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Burns: what to do and what never to do

The first twenty minutes decide whether a burn leaves a scar: cool running water stops the damage going deeper. Everything your grandmother recommended — oil, sour cream, toothpaste — makes it worse. Two things tell you whether a doctor is needed: the area and the location.

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What to do right now

Cool water for 15–20 minutes
Running, cool, not ice-cold. This is the only measure that genuinely reduces the depth of a burn. Remove rings and watches before swelling starts.
Do not pull off stuck clothing
Cut around fabric that has adhered to the burn rather than tearing it away.
Cover with something clean
A sterile dressing or freshly ironed cloth, loosely, without cotton wool.
Pain relief
Paracetamol or ibuprofen in the usual dose. Drink water.
Estimate the area
The patient’s palm equals 1 % of body surface. More than 5 % in a child or 10 % in an adult means hospital.

Call an ambulance if

Burns to the face, neck, hands, feet, joints or genitals — of any size
Area larger than 5 % in a child or 10 % in an adult
White, grey or charred skin without pain — a deep burn
Airway burn: hoarseness, coughing, soot in the nose after a fire
Electrical or chemical burns
Any burn in a baby under one year

What not to do

Do not apply oil, sour cream, cream or toothpaste — they retain heat and introduce infection
Do not open blisters
Do not apply ice
Do not put powders on a chemical burn — only prolonged running water

What the crew does

Assessment of depth and area, pain relief including strong analgesics
Wound care and dressings, anti-shock infusion for large burns
Oxygen and readiness to intubate for airway burns
Admission to a burns centre: in Moscow, adults to Sklifosovsky and City Hospital 36, children to Speransky Hospital

This page is for information and does not replace a medical examination. If the condition worsens, call the crew: +7 (985) 887-82-52.

This page in Russian: Russian version.

Questions

What should I put on a burn at home?

After cooling, a dexpanthenol product for a first-degree burn. Blisters and open wounds need dressings only, no ointments, until a doctor sees them.

How much does a call-out for a burn cost in Moscow?

Call-out 6,000 ₽ inside the MKAD; wound care and dressing by the price list; transport by the tariff if admission is required.

A child spilled hot tea — straight to hospital?

First 15 minutes under running water, then assess the area. Larger than the child’s palm, on the face, hands or genitals, or with blisters — call a crew or go to the children’s burns centre.