I posted earlier about my son falling into some smoldering leaves and burned his wrist and hand. The blisters have popped and the hand is definitely swollen. I have an appointment this evening, but in the mean time do I just still keep cool compresses on it? I have unwrapped it and the air is "breathing" onto it.
Also, I have been keeping Tylenol in him, can I give him Motrin too? He is saying how bad it hurts :(
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Call the doctor back and ask if he can wait or if he needs to be seen sooner. If he's in a lot of pain (burns HURT), maybe it's time to consider the ER. Do you have any aloe?
First of all, the wound needs to be debrided. This is a very painful procedure and will be more difficult the more time passes after the injury.
Secondly, you can alternate Tylenol and Motrin to get him through the worst parts. For instance, if you give Tylenol at Noon, you can't give another dose until 8pm. So at 4 pm, you give him Motrin, 8pm Tylenol, midnight back to Motrin, and so on. This is most often recommended to get fevers under control, but your son's pain also needs to be managed. Do you have Lanacaine? It was very helpful when my husband had second degree sunburn and was blistered and oozing all over the place.... Sorry. PTSD. :-/
If your doctor's office doesn't call in the next half an hour, I would take my kid to their office and let them see his burn and the pain he is in and tell me and him we have to wait. Call their bluff. On the phone, then can't tell the difference between an overly cautions proxy-hypochondriac and an actual urgent case. Show and tell is always powerful.
Good luck to both of you.
If the doctor can't get him in now, I would take him to the ER. I'm sure it does hurt! When I burn myself witht he curling iron it hurts like the devil. I can only imagine. I would also be concerned about infection now since the blisters have popped. He has open wounds and hands tend to get dirty. Poor kid and poor mom!
oh my honey, i would take him to the ER now. if he is telling you it hurts really bad, he needs to go in. i would be afraid of staph infection getting in there if the blisters have popped and are open. they might be able to give him a low dose of pain meds to ease his pain. I know when i burn my forehead or even finger with my flat iron or the hot iron, that HURTS! i cannot imagine his hand with blisters! Do not mix Tylenol and Motrin together. When the Tylenol is out of his system, switch to Motrin.
You can call any pharmacy and talk to a professional on how to medicate him.
keep it wrapped! The oxygen in the air makes burns hurt so much worse! and dries them out and make it too tight. so if you have some gauze strips, you can cove it with that would make it much more comfortable. it will still hurt, but not as severely.
Sounds like he has a 2nd degree burn. You may want to use sterile scissors and cut away the dead skin, to prevent infection. Hopefully the Doc will prescribe a Silver Sulfadiazine topical ointment. Until then you can use a zinc oxide or 100% aloe to cover it aseptically (with a sterile tool not fingers) and then wrap it.
Good luck!
Oh and after it all heals, you will want to keep sunscreen on it at all times for about a year. That is where a lot of the discoloring scaring comes from.
Poor little guy, I don't really have other advice then just call the doctor back and see if you can come sooner, it shouldn't take much of their time to see his burns and perhaps give you a prescription.
On the main time all I can think is cold water if he can tolerate that, when I have burn my self (cooking) it has help me.
I would go to the er.
Oh poor thing. I am with the others wait till the next dose for tylenol is due then give him motrin. Motrin is an anti infamitory so if it's swolen it might help more for that and pain the tylenol. If he's in that much pain though I would either call the dr's office and see if they can get or work him in sooner or take him to the er or urgent care.
Good luck and God Bless!!
First and foremost, burns are very serious business. You should head to the local ER or urgent care clinic right now. This is something that can lead to PERMANENT SCARRING AND PAIN for the rest of your son's life.
The longer you wait, the hard it can be to treat.
Yes, you can mix Tylenol and Motrin. Just keep in mind that Tylenol lasts for about 4 hours and Motrin lasts for 6-8. So be sure you keep track of when it's given so you don't overdose him on Motrin.
Now, PLEASE, get him to the ER!!!
Be careful how much Tylenol you give him and please don't mix it with another pain killer. Once you are able to give another dose of Tylenol switch it to the Motrin or Advil. I would continue the cool compresses they should give some comfort.
I have had burns like this before and they hurt the most the first day. Poor kid :(
Blistering means he's got at least a 2nd degree burn and I really hope it's not a 3rd degree.
Either way, it's very painful and this is going to take awhile to get over.
If the doctor can't see him sooner than this evening, get him to an Urgent Care or ER right away.
He might need a booster tetanus shot
Cooling compresses might help if he can't keep it immersed in clean cool water.
If it's swelling, have him elevate his hand over his head every so often.
