Pediatric Burn Treatment Q&A

Burns can vary a lot in severity. There are many different kinds of burns that cannot be treated at home —emergency care at the ER (emergency room) is the only option for such burns, as they may be serious and life-threatening. Take first-aid measures, call 911, and go to the ER if a burn:

● Is in the airway
● Causes difficulty with breathing
● Covers a large part of the body, a major joint of the body, the face, the hands, the feet, the groin, or the buttocks
● Affects the deeper parts of the skin or the deep tissues
● Makes the skin look like it’s leathery
● Has a charred appearance or looks like there are black, brown, or white patches
● Was caused by electricity or a chemical
● Worsens over time

If a burn doesn’t have any of the qualities above, then you may be able to treat the burn yourself or visit us instead. 

For a common, minor burn, it will usually take three to six days for it to go away. Some burns can take longer to heal, even up to three weeks, and serious, life-threatening burns can take longer to heal even after they’re treated at the ER.

Minor burns can be treated at our clinic so they’ll heal more quickly. To prevent infection and other complications, you should definitely visit a pediatrician if:

● There are signs of infection, like redness, swelling, increased pain, or oozing from the wound
● The burn or a blister is large or doesn’t heal in two weeks
● There are any new, unexplained symptoms
● There is significant scarring

If none of the qualities above are present, then it may be possible to treat the burn at home, but professional treatment can still speed up recovery as well as reduce pain and prevent complications.

Many minor burns can be treated at home, but again, professional treatment can help with the pain and healing. Icing isn’t a good idea, as it can cause further tissue damage. Instead, you should:

● Remove any tight items from around the area before the area swells
● Cool the burn by holding it under cool, not cold, running water, or by applying a cool and wet compress to the area
● Avoid breaking blisters (if a blister breaks, clean the area and call us at our clinic before applying any kind of ointment)
● Apply a lotion (like one with aloe vera, or a moisturizer) after the burn has cooled completely
● Bandage the burn with a sterile gauze bandage (wrap it loosely)
● Consider pain medication
● Consider a tetanus shot for your child

Minor burns can be treated by our clinic with medication, wound dressings, burn creams/ointments, drugs that fight infection, and possibly other simple treatments. We can provide any of these treatments and more right here at All Better Pediatrics!

We do! All Better Pediatrics offers pediatric burn treatment near you. We are located at 1102 Brookfield Road, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38119. We hope you’ve found all this information useful, and we look forward to seeing you and your child soon! For more information, contact us or request an appointment online. We serve patients from Memphis TN, Germantown TN, Bartlett TN, Cordova TN, Collierville TN, Oakville TN, and Lenow TN.