When a child gets burned...

When a child gets burned...

Do not take chances when a young child suffers burns on his or her body.

If in doubt, just rush the child down to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit of the nearest hospital.

That was the advice given by general practitioner (GP) Dr Muhammad Iqmal Abdullah who runs Wan Medical Clinic.

He said: "A young child needs immediate attention if the burn is on vulnerable parts of the body like the genitals, mouth, face and neck - especially at places that can swell up and affect breathing.

"The severity and size of the burn are important too. A young child that has a third degree burn on more than five per cent of the total body surface area has to be sent to the A&E immediately."

He also said that GPs like him can assess burns and treat minor ones.

In the event of a burn, he advised placing the affected part under a running tap for about 10 minutes to cool the area down before seeking medical attention.

CEO of the Singapore First Aid Training Centre, Mr Edwin Leong, said that after cooling the affected area with room temperature water, constrictive materials like bracelets and watches must also be taken off.

That's because the skin can swell up and such accessories can cut into the skin.


Get The New Paper for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.