A&e for a scald? What will happen?

[Ouchthathurt12345]

Hi, feel like a complete idiot here. I was trying to fill up a hot water bottle and I was half asleep and my hand accidentally slipped with the weight of the kettle and the boiling water went completely down my front. It’s mostly on my tummy, front of my pelvic area and genitals, upper and lower legs and foot. It’s sort of splashed everywhere down my front. Needless to say it was agony, I put cold water from the shower on it but it’s still throbbing and I actually threw up (I think mainly just from the adrenaline and shock of it all tbh).

the nhs website says a&e for burns bigger than your hand, I’m assuming that includes scalds too? It’s difficult to work out how big it is because the water basically waterfalled down my front so it’s all quite spread out but I’m guessing it’s maybe 3/4 hand sizes if it was all put together

im going to head over to a&e to get checked, im on the way now, but just a bit worried as I’ve never had this before and have absolutely no idea what to expect. What will they do at a&e for a scald? I’ve only ever had tiny tiny burns from the oven etc which didn’t need medical treatment so this is completely unknown to me. I’m assuming it’ll be a long wait because it’s not life threatening and I don’t know if its a bit of overkill to go to a&e for a scald when I could just put burn stuff from the pharmacy on it myself at home?

honestly could burst into tears this has happened, it was absolutely agony

DD scalded herself badly with hot water and went to A&E
They dressed the burns but didn't give her painkillers or antiobiotics or anything but they did monitor her for a while as she was going into shock.
She got a friends mum (nurse) to redress them after a couple of days.
You need to be checked, DD's BP was on the floor and she needed careful monitoring for a few hours

I burnt the top of my foot last week 🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️ boiling bloody eggs!!
I was carrying the saucepan over to the sink and the pan slipped from my grip, it was really painful, I took my sock off and soaked my foot in cold water!
it’s annoying as ever now I’m struggling with shoes on!
I just smothered it in sudocrem , still using it now

Oh god op you poor thing, that sounds like quite the scald 😭
Glad you got it checked out properly and sought treatment. Don’t feel silly, it was an accident. I burned my hand last year on the hot water tap at work, making a coffee for a colleague - I didn’t know how to use it (don’t drink hot drinks) and absent mindedly swiped my other hand under the bloody tap while it was still running!
instant pain!!
Feel better soon 💐

Hope you are ok. I had horrible burns (oil) that required a lot of treatment, ops and skin grafts. I remember that feeling of minimising it all and feeling a bit stupid for being so clumsy. Then stupid again afterwards for thinking an ambulance was overkill when I was actually quite seriously injured!

I do remember a doctor saying hot water bottle burns were really common, so it is not just you.

Take all the painkillers and drink lots of fluids. x

I had a similar accident with a hot water bottle. I was lucky in that it was just my thigh, but it was big, and it really hurt. I just put burn gel on it at the time, but a couple of days later it was looking really nasty so I went to the GP and they said I should have gone to A&E. They put a really good dressing on it, and they sent me home with extras to change every few days.

You’ve done the right thing going to hospital. I’ve got a good idea how much it will be hurting and you have my sympathy. It can heal though. Honestly my leg was disgusting, but I don’t even have a scar now. Can’t remember how long it took to fade, a few years I think.

Oh, bless you! I hope you're feeling a bit better now!

It’s worth it. They will be worried about infection.

Thank you (and everyone else). Yeah been admitted because of the size and location of the scalds. Honestly today has been a blur and although all the staff have been utterly amazing with me, I haven’t really taken anything they’ve said in because I think I’ve just been so shaken up by it all! Can’t believe this was all from trying to fill up a hot water bottle for period pains, feel like I’ve got the worst luck in the world

Hope you manage some sleep tonight.

Throw that fucking bottle away when you get home, and get one of those wheat chaff things that you microwave for a minute to give comfort during period pain.

You've done absolutely the right thing going to a&e, burns and scalds need dressing properly to prevent infection. Your body can go into shock after a serious burn like this which probably accounts for the vomiting and low blood pressure. You're in the best place OP, wishing you a speedy recovery 💐

Get yourself one of these when you’re all better. I have endo and have mottled skin so many times from hot water bottles. Also good if your feet are cold in bed!

https://amzn.eu/d/0On4XBB

Poor thing . I hope you did 20 mins of cold water and no ice!

At a and e they will advise you on caring amd may do a dressing if needed

That sounds so painful. I hope they are giving you good drugs

Thanks! Honestly normally I’m so fussy about making sure hot water bottles have cold water in them in case they burst. I was just so exhausted and grumpy about my sore stomach and wasn’t concentrating- it wasn’t even the bottle that burst it was just my hand slipped whilst I had the kettle filling up the bottle and the kettle slipped forward and emptied all over me. That’s me put off hot water bottles for life! Still here unfortunately but hopefully will be out soon.

Just an announcement to say please check the expiry dates on water bottles too!! The rubber disintegrates!!

Oh that’s a really good point, thanks, that’s not something I’ve ever done before but absolutely will do now!

Since I had my similar accident I always hold the bottle and kettle over the sink away from me just in case. I can’t watch my husband filling bottles because I get nervous.