Second-degree burn on fingers - why does webmd say seek med care?

[DisneyMissy318]

I burned the back of my ring finger on the oven rack a few months ago-400 degree oven burns through skin quickly . The skin basically sizzled off immediately and was extremely painful.

I highly suggest calling the area drugstores to see if anyone carries a product called Water Jel or Burn Jel http://www.waterjel.com/consumer-products/burn-jel-plus/. The paramedics at the amusement park I used to work at recommended it. I once burned my hand with freshly brewed coffee at the park. The EMTs lathered my hand in Water Jel and then wrapped it LOOSELY in gauze. I was then instructed to keep my hand in a bowl/bucket of clean cool water for as many hours as I could to help "pull" the heat out of the burn. I kept my hand in water continuously for about 5 hours that night, changing the water when it was no longer cool. Not only was there no pain the next day, but there was no redness or anything to indicate I had been burned.

After the oven rack burn I used the same method with the Water Jel, but I was only able to keep it in water for about an hour since it was midnight when I burned it. I slathered on a ton of the gel before loosely wrapping in dry gauze and going to bed. It did help with the pain, though this burn was much worse and I wasn't able to soak for as long, so it didn't provide as much relief as before. I continued to use the Water Jel every day until the burn healed. You can barely tell there is a scar there and it's only been a couple of months.

Ever since that first bad burn, I always keep a bottle of Water Jel on hand just in case. I *think* it is aloe vera based, but then they add lidocaine for pain relief, along with tea tree oil and I'm not sure what else. If you can't find the Water Jel, at least get some 100% real aloe vera gel to coat the burn (you might have to look at a health food store for the 100% stuff).

I had a steam burn on the back of my hand at Thanksgiving. Pretty sure it was 2nd with blisters, etc. I used aloe and the cold water method. I even slept with my hand in a bucket of water. For the first couple of hours, pulling my hand out of the water was painful - but by the next day it was less so. I think the water really does the trick.

 

[AmyAnne]

Thanks to everyone who posted -- I realize this this morning that the disboard budget forum was a pretty strange place to post about the burn, but it is the forum I have been reading most lately, and you all seem very nice.

The good news is that my hand does not hurt at all this morning, and the blisters are still intact. I understand now about the risk of infection and scarring, so I will head to the dr if there is any sign of infection.

I will say that I have a new understanding of the painfulness of a burn. It was probably the third-most physically painful kind of experience I have had, at least as an adult (after the kids and a herniated disc). And my injury is really small--two fingers and a small part of my palm. It hurt horribly for many hours, and the only thing that helped was keeping it in water. (I did not try any other home remedies like mustard or honey or tinfoil--about midnight I was desperate enough but DH was very opposed, so I stuck with water.) By about 2 am (almost 10 hours after the burn) it was better enough to wrap in a wet towel and go to sleep.

And this morning there is no pain at all

Thanks again to everyone who posted--I really appreciate it.

 

[ryalluvdiz]

When got a bad burn across my whole forearm from reaching across a hot toaster, i actually slept with it in a cool shallow pan of water..... By the next morning the pain was almost gone. Glad you are feeling better!

 

[pocomom]

I did the same thing by taking a Dutch oven out of a 450 degree oven with no mitts. I did go to urgent care. They soaked my hands in cold water and referred me to a plastic surgeon. I had huge blisters on my thumbs, index fingers and ring fingers. The plastic surgeon said to let them heal and try not to let them pop. Infection is a big concern along with all of the nerves in your fingers. Think about how much you do with your hands. The primary care physician said I should expect sun sensitivity and scarring. By going to the plastic surgeon (who did not want me to use the silver cream the primary recommended), I followed his instructions by not letting the blisters pop and using Palmers Cocoa and Vitamin E cream, I have no scarring on my hands.

I did not use bandages on my hands during that time.

I did something similar- took a roasting pan with lid out of the 450 degree oven, then put oven mitts down and proceeded to take the lid off bare handed. My hand was wrapped around the lid handle and the pain sort of made me clench my hand harder instead of letting go immediately... I'm not one to go to the doctor but I went to the emergency room for that one. Still have a bit of a scar but barely notceable and all healed with no nerve problems or anything. After a few days I ended up wearing a glove over my bandages because with a baby at the time it was hard to keep everything clean and remember not to use my hand.
OP, feel better!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks to everyone who posted -- I realize this this morning that the disboard budget forum was a pretty strange place to post about the burn, but it is the forum I have been reading most lately, and you all seem very nice.

The good news is that my hand does not hurt at all this morning, and the blisters are still intact. I understand now about the risk of infection and scarring, so I will head to the dr if there is any sign of infection.

I'm glad you feel better. But...you feel *other* sensations in the burned area, yes? Touch, the feel of air across it, etc?

 

[1stDisneyCruiseForUs]

I recently spilled super hot bacon grease on my hand and got what was certainly a 2nd degree burn. It was excruciating. I did some research on at home cures and found a suggestion for applying diaper rash cream with zinc oxide so long as the skin hadn't broken. I had some "butt paste" from the kids and slathered it on overnight and covered lightly with gauze, and did it another 3x's the next day. The 2nd day it was gone completely and felt great. Crazy but worked beautifully.

 

[jmunutt]

I did something similar- took a roasting pan with lid out of the 450 degree oven, then put oven mitts down and proceeded to take the lid off bare handed. My hand was wrapped around the lid handle and the pain sort of made me clench my hand harder instead of letting go immediately... I'm not one to go to the doctor but I went to the emergency room for that one. Still have a bit of a scar but barely notceable and all healed with no nerve problems or anything. After a few days I ended up wearing a glove over my bandages because with a baby at the time it was hard to keep everything clean and remember not to use my hand.
OP, feel better!!!

That's interesting, mine was the exact opposite. I pulled the Dutch oven (sans lid) out of the preheated oven with mitts. Put the cool lid on and grabbed the dutch oven by both handles and put it in the oven. Hurt like the dickens! I was lucky, had just taken a massive does of antibiotics for my trip to the dentist that day (knee replacements needs antibiotic for any dentistry per my Dr.). Was thankful for the Vicodin that night the urgent care doc prescribed for pain :0)

 

[brittsmum1998]

I used a stainless wire pan on the barbecue grille least year. The cover was closed for about 15 minutes. I opened the grille and grabbed the handle of the pan with my thumb and two fingers. OMG the pain was horrible.

I looked on internet and they said colgate toothepaste. I put that on and sting was gone within 5 minutes, I slept with it on all areas. It didn't flake off during the night, but the next day I peeled it off, I had a couple pieces of "hard" skin but that went away within couple days.

That being said, I am an insulin dependant diabetic who is on Methotrexate and remicade and really need to be careful of infections.

Thankfully it left no scarring at all.

 

[Jewel3k]

From previous treatments of serious burns I have learned that keeping them moist with slight pressure will help them heal and decrease the scarring. Please make sure you coat it well in neosporin and put a bandaid over it to help prevent infection. Also don't be afraid to take anti-inflamitory drugs to help with the pain.

 

[jenn3456]

This sounds TOTALLY stupid, but wrap it in aluminum foil. I had a steam burn the length of my finger. The pain was so excruciating if I didn't have it in water that I couldn't even think. I kept reading that as a remedy online, so I decided to try it. I mean it couldn't get worse, right? Sure enough, within 30 minutes or so it quit hurting completely. I had a huge, nasty blister, but no pain. I swear by it now. My 3 year old gets jealous of my "sparkly finger." Lol!

Please don't do this!!! As a nurse, I have to tell you-it actually can get worse! The cold water feels so good on a burn because the burn has penetrated deep into the tissues and it will take a while to cool down. BY putting aluminum foil on the burn, you will actually allow it to continue to cook! The pain probably went away after a small amount of nerve damage was done! Please be careful.
The proper way to treat a burn is cold water over the affected area- not ice!! Definately not ointments because like the aluminum foil, they will cont to cook a burn. By going to the dr, they can give you a wonderful cream that will help with healing and pain and even pain pills if needed. Then can also follow it up to check for infection. A burn is very easily infected and can spread quite quickly!

OP- I am glad you are feeling better today!

 

[bumbershoot]

Definately not ointments because like the aluminum foil, they will cont to cook a burn.

Why on earth did the children's hospital ER put ointment on DS's burn, then?

I think there's quite a bit of wiggle room with burns, and some doctors do one thing while other doctors do others (and ALL feel they are right), and the wiggle room (and different experiences) is what causes such a vast array of answers on what to do. Not to mention the fact that humans have been dealing with burns for 1000s of years before western medicine showed up, so I have absolutely no problem with doing a more traditional burn care regimen. Humankind has more experience in this than any named profession.

The wiggle room also explains why webmd would say no ER for one sort of 2nd degree and yes ER for others. For DS's burn the first aid book I had said NO for adults, but YES to calling 911 for small children. Calling 911 for a water-burn on a 3 year old is a good way to get an apartment full of firemen/EMTs (same thing in my town, though if you get actual firefighters depends on who exactly answers the call) and a most excellent way at discovering the ways they have of determining how EXACTLY the wound happened. They said it would be a good idea to take him up to the kid's ER but didn't want to charge us for an ambulance ride (we get to pay for such things here, and the ER is literally a 5 minute car ride), so we drove him on up.

Where they put a thick ointment on it and covered it all up with bandages. After, of course, going through the process of determining, exactly, how it had happened.

 

[nhmommy]

Why on earth did the children's hospital ER put ointment on DS's burn, then?

I think there's quite a bit of wiggle room with burns, and some doctors do one thing while other doctors do others (and ALL feel they are right), and the wiggle room (and different experiences) is what causes such a vast array of answers on what to do. Not to mention the fact that humans have been dealing with burns for 1000s of years before western medicine showed up, so I have absolutely no problem with doing a more traditional burn care regimen. Humankind has more experience in this than any named profession.

The wiggle room also explains why webmd would say no ER for one sort of 2nd degree and yes ER for others. For DS's burn the first aid book I had said NO for adults, but YES to calling 911 for small children. Calling 911 for a water-burn on a 3 year old is a good way to get an apartment full of firemen/EMTs (same thing in my town, though if you get actual firefighters depends on who exactly answers the call) and a most excellent way at discovering the ways they have of determining how EXACTLY the wound happened. They said it would be a good idea to take him up to the kid's ER but didn't want to charge us for an ambulance ride (we get to pay for such things here, and the ER is literally a 5 minute car ride), so we drove him on up.

Where they put a thick ointment on it and covered it all up with bandages. After, of course, going through the process of determining, exactly, how it had happened.

The ointment was probably Silvadene which I'm sure I spelled wrong. The Silvadene pulls the heat out of the burn and is antibacterial but most ointments are petroleum based and they will hold the heat in. My DH was burned very badly over almost 50% of his body with grafting on his hands and an induced comma for weeks they put ointments on his face and a strange film on his arms and legs. When he came home they sent him home with a huge tub of the Silvadene.

 

[mm1971]

I will wait and see how it is tomorrow. I have been soaking it in cool water for almost five hours, and it still is very painful if I take it out. I am curious how much sleep I am going to get tonight.

I did put a wet cloth around the fingers immediately, but I didn't start soaing it until about 45 minutes after - I was afraid one of the kids or cats would step on a shard of glass, so cleaning up the mess was my first focus.

The biggest concern is infection and to treat the blisters. Keep the burned areas wrapped and if the blisters burst, make sure to use antibiotic cream to keep them clean.

 

[Leajess99]

Why on earth did the children's hospital ER put ointment on DS's burn, then?

I think there's quite a bit of wiggle room with burns, and some doctors do one thing while other doctors do others (and ALL feel they are right), and the wiggle room (and different experiences) is what causes such a vast array of answers on what to do. Not to mention the fact that humans have been dealing with burns for 1000s of years before western medicine showed up, so I have absolutely no problem with doing a more traditional burn care regimen. Humankind has more experience in this than any named profession.

The wiggle room also explains why webmd would say no ER for one sort of 2nd degree and yes ER for others. For DS's burn the first aid book I had said NO for adults, but YES to calling 911 for small children. Calling 911 for a water-burn on a 3 year old is a good way to get an apartment full of firemen/EMTs (same thing in my town, though if you get actual firefighters depends on who exactly answers the call) and a most excellent way at discovering the ways they have of determining how EXACTLY the wound happened. They said it would be a good idea to take him up to the kid's ER but didn't want to charge us for an ambulance ride (we get to pay for such things here, and the ER is literally a 5 minute car ride), so we drove him on up.

Where they put a thick ointment on it and covered it all up with bandages. After, of course, going through the process of determining, exactly, how it had happened.

Silvadine is a prescribed ointment specifically for burns. That is probably what they used. That is what they used on my uncle when the radiator exploded on him causing serious burns.

The no ointment recommendation is for the over the counter stuff as many of those actually cause the burn to continue burning deeper and can increase the risk of infection.

 

[Elmo9607]

I also spilled hot grease down my finger once...had a second degree burn all down my index finger. It was excruciating. I'm no stranger to burns on my hands but I went to the doctor after a couple days when I was concerned about the way it was healing. I had put regular ointment on it and it was still painful after a couple days. I was instructed to keep it bandaged, moist, and was given Silvadine. That stuff is miracle ointment, I swear.

Unfortunately, I have minor scarring, but I have full use of my finger.

 

[cheer25mom]

I'm glad you feel better. But...you feel *other* sensations in the burned area, yes? Touch, the feel of air across it, etc?

She may not, especially if the blisters are still in tact and that is ok. I worked my way through college in a dry cleaners, and had my share of 1st and 2nd degree steam burns. According to the docs who treated a couple of the more severe ones, it is ok to have reduced or absent sensation in a blistered area becuase the the layer of skin over the blister is dead or dying tissue.