Those of you who had a burn injury, or any doctors here - question please

[WillYouPutYourCoatOn]

Not an AIBU but posting for traffic...

Spilled burning water on my foot last Monday. Blistered up (about 5cm square in size) and has not been painful. Blister still looked exactly the same last night so I had an online video conversation with a doctor who said head to A&E in the morning for them to "de-roof" blister and dress.

Did this, and since I've come home, the burn area feels disproportionately worse. It feels like the dressing is too tight and pulling on the burn. It's now about 10hrs since I left A&E and it is getting more painful by the hour. I know it's now an open wound and should have been uncomfortable initially, but it's worse now than when they first de-roofed, and that doesn't feel right.

May I ask, anyone who's had a similar injury, was it much more for painful and felt like the dressing was too tight after the doctor treated it, or does this sound like something isn't right? I don't want to unwrap the bandage and redo it looser if this is actually perfectly normal and that will make it worse.

Thank you in advance.

Yes you've lost the protective cushioning so it will hurt more

Did they give you pain relief which has now worn off?

I once spilled a fresh off the hob pan of boiling water all over my bare toes. I didn't go to A&E because I am a twat. Of course it hurt like a bitch for a while. I went to the doctors the next day and they dressed it (whilst asking why I didn't go to A&E...) but in answer to your question - it's going to be sore for a very long time. Lots of painkillers is all you can do.

Also, the pain did get worse after the first 12 hours or so - probably as the shock and painkillers wore off.

Oh my god. So painful. Did they give you painkillers?

I had a hot water burn. Massive. de roofed at a&E and bandaged. Provided with codeine

it was painful and leaky and sore.
it’s the wound healing.
also the GP was rubbish and didn’t have the materials to redress the wound (ffs)
I bought all the kit online - parafin burn healing squares, sterile guaze and bandage wraps. Saline or sterile water to clean wound before dressing.
I changed dressing every 2/3 days. It looked the worst after 3/5 days. It slowly healed. It was bright red after the new skin had formed.
it’s still a massive scar. And needs no sun exposure due to the skin still healing.
and it’s been a year!

Strong painkillers required. Hope the pain eases for you soon.

I had an awful burn years ago. Boiling water from the kettle spilt on my stomach and chest. Was taken to a and e in an ambulance. I don't remember anything about being deroofed but I do remember it had a dressing and whenever it was changed, the top layer of healing would peel off the wound. So one night I slept on my back and slathered it in savlon and left it open/bare and when I woke up it finally had a crust on the top. I used vitamin e cream 4-5 times a day for weeks and now have no scar. So no advice specifically about the dressing but do recommend the cream to support healing.

Some of these injuries! No advice ,just hope you feel better soon. Everyone take care!

Why would they "deroof" the blister? I thought the blister was there for a reason, to protect the wound. (Not answering your question sorry!)

I've had many burns in the kitchen from fat/boiling water and I always leave the blister well alone for as long as possible.

Agree i know years ago it was the done thing to pop blisters but I prefer to not do it today as its natures way of protecting the injury

OP I'd be cautious about taking advice here - MN burn threads are notorious for terrible advice. I've zero medical knowledge so I have no idea but it does come up again and again.

I had a big hot water burn with a huge thick skin blister, I just covered it and protected the blister as long as possible, several days later it drained itself gradually and collapsed over the burn a week or so after that the dead skin of the blister started to peel off. It was sore, but I'm sure it would have been much worse if I'd de-roofed it (what a horrible phrase).

Edit: And it's so easy to get an infection once it's an open wound.

I’m a doctor with burns experience . Blister often protects the skin underneath and so is not deroofed unless necessary.

It is likely to be more painful now. Hopefully they put a non stick dressing on? I would take paracetamol ( and ibuprofen) as long as you tolerate it. You should rest with your foot elevated above your hip to reduce any swelling. Can you get your finger inside the bandage easily ? If so it is not too tight. If you can’t then loosen the top layer of the bandage.