Burn Treatment: First Aid and Care

Guide to evaluating burn severity and providing appropriate emergency first aid and medical care.

10 min readLast updated: 2026-02-17

Quick Facts

Severity
Determined by depth, extent, and location
First Aid
Cool burn immediately; remove jewelry; cover with clean cloth
Seek Care
Medical evaluation needed for 2nd/3rd degree or extensive 1st degree burns

Overview: Burn Injury Assessment and Treatment

Burns vary dramatically in severity based on depth, body surface area affected, location, and victim age. Immediate appropriate treatment prevents complications and optimizes healing .

Understanding burn severity guides appropriate care level and transport decisions.

Key Information
First-degree burns affect outer skin layer only; are painful, red, and not blistered; heal within 1-2 weeks. Second-degree burns involve blistering and deeper layers; are very painful; heal in 2-3 weeks with scarring possible. Third-degree burns are full-thickness; appear white/charred; are painless due to nerve damage; require skin grafting.

Initial Burn Response

Stop the burning process immediately: remove from heat source, extinguish flames, or remove burning clothing. Call emergency services for significant burns or burns on face, hands, feet, joints, or genitals. Cool the burn with cool (not cold) water for 10-20 minutes to reduce pain and tissue damage .

Wound Care

Remove jewelry and tight items before swelling occurs. Cover the burn with clean, dry cloth (not ice, which causes tissue damage). Do not apply ointments, butter, oils, or other substances. Cover with sterile dressing; change dressings daily. Pain management with appropriate analgesia supports care participation.

Infection Prevention

Keep burn clean to prevent infection. Watch for signs of infection: increasing pain, swelling, redness, drainage, or fever. Tetanus vaccination status should be reviewed; booster may be needed.

Warning
Third-degree or extensive burns require emergency medical transport. Smoke inhalation can occur with severe burns; watch for respiratory distress. Do not attempt treating large or full-thickness burns at home; these require specialized hospital burn center care and skin grafting.
Clinical Note
Healing is supported by adequate nutrition, hydration, and pain management. Compression garments and scar management reduce long-term appearance. Physical therapy restores function. Psychological support addresses trauma from serious burns and disfigurement concerns.

When to Seek Medical Care

Seek immediate emergency care for burns involving face, hands, feet, joints, genitals, or buttocks. Third-degree burns always require specialized care. Second-degree burns larger than 3 inches need evaluation. Thermal injuries from chemicals, electricity, or explosion require emergency assessment.

Sources

  1. [1]James SL et al.. "Thermal Burns in Children and Adults." Burns, 2016.
  2. [2]American Academy of Dermatology. "First Aid for Thermal Injuries." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2015.

Medically reviewed by

Medical Review Team, Emergency Medicine

Last updated: 2026-02-17Sources: 2

The content on Medical Atlas is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider.