03/29/2024
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By Cara Beth Lewis

The American Burn Association promotes Burn Awareness Week each year. This year’s theme is “Burning Issues in the Kitchen.” Cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Burn Awareness Week 2022 is an opportunity to learn how to protect you, your family, and your home.

Burn Awareness Week is sponsored by the American Burn Association (AMA). AMA is a non-profit organization whose aim is to stimulate and advance burn-related research, education, care, prevention, and rehabilitation. The goal of AMA is to improve the lives of those affected by burn injuries and prevent more burn injuries from happening.

Burns are a dangerous, painful, and potentially fatal form of injury. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), burns and fires are the third leading cause of death in the home. Anyone can be affected by a burn injury in the home – the most experienced cook or the child toddling through the kitchen.

Accidents happen, but they are preventable. The American Burn Association provides tips to prevent burn injuries:

  • The best time to cook is when you are wide awake, and not drowsy from medications or alcohol.
  • Always wipe clean the stove, oven, exhaust fan to prevent grease buildup.
  • Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
  • Keep a pan lid and dry potholders or oven mitts near
    you EVERY time you cook.
  • Turn pot or panhandles toward the back of the stove.
  • When heating food in the microwave, use microwave-safe cookware that allows steam to escape.
  • Allow food to rest before removing it from the microwave.
  • When frying, use a pan lid or splash guard to prevent grease splatter.
  • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you to check on your cooking.
  • After cooking, check the kitchen to make sure all burners and other appliances are turned off.

Burns can be caused by a wide variety of heat sources. Listed below are statistics provided by the American Burn Association:

Burn Cause Statistics
The American Burn Association states that:

  • 44 percent of all admissions to burn centers result from fire or flame burns.
  • 33 percent of all burn center admissions result from scalding injuries caused by wet or moist heat.
  • Direct contact with a hot source accounts for nine percent of burn center admissions.
  • Electrical burns account for four percent of burn center admissions.
  • Chemical burns account for three percent of all burn center admissions.
  • The remaining seven percent of burn center admissions are caused by other, miscellaneous sources.

While burns can be caused by a plethora of things, there are three main types of burns: thermal (contact) burns, chemical burns, and electrical burns.

Thermal burns, also known as contact burns, are burns caused by contact with a heated object. Burns from boiling water, a fire, a hot pan, etc. are all examples of thermal burns. Scalds are the most common type of thermal burn suffered by children, while fire is the most common cause of thermal burn-in adults.

Chemical burn is a burn to internal or external organs of the body caused by a corrosive or caustic chemical substance that is a strong acid or base (also known as alkali). Chemical burns are usually the result of an accident and can occur in the home, at school, or more commonly, at work, particularly in manufacturing plants that use large quantities of chemicals, according to dermnetz.org.

Electrical burns and injuries happen when electric currents pass through the body. This type of burn can cause both internal and external damage, as it can affect the skin, tissues, and organs. Electrical burns may be caused by a number of sources of electricity, such as lightning, stun guns and contact with household current, according to mayoclinic.org.

While some burn injuries, such as first-degree burns, can be treated at home, major burns require medical attention. While first-degree burns only affect the outer layer of the skin, third-degree burns can penetrate as deep as the bones.

If a person has severe second or third-degree burns, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Not sure if the burn is minor or major, and whether or not you should seek medical attention? Mayoclinic.org provides the following information for classification:

Call 911 or seek immediate care for major burns, which:

  • Are deep
  • Cause the skin to be dry and leathery
  • May appear charred or have patches of white, brown or black
  • Are larger than 3 inches (about 8 centimeters) in diameter or cover the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or a major joint

A minor burn that doesn’t require emergency care may involve:

  • Superficial redness similar to a sunburn
  • Pain
  • Blisters
  • An area no larger than 3 inches (about 8 centimeters) in diameter

If you need immediate assistance, call 911.

In honor of Burn Awareness Week, work on making habits of safe practices to avoid burn injuries.

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