Saved by a Shark! There’s a phrase you don’t hear very often (or ever in my case!) but for Erin McNeill this phrase became true! The young woman had been stopping at a friend’s house when a fire broke out and she suffered serious burns, being admitted in to intensive care for treatment at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She had suffered severe burns to 40% of her body with fourth degree burns sustained to her right arm.
Burn treatments have been revolutionized over the years but none more so though than now. A synthetic skin has been developed using extracts of shark cartilage. The skin is used as a protective layer and can be left in place for several months. This allows the surgeons to take multiple skin grafts from the same site but it can be done a little at a time.
The results of the new ‘skin’ have been positive and appear to result in less scarring and much quicker healing times. The only downside is the cost – approx £10,000.00 for an A4 size piece!
So, if you haven’t go £10,000.00 stashed away in your back pocket, how else can you treat a burn to try and get the best healing effect?
The first and most important thing to remember is that the area needs to be cooled down quickly as possible. The most effective way to do this is by placing the burn under/in cold water for at least 10 minutes.
If the burn is not cooled down the heat will continue to radiate to the surrounding skin and cause further burning.
DO NOT apply any creams or ointments as it could irritate the burn further, especially if the area has not been cooled down. This can be even more serious if you apply creams to open wound burns as it could cause infection.
If the burn victim requires further medical assistance you should wrap a clean, damp, non-fluffy towel around the burn. A dry towel that is not damp will stick to the burn and potentially cause more damage. Ideally, the burn should be wrapped in clean cling film if possible but do not wrap the area too tightly as this restrict the blood flow to and around the area.
Other common symptoms to look out for with burn injuries are:
- Dehydration – keep giving the victim small sips of water
- Drop in body temperature – provide a blanket to keep them warm
- Shock – lay the victim down and elevate their legs, again keeping them warm until help arrives.
