Thermal injuries (burns and scalds)

Unfortunately, accidents involving burns (caused by fire or contact with hot surfaces) or scalds (with hot liquids) can quickly occur in an unobserved moment, especially in infants and young children.

Rapid cooling with lukewarm water and good pain therapy are important for initial treatment. If blisters form, they should be covered with a clean cloth and a medical consultation is then necessary.

Depending on the depth of the injury, the wound is cleaned and a dressing is applied when the patient presents at the UKBB. Depending on the situation, sedation may be required. It is therefore helpful if the child is sober at this time.

Wounds that have blistered require regular dressing changes. Close monitoring is carried out with regular dressing changes until the wounds have healed. If this is the case within less than two weeks, scarring is not to be expected. Apart from good skin care, no further treatment is required.

If a wound does not heal within two weeks, scars are to be expected. Sometimes they do not heal on their own and an autologous skin transplant is necessary. Once the wounds have healed, it is necessary to wear customised compression garments for at least a year after the accident in order to reduce scarring. Surgical scar corrections may also be necessary as the patient grows.

When treating thermal injuries, we work very closely with the Centre for Burn Injured Children at the Children's Hospital Zurich.