Every year, thousands of children are admitted to hospital after sustaining burns in their homes. What makes this even more tragic is that a significant proportion of these burns could have been avoided. In this edition of the Medigarments Ltd blog, we look at some of the most common burn hazards.

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Unless otherwise specified, all of the statistics quoted in this article are taken from the International Burn Injury Database. As they only refer to children who were admitted to an NHS Burns Service and exclude those who were treated at Accident & Emergency departments, the true figure is sadly even higher.

Hot Drinks

On average, 30 children sustain a burn from a hot drink every single day. Data from the SafeTea campaign reveals that a shocking 60% of all paediatric burn attendances of children under the age of three years old are the result of a hot drink burn.

The Children's Burns Trust advises that hot drinks should always be kept well out of the reach of children and that one should never carry a hot drink while holding a baby. Hot drinks should never be passed from one person to another over the head of a child. A hot drink should not be placed on a table that has a tablecloth on it as a child could pull it and the hot drink onto themselves.

Radiators

The surface temperature of a standard radiator can reach a dangerous 75°C, which can cause a serious burn in a matter of mere seconds. In 2023, 160 children were admitted to NHS Burns Services after sustaining a burn from a hot radiator. You can protect children by installing a radiator cabinet or fireguard around radiators that they may have access to. Radiator pipes can also be a danger and so those at a low level should be appropriately insulated.

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Saucepans & Kettles

Among children, the most common place for an injury to occur is in the home and a notable majority of accidents happen in the kitchen; in fact, kitchen accidents are consistently in the top four locations in which children sustain burns. Saucepans being pulled off hobs by curious young hands are a particular problem, with 642 children being admitted to NHS Burns Services for this reason in 2023. Always keep saucepan handles turned inwards and use the back burners whenever possible.

Scalds from water in kettles are another issue; 446 children were admitted to NHS Burns Services in 2023 after sustaining burns in this way. Make sure that kettles are kept right at the back of work surfaces and that their cords are well out of reach. 

Effective Scar Management Solutions for Burn Recovery

Even after a burn has healed, the scars may remain for a lifetime. There are numerous ways of managing burn scars, Medigarments Ltd offers a superlative range of scar management products, such as treatment with silicone gel.

The application of silicone gel has been repeatedly proven by clinical evidence and observation to flatten and soften scars, reducing both the discolouration and discomfort of scarred skin. Silicone gel helps to hydrate the area while creating a barrier to protect the vulnerable scar. It also works to regulate the collagen that forms scar tissue.

ScarSil^® is made using ultra-pure silicone and is rich in vitamin C. The formula is as smooth as silk and glides effortlessly onto the skin. Super-gentle, ScarSil^® can be used safely on children and those with sensitive skin. Upon application to any part of the body, ScarSil^® dries rapidly, forming a protective, waterproof and completely invisible film. The skin beneath is protected from maceration and the potential for vascularity and pruritis is vastly reduced.

Another method, one that has been well documented in its effectiveness, is to wear pressure therapy garments such as those from the Jobskin® Premium and Jobskin® Classic collections. Designed, developed, and manufactured in the UK using Lycra^® fabric, these made-to-measure garments deliver constant, calculated pressure across the scar area, helping to achieve a positive patient outcome in terms of both functionality and aesthetic appearance.

The high quality Lycra^® allows the skin to breathe and stay at a cool, comfortable temperature, combining excellent finishing with unmatched cost-effectiveness. Our pressure therapy garments are designed to deliver optimum results in terms of both aesthetic and functional patient outcomes. Both Jobskin^® Premium and Jobskin^® Classic garments can be personalised from a wide selection of options to improve patient comfort and compliance.

Where can I buy ScarSil Silicone Gel?

ScarSil® is available to purchase directly from Medigarments Ltd in tubes of either 15ml or 30ml and is also available on the FP10 drug tariff. For more information about ScarSil®, along with our complete collection of silicone gel products, please browse the Medigarments Ltd website.

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ScarSil^®, Jobskin^® Premium and Jobskin^® Classic by Medigarments Ltd. ScarSil^® and Jobskin^® are the registered trademarks of Medigarments Ltd.