Joshua Carson, MD, Director of Loyola Medicine Burn Center, is Available Discuss Burn Prevention and Treatment During Burn Awareness Week

MAYWOOD, IL – February 5th marks the start of the American Burn Association’s Burn Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire.” Joshua Carson, MD, medical director of the Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center, stresses the importance of recognizing the danger in not only fire, but also water.  “Don’t put hot water somewhere a kid can reach it,” he said. “You wouldn’t put a fire up on the counter that a kid could play with. Do the same thing with water that’s hot enough to burn — use your judgment. But respect how dangerous really hot liquids can be.”

Carson advises people to exercise caution not just with pots of water but when taking things out of the microwave. He warns that small children and the elderly have thin skin and are at risk for scald injuries in the bathtub. “They can get hotter than you’d think. If you leave things too long in what seems to be a harmless degree of heated water, it can actually cause some real harm.”

When treating burns at home, Dr. Carson advises rinsing them gently in cold water and warns to never use an ice pack which can make a burn deeper and more serious. He says to seek help if the pain is so bad you can’t control it with over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol or aspirin. “If it’s over a large part of your body, if you lose sensation and you can’t feel any part of the burn wound, that’s a sign that something is going on that needs to be looked at.”  

Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center is the largest burn center in Illinois and a regional leader in treating adult and pediatric burns and trauma. Loyola’s outstanding success rates and multidisciplinary approach are recognized by the American College of Surgeons and American Burn Association. Located in Maywood, Illinois, the team at the Burn Center contains specialists from pulmonology, wound management, nutritional support and physical rehabilitation. The staff includes nurses, patient care technicians and patient service associations, and the center treats over 4,000 patients each year, with about 40% of the patients being children.

At this link you can find a video of Dr. Carson addressing the most common burns and how to treat them.