

 

:iagree:She should see a doctor and they should pay for it. My brother had a shelf fall on his foot and slice it pretty bad when he was working at a drug store years ago as a teen. They paid for the urgent care visit it required.

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Call the manager at work and ask them what to do (they will need to file a claim) this should be covered by workers comp insurance. They may have a policy that she has to be seen and there may be a time limit.

 

I had forgotten about that. Medical treatment should be covered under workman's comp, including if she had to leave work early due to the burn.

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Call the manager at work and ask them what to do (they will need to file a claim) this should be covered by workers comp insurance. They may have a policy that she has to be seen and there may be a time limit.

 

:iagree::iagree: She absolutely MUST be seen by a physician, for a multitude of reasons.

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Call the manager at work and ask them what to do (they will need to file a claim) this should be covered by workers comp insurance. They may have a policy that she has to be seen and there may be a time limit.

 

:iagree:Because it was a work injury go to the ER/urgent care. Generally medical care has to be started within 48 hours of time of injury to begin a workers comp claim. Chances are she will be fine but better to have the ball rolling with proper timelines for medical attention incase she has any complications from the burns

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Hand burns are treated much more seriously than anywhere else. The skin and tissue are thinner and there are a lot of nerves. Plus, boiling water burns are SO painful. I had one on my inner thigh when I was pregnant with my daughter, and despite my desire to protect the baby I BEGGED for painkillers. And she needs silvadene cream (sulfur and silver) which will help with the pain and prevent infection. Please go to an urgent care right now! (urgent care and handle it and will be chaper/faster than ER).

 

Or, and yes, workers comp will cover it.

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ER and contact her work place immediately about workman's comp. insurance. My husband fell down at work and he was told by his manager to make a claim immediately (he's okay but the dr. visit and x-rays are covered by workman's comp.).

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Oh yikes! Your poor dd. Burns are no fun. :iagree: with everyone that she should be checked out. I'm hoping you are at the ER right now. I just wanted to say that the burn may not even look like anything, but will later. Last week I had dinner in the crockpot and my elbow accidently touched the outside of the crockpot for a split second. Gosh....I couldn't believe how hot that crockpot was (on low)!! I put cold water on it but there was nothing...not even red skin. Now, days later I have a really bad burn mark there. I hope your dd's burn isn't bad enough to where it will blister and peel. My ds had a bad arm burn when he was a baby (touched a hot grill). What a nightmare that was (skin scraping every few days). The silvadine (as someone else mentioned) worked wonderful. No scar at all. Post an update when you can.

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Take her to the ER. Hand and Face burns should always be treated. And yes, PLEASE do not put anythng but cool water on her hands as a treatment.

 

Really, lavender essential oil is better for burns than cool water. It aids skin repair and contains an antiseptic and mild anesthetic. Good stuff.

 

Rosie

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Really, lavender essential oil is better for burns than cool water. It aids skin repair and contains an antiseptic and mild anesthetic. Good stuff.

 

Rosie

 

 

It might be, but the first thing the ER does to treat burns is to clean them, and the process is not as pleasant if there is any type of oil or medication on them.

 

There are home remedies that can be used for minor, small burns that will not be beneficial to more major burns, and burns on hands larger than a quarter are always major.

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Call the manager at work and ask them what to do (they will need to file a claim) this should be covered by workers comp insurance. They may have a policy that she has to be seen and there may be a time limit.

 

Yes! But call them after you get to the ER or Urgent Care. Don't mess around when a burn is on the hands or face.

 

I had boiling fat splatter on my hand/arm when a jerk was showing off and threw the frozen fries into as cooker at work - I STILL have burn marks on my hands.

 

Your dd won't be working with her hands for a while, either.

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It might be, but the first thing the ER does to treat burns is to clean them, and the process is not as pleasant if there is any type of oil or medication on them.

 

There are home remedies that can be used for minor, small burns that will not be beneficial to more major burns, and burns on hands larger than a quarter are always major.

 

Perhaps this is a myth:"Lavender oil and burns have a long history. A French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse in the early 1900 was working in his lab and burned his hand severely. He then stuck his hand in a nearby container of lavender oil. He discovered his hand not only stopped hurting, it healed faster and didn't scar."

 

I'm not understanding why a burn on the hands larger than a quarter is automatically a third degree burn. Of course one shouldn't be tipping anything on a third degree burn.

 

 

What does the ER use on burns and how do we know that is better than the essential oil?

 

I don't mind changing my policy if there is a good reason. :)

 

Rosie

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Just wanted to thank everyone for your quick replies, and give an update! (Because of various reasons, I wasn't able to get to a computer til this evening for an update!)

 

My daughter is doing much better. Probably if the manager or supervisor had been in, they would have sent my daughter to the ER. However, my daughter and another teen were working on their own and closing alone, when it happened. When she came home she was in such extreme pain, and her hands were bright red. After reading your replies (again, thank you!), I did call our local ER. (We have no urgent care or clinic hours on a Saturday.) At that time, I had also given her tylonal, and taken her hands out of the ice water and just put them in cold water. The ER had me observe her for an hour before bringing her in. We tried the vanilla extract mixed with vinegar, and that really brought down the pain. The skin was not broken at all -- no blisters. We were all out of potatoes and only had peppermint oil (not lavender), so I didn't get to try those!

 

As the afternoon went on, the pain kept decreasing, as long as she didn't touch them to anything.

 

Today, they are much better. Still slightly red, but no blistering.

 

I think we lucked out this time. I know it could have been much, much worse!

 

Again, thank you for all of your advice! I knew you would be quick to respond!

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Perhaps this is a myth:"Lavender oil and burns have a long history. A French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse in the early 1900 was working in his lab and burned his hand severely. He then stuck his hand in a nearby container of lavender oil. He discovered his hand not only stopped hurting, it healed faster and didn't scar."

 

I'm not understanding why a burn on the hands larger than a quarter is automatically a third degree burn. Of course one shouldn't be tipping anything on a third degree burn.

 

 

What does the ER use on burns and how do we know that is better than the essential oil?

 

I don't mind changing my policy if there is a good reason. :)

 

Rosie

 

 

Rosie it isn't that burns on hands are automatically 3rd degree, but the size and location that keeps it from being minor. As a burn heals the skin pulls tighter, can crack allowing infection, and there are more nerves to experience damage. Lavender oil or other treatments like potato can be wonderful for minor burns, but if blisters did develop or cracked skin then there needs to be antibiotics. If the burns didn't have anything but cool water on them then the doctor will likely put antibiotics on them and wait and see, if there are any chemicals, butter, or oils then it is more likely they will slough off the dermis before using antibiotics.

I love using aloe right from the plant, and haven't tried lavender oil, but can see that it could be helpful. However if there is any doubt about needing a doctor, or what to do with a burn, I err on the side of caution. I experienced a toddler needing skin grafts on her feet, and it is something I will never forget.

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Rosie it isn't that burns on hands are automatically 3rd degree, but the size and location that keeps it from being minor. As a burn heals the skin pulls tighter, can crack allowing infection, and there are more nerves to experience damage. Lavender oil or other treatments like potato can be wonderful for minor burns, but if blisters did develop or cracked skin then there needs to be antibiotics. If the burns didn't have anything but cool water on them then the doctor will likely put antibiotics on them and wait and see, if there are any chemicals, butter, or oils then it is more likely they will slough off the dermis before using antibiotics.

I love using aloe right from the plant, and haven't tried lavender oil, but can see that it could be helpful. However if there is any doubt about needing a doctor, or what to do with a burn, I err on the side of caution. I experienced a toddler needing skin grafts on her feet, and it is something I will never forget.

 

I would say that the prompt application of lavender oil would prevent blistering, at least it has in every situation I've come across. But I haven't come across anything so serious as you have with your toddler! I suppose since pharmaceutical companies aren't making money out of essential oils, there's no research to show us how serious a burn must be (and how you can tell by sight) before lavender oil won't help. All I can find online is "not on 3rd degree burns." For the type of burn you are describing, with the stretching and whatnot, the lavender oil would prevent that because it aids skin repair and it is hard for an infection to form while an antiseptic, which lavender oil is, is being used. The antibiotics wouldn't be necessary because there isn't an environment for an infection to form.

 

I think, ultimately, unless it was a third degree burn I'd use the oil. It could take hours to see a doctor in ER and I'd rather use those hours to make a bit of headway than just sit there and watch it worsen. But I haven't had great experiences with ER doctors so rather lack faith...

 

In my experience, aloe and lavender oil are even better together than separately. :)

 

Anyway, I'm just chatting, not arguing.

 

:)

Rosie

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