The Yanjiao explosion accident sounded the alarm: knowing burn first aid knowledge in advance can "save lives"

On March 13, an explosion occurred in a shop in a residential area in Yanjiao, Hebei Province. As of around 2 p.m., the accident caused many casualties.

What keywords do you think of when you think of explosions? Maybe fire, burns, or first aid, firefighters...

In fact, burns are a global public health problem. According to the World Health Organization, about 180,000 people die from burns every year worldwide. China is a country with a high incidence of burns. According to incomplete statistics, about 26 million people suffer from burns of varying degrees every year.

Why do burns happen so frequently? How to provide scientific first aid after a burn? How can a severely burned patient recover from the fire? Let's explore the answers to these questions.

Various causes of burns

First of all, everyone should know that in addition to flames, various hot water, steam, acid, alkali, phosphorus, electric current and radiation can also cause burns when acting on the human body.

As for the specific causes of burns, they are even more varied. Every year, burns caused by gas explosions account for the majority. For example, in 2020, there were 539 gas safety accidents in 29 provinces in China, resulting in 88 deaths and 496 injuries.

Construction sites, factories and other construction sites are also places where burns are common. For example, burns caused by gas explosions, methylbenzene explosions, gasoline barrel explosions, etc., and burns caused by sparks splashing onto clothes during welding...

In addition, there are various accidental burns. Some people were burned due to careless operation when chanting sutras and burning paper money, some were burned due to fires in electric vehicles; and some were burned due to the explosion of alcohol stoves during dinner parties.

Similar burn accidents occur frequently, which not only sounded the alarm for safety, but also reminded us of the importance of providing timely on-site first aid according to the severity of the burns.

Classification of burn severity

Our skin is divided into two layers from the outside to the inside: the epidermis and the dermis. Below the dermis are the subcutaneous tissue, muscle fascia and bone tissue.

The depth of burns is generally judged by the three-degree four-point method, namely first-degree burns (Ⅰ degree), shallow second-degree burns (shallow Ⅱ degree), deep second-degree burns (deep Ⅱ degree) and third-degree burns (Ⅲ degree).

First-degree burns only damage the superficial layer of the epidermis. The skin at the burn site is red, without blisters, and there is slight pain.

Superficial second-degree burns have damaged the epidermis and superficial dermis, and may cause swelling, blisters, and be very painful;

Deep second-degree burns extend into the deep dermis, with dull pain sensation and often scar hyperplasia.

Third degree burns include destroying all your skin layers, even damaging the subcutaneous tissue and extending to the underlying muscles or bones. The wound surface is waxy white or burnt yellow, or even charred, and there is no pain. Scars are often formed after healing, often causing deformities, which is really terrible!

The depth of the burn combined with the area of ​​the burn can determine the severity of the burn.

Mild burns : second-degree burns with an area less than 10%;

Moderate burns : second-degree burns covering 11% to 30% of the body area, or third-degree burns covering less than 10% of the body area;

Severe burns : total burn area is 31% to 50%, or third-degree burn area is 11% to 20%;

Extremely severe burns : the total burn area is more than 50%, or the third-degree burn area is more than 20%.

First aid for burns

Once an accident occurs, remember three principles for on-site first aid: rush, cover, and go.

First flush: Rinse the wound with running cold water for 20-30 minutes as soon as possible;

Second cover: Cover the wound with a clean cloth;

Third way: For first-degree burns, that is, when there is no damage to the skin, the patient can treat it at home; otherwise, especially severe burns, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible and ask a professional doctor to treat it.

In addition, remember! If the flames are on your body, do not run or shout. Instead, put out the flames with water or lie down and roll on the ground to put out the flames. Do not apply ice, toothpaste, soy sauce, wood ash, etc. These so-called folk remedies may cause greater infection.

How do patients with severe burns rise from the ashes?

Unfortunately, those severely burned patients sent to the ICU have to go through many stages of treatment, including the early stages of anti-shock, anti-infection, wound repair, and later stages of rehabilitation. Losing their appearance or even limbs is certainly very painful, and what they need is not only the unswerving support of their families and the careful treatment of medical staff, but also a psychological "role change" in order to start a new life better.

We often say that we should be prepared for danger in times of peace. If we want to reduce the occurrence of burn tragedies, in addition to mastering first aid knowledge in advance, we also need to prevent and control them in our daily lives, pay attention to the management of fire sources, electrical safety, fire safety, etc., and these require the efforts of everyone.