Question
This afternoon, a child’s foot was unfortunately scalded by boiling water, and the parent immediately had the child soak in cold water to relieve the pain. However, the parent is confused about the duration of soaking. Can you continue to soak in water after a burn?
Answer
When dealing with a fresh burn, soaking in water is to cool the wound, prevent residual heat from damaging deeper skin tissues, and alleviate pain. Once the pain subsides, there is no need for prolonged soaking. After a burn, you should immediately remove clothing and socks, and soak the unaffected wound in cold water for about half an hour, followed by gently wiping the wound with sesame oil or rapeseed oil. For large blisters formed by second-degree burns, you can use a sterilized needle to puncture the edges of the blister and gently rinse it. After applying burn ointment, you can wrap and secure the blister appropriately. For third-degree burns, cover the wound with clean fabric and seek medical treatment promptly. Do not