Wound care ointment burn type effect

Firstly, it can quickly relieve the burning pain caused by burns; secondly, it can form a physical barrier on the wound surface to block the invasion of external germs and pollutants; thirdly, it can provide a suitable moist healing environment for the wound surface, accelerate tissue repair and reduce the probability of scarring. It is much more targeted than ordinary antibiotic ointments and household scald ointments, and is currently the preferred external preparation for clinical home care of mild to moderate burns.

When I was helping out in the emergency department of a community hospital two years ago, in the summer I encountered many patients who had been splashed by barbecue sparks, scalded with boiling water, or fried with cooking oil. Many of them came with a thick layer of toothpaste or half-smeared erythromycin on the back of their hands, grimacing in pain, and some even smeared colored soy sauce. The doctors had to work hard to clean the wounds, but they suffered a lot for nothing.

Oh, by the way, there are two opinions in the industry about whether to apply ointment immediately after a burn. One group believes that the first priority after a burn is to cool down thoroughly with running cold water for 15-20 minutes. Do not apply any ointment to avoid suffocating the heat to aggravate the injury. The other group believes that after cooling is completed, burn care ointment containing mild local anesthetic ingredients (such as low-concentration lidocaine and menthol) should be applied immediately. The analgesic effect can last for 2-3 hours, and is much less irritating to the wound than subsequent repeated ice applications. The most typical example I have encountered is a delivery boy. When he was delivering orders in the summer, the electric car battery leaked and burned the outside of his calf. After running cold water, the pain was still so painful that he broke out in a cold sweat and could not even ride a bicycle. After applying ointment to him, about seven or eight minutes later, he said that 80% of the pain was gone, and he could ride to the dressing point to change the dressing without any problem.

As for the barrier effect, anyone who has actually used it can feel that it is different from ordinary ointments. Ordinary erythromycin ointment or the old-fashioned scald ointment will either become sticky and stick to the clothes after being applied, but it will all fall off when it comes into contact with water, which is equivalent to applying it in vain. There are generally two types of burn-type care ointments. The ointment type is suitable for shallow first-degree wounds with little exudation and has just healed. It has strong water-locking properties and will not immediately become ineffective even if it is occasionally exposed to water. The hydrogel type is more suitable for shallow second-degree wounds with blisters and lots of exudation. It will not stick to the new granulation tissue and will not cause secondary injury when it is pulled off when changing the dressing. There was a mother who accidentally burned the back of her hand while preparing milk powder for her baby. Several large blisters appeared. After being opened, there was a lot of exudation. The baby cried heartbrokenly when she used ordinary ointment to change the dressing. After switching to the hydrogel type, the dressing change was basically no fuss, and it healed in less than a week.

When it comes to accelerating repair, we have to mention the old concept that many people still have - they think that wounds need to be left to dry and scab to heal quickly. In fact, for burn wounds, hard scab is one of the "culprits" of scarring. Dry and hard scabs will pull on the growing new tissue, and can easily trap dirt and cause infection, which in turn will make healing slower. Burn care ointment can maintain the humidity of the wound at just the right level. It will not be too wet to damage the skin, nor will it be too dry to cause scabs. I once met a college student who suffered two small wounds on his face due to sparks during the New Year fireworks. At first, he was afraid of leaving scars and left them open every day. After the thick scabs fell off, they left two red marks that did not go away for three months. Later, after applying the burn care ointment for less than a month, the red marks were almost invisible and no scars were left. Of course, this does not mean that dry healing is completely wrong. If it is just a small spot as big as a needle tip due to oil splashing, it is not even a shallow one. It can be cured by letting it dry for two days, so there is no need to apply medicine specially.

However, it must be made clear that this ointment is not a panacea. If the burn area is larger than the size of your own palm, or it is a third-degree burn where the skin is white and painless after being burned, don't think about applying the ointment yourself and go to the hospital immediately. If you delay, it may cause serious trouble. To put it bluntly, this is a "buff set" tailor-made for burn wounds. It can relieve pain, prevent infection, and promote repair in one step. If used correctly for small-area mild and moderate burns, it can really save you a lot of suffering, and you don't have to worry about leaving scars every day.