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Original poster

Burnt hand, NHS website says A+E?!

63 replies

Broceliande · 17/02/2021 22:37

Apologies for blunt posting style as am typing with wrong hand.

2 hours ago I burnt back of three fingers on the bottom of a pan I'd put in dishwasher, not realising it had just been on the heat. Have been sat with bag of peas of since and it is excruciating when I take it off. Three blisters have come up. Have put on honey and (in a sense of cling cling) plasters. Have never burned self before so was looking on NHS website for advice and it says to go to a and e if there are blisters on hands. This seems like a huge overreaction (although it bloody hurts to extent I can't stand to take the ice off!) so just wanted to see if any nurses were reading this who can tell me why this is / reassure me my fingers won't fall off in the night!

OP posts:
Original poster
Broceliande · 17/02/2021 23:08

Re the honey, I did study history of medicine at school once so I think in the height of pain and panic I went a bit medieval Grin

OP posts:
digginthedancingqueen · 17/02/2021 23:11

I did this recently, a steam burn to 4 fingers and it was extremely painful all evening. If I took my fingers out of water they just burned and hurt a lot. I rang 111 and they said A and E but I said no to that as it was 11pm and partly because of Covid so the clinician rang me and just said take painkillers. I did and it helped. Had a few weeks of blisters and kept putting plasters on but fine now thank god.

digginthedancingqueen · 17/02/2021 23:15

This was my blister the next day for reference.

Burnt hand, NHS website says A+E?!

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goldpendant · 17/02/2021 23:17

I think it depends on how it feels OP, it doesn't look that bad TBH.

I burned the back of my whole hand with boiled water and it hurt like hell.

Tepid water, not ice cold. Keep the water running over it.

Then a cool damp towel on it. If the pain persists (I felt like mine was crawling) then go to a&e. Even if it's fine they can give you a better dressing that mimics skin and will take the pain away very quickly.

Boatingforthestars · 17/02/2021 23:19

Have the blisters torn? If they are big and tear or are open you have a risk of infection so keep it clean.
Photo doesnt look too bad, but cameras can have that affect.
Keep it cold, if it's still hurting and see how it feels in the morning.
I'm not a doctor but reckon you have a very slim chance if dying in your sleep if you dont get it checked tonight.

WhoWants2Know · 17/02/2021 23:20

If it's blistered already, that's quite deep. You can often expect more blisters to come up within 24 hours.

tumtitum · 17/02/2021 23:21

Embarrassingly I am a HCP and only recently learnt that you don't put ice on a burn 🙈 I made a bad burn a lot worse by sitting with ice on it!

PamDenick · 17/02/2021 23:22

I'd go to get it properly dressed. Those blisters are going to burst and it looks likely that similar is going to come up on your little finger.
Take a good book and your phone.
It should be relatively quiet as not full of drunks or football injuries.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 17/02/2021 23:24

Run it under cold water.

Don’t bother with A&E

JustCallMeBrittany · 17/02/2021 23:25

See how it is in the morning. From what I can see there is no joint involvement and it is all the back none to palm of hand (I could be wrong but it is difficult to tell from your photo). Is there any area that is burnt that is painless? This would concern me but can still wait until the morning. If the blisters are much bigger in the a.m see a clinician.
Take painkillers, clingfilm it and if still worried tomorrow, Minor Injuries or pharmacy for some dressings. Jelonet if your pharmacy has it, otherwise they may have a silicone type dressing.

LilyRed · 17/02/2021 23:30

From a recommendation by an A&E nurse many years ago, I keep a spray called Burnshield Hydrogel next to the cooker - wash the affected part in cool water then slather this on, fabulous stuff.

It cools the burn quickly and dulls the pain - take a couple of paracetamol if you are not allergic asap too. If you haven't burnt yourself before or are unused to treating burns, do call 111 as they can advise if you need the hospital - if it's your hand don't drive, I also keep burn dressings - gel impregnated foamy stuff, available from Amazon etc in the cupboard next to the cooker.

Sadly I am a klutz and veteran of many burns

Chloemol · 17/02/2021 23:31

You need to go to a and e tonight

crazylikechocolate · 17/02/2021 23:33

Cold as you can running water , not for a few mins but as long as possible , at least 10 mins +

sidesplittinglol · 17/02/2021 23:34

I'm sorry you've burnt yourself. Sounds so painful. My advice would be to stop using the peas and not use a plaster. You can cool a burn down by running it under cool water for at least 20 mins if not longer, it will stop the burn going further in and will help with the pain. If cling film is unavailable, you can use a clean unused plastic bag and cover loosely. As you have blisters, going to A&E would be your best cause of action as if those blisters are burst at home, it can lead to infection. Blisters can safely be burst at the hospital. Any burns on the hands and feet etc need to be checked out.
Hope you manage to treat it soon and it gets better. X

SnarkyBag · 17/02/2021 23:39

In the nicest possible way given the action you have taken so far I think a&e would be a safer bet. You may have done more damage with the frozen peas and honey.
Sounds awful Flowers

YesIReallyDoLikeRootBeer · 17/02/2021 23:41

My son burned his thumb in Culinary Class. He had it checked at the ER (in America) and then he had to go to his Dr a few times to get it checked out. Your burn does not look as bad as his was, but I would still get it checked to be on the safe side.

Burnt hand, NHS website says A+E?!
MrDarcysMa · 17/02/2021 23:43

Op I'm a first aider and a klutz who's had a few serious burns.
Having seen the pic I wouldn't go to a&e as the blisters are doing their job and your skin isn't broken. Assuming you've ran it under cold water by now, take some painkillers this eve.
If you feel you need a pro to dress it you can go to your gp/ practice nurse tomorrow.

Thethingswedoforlove · 17/02/2021 23:44

Dh burned his hand quite badly recently. We were advised a and e. I was sceptical. But they dressed it beautifully with a bandage impregnated with a special gel. It helped with the pain so so much and speeded healing we think enormously. Worth a trip

boymum9 · 17/02/2021 23:45

I did this about 6 months ago with a pan handle and the pain was awful, I didn't sleep the whole night and about 6 am I ended up called 111 and they went through everything and said to go to a&e! I thought it was a huge over reaction, so sent the photos to a paramedic friend and she said to go to hospital to.
They put some stuff on it that did help the pain and bandaged my hand and prescribed some codine, but realistically they didn't do anything I guess I could have done at home.

Dddccc · 17/02/2021 23:48

Does not need seen tonight it will be fine to wait and ring gp tomorrow keep hand is cold water I have had tons of burns like this and I normally would just keep hand in cold water for 30 mins out for 10 and then back in out for 15 the pain gets less the more its out also in future straight under running water for 10 mins never ice if you get a burn fast it helps stopping the blistering

Joiningthegossip · 17/02/2021 23:51

I recently got a pizza out the oven and it's as if it launched at me and I put my hand out and caught it cheese side down on the palm of my hand, it bought me to tears instantly. I kept it in cold water for a good hour or two, it all blistered pretty quickly but a day or two later it was gone then a week later the skin fell away.
It Was the strangest thing.
Looking at your photo I don't think you need to go to a&e, just keep it cool and clean, also take some painkillers.

Hope it's feeling better soon

AnaisNun · 17/02/2021 23:55

SO much bad advice on this thread.

You actually need COOL or LUKEWARM running water, immediately, for 20 mins - not ice cold. A number of studies have shown that very cold water is less effective - in part because in real-world scenarios you won't keep your hand under as long as it becomes too painful, and in part it's actually just less physiologically effective.

Good advice here: www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/injuries/skin-injuries/burns-and-scalds

Hope you feel better soon, OP - ibuprofen is good if you can take it for the pain of a burn IME.

Regularsizedrudy · 17/02/2021 23:57

Boiling water and sugar is called prison napalm. It’s a great way to cause a horrific injury. Never EVER put sugar on a burn. I don’t mean to kick you while you’re down but what the hell were you thinking!?
Go to a&e

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 18/02/2021 00:00

@PamDenick

I'd go to get it properly dressed. Those blisters are going to burst and it looks likely that similar is going to come up on your little finger. Take a good book and your phone. It should be relatively quiet as not full of drunks or football injuries.
A&E are full of drunks every night, Wednesday nights are always busy in our A&E!
Akire · 18/02/2021 00:01

Burns on hands hurt like hell but will get better. I wouldn’t go to A and E. I keep burn gel at home it is amazing and really takes the sting out. Not much help to you now though. If it pops cover it until starts to heel over or you risk infection.