Help! Scalded foot and don't know what to do

[wageslave]

I've dropped a mug of boiling water on my foot and I'm beside myself with pain. The top layer of skin has wrinkled over an area of about 3x5 inches, looks obviously burnt and is slightly swollen. I've had it in cold water for over an hour, now it's dry and under cling film. The NHS website says go to A&E but I really don't want to go on a Friday night. I'm getting a bit agitated with the pain (have taken some paracetamol). Any suggestions?

Go to A&E. Any burn like that needs proper medical assessment and dressing.

You have to go to A&E. Good luck OP.

You need to go to a and e.

Yes, A&E for that.

A and e due to the risk of infection

Joining in the A&E chorus.

Ouch. Hope they sort it.

God yes. It’s a real infection risk. Good luck.

You and also safely take ibuprofen with paracetamol (assuring you haven’t got any reading not to take that).

You really do need to go to a and e.

A and E, I'm afraid. My sympathies.

Also, for future reference, you should have burns under running cold water rather than immersed in cold water.

Ouch!
100% go to A&E

Thanks all. I can't take ibuprofen. But I will ring 111 now 😭

You need to go OP, 111 might give you some sort of out of hours appt somewhere which would be better.

I think you need to go to A+E The trouble is these days, a lot of us are so intent on not " taking up their time" when actually we need to go.
You're not drunk, your'e not taking drugs, you have a legitimite reason.
I do hope you are feeling better soon.

I did exactly this to both my feet. On one the skin shrank away as you describe. You’ve done the right thing so far - wrap tight cling film so that no air can get to the area. Without oxygen the pain is much less. No issue with leaving in a bucket of water again if you need to for longer. I was lucky and had a dr come to me that night and he was happy for me to stay home until the following morning and dosed me up on tramadol (yuk) to cope with the pain. But you will need a and e at least by tomorrow. I saw a burns consultant / plastic surgeon. Didn’t need grafts but had to go to hospital every day for some weeks for dressings. It’s not going to be fun BUT skin is amazing. It does heal. Any questions just ask.

No point in ringing 111. They’ll send you to a and e with that burn.

wrap tight cling film so that no air can get to the area.

Burns shouldn’t be wrapped tightly. They should just be covered.

Guess my dr was wrong then 😉. Wrap so no air gets to them. Makes the pain bearable.

I'm sorry but you really do need to go to A+E for it to be properly dressed and have follow up put in place.

Does the burn go around the foot at all? This increases the urgency for it to be seen.

They will be able to dress it with dressings that help with the pain and promote healing. There is also a risk of infection (having suffered an infected burn...you really really don't want this).

Don't put anything on it (apart from cool running water) and if you put cling film on DON'T wrap it, but lay it on)

Please go to A+E and good luck.

A&E for you I'm afraid, and yes, it's likely to be a nightmare on a Friday night.
Next time you scald your foot, do it on a Monday afternoon.
(I have a chronic illness and hate when it plays up at the weekend and I have to go to hospital)

From the NHS website www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/treatment/

Cover the burn with cling film.Put the cling film in a layer over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.

Guess my dr was wrong then

Dr Purple disagrees with them.
Wrapping tightly is bad because if the burn swells (likely) it can compromise circulation. You can check on the NHS website-cover. Don’t wrap.

This is an occasion you DO need to go to a&e for.

It needs to be cleaned properly (which few lay people know how to do plus pain will make you back off from doing so when it's necessary, but also a hcp will do it without hesitancy which is actually the best way to do it with least pain caused. But it's natural to hold back from causing yourself more pain)

Also because they have proper treatments (including that wonderful "new" gel that keeps it wet and cool) and the right size and type of dressings which most of us don't have a stock of dressings for any eventuality!

They might even give you stronger painklllers.

I did similar a few years back and fuck! That hurt! And that was WITH going a&e and getting treatment I'd have been in agony without!

Don't suffer needlessly and risk an infection.

And I agree with covering BUT not tightly wrapping. Swelling common with burns/scalds and tightness will make it hurt more!

Thanks everyone for the advice, you lovely bunch were right. 4 hours in A&E on a Friday night was a bit grim. Being sent to a specialist burns unit at a different hospital this morning, due to concerns about the scald being on my ankle joint. Spectacular blistering, pain comes and goes in surges, #offmyfaceontramadol 🤕

Poor you. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Ouch. Glad you're getting it seen to though. Hope you feel better soon x