How to Treat Hot Water Burns

Hot water or hot liquid burns are a common occurrence in the holidays especially when the little ones are at home.

Immediate treatment should always consist of running the affected part under running water for 5-10 minutes. This allows the residual heat in the tissues to dissipate.

Newer dressings technology means that superficial and some partial thickness burns can be treated with a clean of the burn area and application of a synthetic epidermal substitute which then does not need changing. This means no daily dressings, resulting in less trauma for children especially.

The synthetic layer then peels off by itself as the underlying skin heals.

The outer bandages can be changed at office visits with no pain.

It certainly has changed my practice of burn management.