Regarding this issue, Master, Doctor Pham Duy Linh, Department of Plastic Surgery (Duc Giang General Hospital) answered as follows: Burns are common injuries in daily life. Burn injuries are very diverse and complex. Therefore, the consequences they leave for patients are very severe, especially burns in some special locations, if not treated properly, can lead to disability.

Recently, Duc Giang General Hospital treated a patient with an infected burn wound on his left hand due to previous incorrect treatment. The patient was admitted to the hospital with an infected burn wound on his left hand, with a lot of yellow fluid and dirty pseudomembranes. The patient was examined, ordered paraclinical tests to help rule out associated injuries and finally diagnosed with an infected skin defect on the back of the hand (T) due to burns and incorrect treatment.

Doctors at Hung Vuong General Hospital treat a child with burn injuries. Photo: VNA

The patient said that about a month before, he had been burned by boiling water (broth). He went to a friend's house in the village to treat the injury, and was given an unknown medicine to apply to his hand. He went there every day to have the bandages changed and cared for. However, the injury became more and more complicated, infected, and the yellow pus discharge became worse. At that time, the patient went to Duc Giang General Hospital for treatment.

After stabilizing the patient's general condition, the doctors performed surgery to clean the lesion. The patient was treated and cared for, with daily wound dressing changes. After 7 days of treatment, the wound condition improved, the infection was gone, the granulation tissue was red and clean. The patient will need another surgery to close the defect and restore full hand function. In this case, if the patient was not hospitalized promptly and treated actively, it would lead to a severe infection, penetrating deep into the tendons and muscles and destroying the left hand more severely, and leading to blood poisoning.

Therefore, when burned by boiling water, you should quickly soak the burned skin in clean, cold water to clean the wound to avoid infection, then rinse gently with cool water. This will help soothe the wound, avoid pain, swelling, and the burn will not be further damaged. Then use gauze or a small clean cloth to bandage the burned skin, avoiding contact with dirt. Finally, quickly transfer the burned person to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment. Absolutely do not apply tobacco, herbal medicine... of unknown origin on the burned area, because it will make the burn more severe and more infected.

Health-related questions should be sent to the “Your Doctor” section, Economic-Social-Internal Affairs Editorial Department, People’s Army Newspaper, 8 Ly Nam De, Hang Ma, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Email: [email protected], [email protected]. Phone: 0243.8456735.

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