When To Seek Medical Help For A Burn; Tulsa Medical Experts Offer Guide Ahead Of Thanksgiving

Lecresia Lane works as a nurse in the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest Medical Center- the only facility of its kind in Tulsa.

As a nurse, she sees lots of burn patients, but she says she sees more at Thanksgiving time, largely because holidays mean… a crowded cooking area.

“They’re focused on family time and then when they get into the kitchen, things get laxed,” she said.

You might have too many dishes in the oven or too many pots on the stove and it could be easy to forget how hot they are.

“When you’re reaching in the oven and you're trying to bast and it just kind of splatters out or contact burn when you're grabbing a hot lid or a hot pot handle,” she said.

Depending on the degree of your injury, it may not look bad at first so it can be easy to ignore. But Lane stresses the importance of getting that wound treated.

“It’s highly advised to be seen so as soon as it happens, please call 911 or come to the nearest emergency facility to be seen, because just the outside doesn’t get the full understanding of what the wound bed is,” she said.

She says you can treat it at home.

“To treat the burn at home, please rinse with tap water for five to ten minutes and wrap it with a clean sheet,” she said.

Lane also encourages a safe cooking environment for kids by advising parents to keep them at least 3 feet from hot appliances.

“When they’re in the kitchen, make sure that you’re keeping an eye on all small children for one, and don’t leave them alone in the kitchen,” Lane said.

Because at the end of the day, you want to have a nice dinner with your loved ones, not a trip to the emergency room.

Doctors say second-degree burns that are larger than 3 inches mean you should go to the hospital. Any burn that is white, leathery, and dry means you should seek medical care immediately.