First-Aid for Common Outdoor Injuries (Summer 2002)
Whether you are camping with the whole family or just with a few friends, accidents can happen when you least expect them. If you take a minute to read the following information, it could help keep you and your fellow campers safe.
Infected wounds are a major cause of camping trips ending sooner than planned. Treating scrapes and abrasions right away will decrease the chance that an infection will occur, allowing you to enjoy the rest of your trip. Grove City Medical Center Emergency Department Medical Director, Matthew Glenn, D.O., notes that the following steps should be taken to correctly cleanse and treat a wound.
- Wash your hands before and after tending to a wound.
- Rinse the wound with fresh clean water to flush out debris.
- Using a clean cloth or gauze, put pressure on the wound to stop any bleeding.
- Also, elevate the wound above the heart to assist in reducing the flow of blood to the wound.
- Clean the area around the injury with soap and water, Betadine, or antibiotic ointment, but avoid getting any solution inside the wound as it may slow down the healing process.
- Leave the wound open to the air unless there is a chance that you’ll be exposing it to dirt; in which case, bandage the wound loosely allowing air to get in.
If you detect signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, redness up the arm, or drainage from the wound, contact your primary care physician or the nearest hospital immediately. Also, if the wound is deep, or won’t stop bleeding, or has edges that won’t come together, seek medical attention.
Another common problem that campers are faced with are burns, whether it be from the sun or the campfire. There are some very important dos and don’ts when it comes to treating a burn.
There are three different types of burns and each one is treated differently.
- First degree or superficial burn – usually sunburn; appears red and turns white if you press on it; heals by itself in 3-6 days and hospitalization is required only if fever, dehydration, or uncontrollable pain develops.
- Second degree or partial thickness burn – involves the entire top layer of skin and some of the second layer of skin; painful blisters may appear or skin may become dry and turn pearly white.
- Third degree or full thickness burn – involves destruction of both the first and second layers of skin; skin appears dry with a dark or leathery appearance.
The most immediate treatment for second and third degree burns is to stop the burn from progressing. Clothing saturated with hot substances should be removed at once, and the affected skin area placed in cold water. If done within the first minute or so, cold-water immersion for up to 30 minutes can reduce both the total area involved and the depth of the burn.
Once these immediate measures have been taken, there are two treatment goals: relief of pain and healing without scarring or infection.
For first degree burns, over-the-counter pain relievers and skin moisturizers should provide some relief.
For second degree burns, follow these simple steps:
- Make sure the area of all blisters is no larger than the size of your palm.
- Leave intact blisters alone, they protect the skin from further infection.
- If the blister has burst, remove dead skin with gentle washing and sterile tweezers.
- Apply gauze with petroleum for the non-stick first layer.
- Apply dry gauze as a second layer to absorb moisture oozing from the wound.
- Apply a rolled gauze wrap as the final layer holding the other gauze in place.
For third degree burns, follow the instructions for immediate treatment above and call for emergency medical assistance or get to the nearest hospital immediately.
Do not put butter, oil, lotions, or powder on the burn, this is a myth! The truth is that any type of oil is bad for a burn since the oil traps heat and adds to the burning process.
Following these simple steps for treating scrapes, abrasions, and burns should hopefully prevent you from unnecessary infection and from becoming an unhappy camper.
