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Stop the Burn!: Prevention and Care Is a Hot Topic
| Article
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15305 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
8 / 1989 |
1,803 Words |
| Author
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Evelyn B. Kelly
Evelyn B. Kelly is vice president of the Florida Chapter of
the American Medical Writers' Association and conducts
seminars on pediatric, psychological, and gerontological
concerns. |
We live amid fire hazards waiting to happen. And happen they do: According to the National Institute of Handicapped Research, about two million people each year require treatment for burns. Seventy thousand are hospitalized and about 9000 die from burn injuries. When you throw in the discomfort caused by minor burns gone unreported, the subject of burn prevention becomes a hot topic.
There's no place like home--for a burn
"I was frying chicken and went to answer the telephone. The fire started so quickly."
"The baby was crying. I left the kitchen to see what was wrong."
"I was melting butter with lemon extract. I had no idea the extract would catch fire."
Fire fighters hear these statements repeatedly. Four out of five burn injuries occur in the home. Most of these injures should never have happened.
Rachel was heating oil on the stove's front burner. She turned to take the potatoes out of the freezer. As four-year-old Austin ran in, his pajama sleeve caught on the pan's handle, showering him with hot grease. Rachel put him in the tub and ran the cold water--a procedure that probably saved his life. Six years later, Austin is doing fine, but years of pain and skin grafts have left emotional and physical scars.
Hot liquids burn more people than fire does. Unfortunately, one-third of all burn victims are children, with most of their burns resulting from spills or bathtub accidents. Yet liquid burns can be avoided with simple forethought and common sense.
· Cook on the back burners. If you must use the front ones, turn the handles away from the stove's edge and wear clothes with short or snug-fitting sleeves while cooking.
· Remember to test the bathwater before putting your child in. With little effort one can lower a water heater's thermostat to 120 degrees. If you live in an apartment where the thermostat cannot be changed, purchase a tempering device for the faucet.
Memory Metals of Norwalk, Connecticut, has inexpensive devices that--like
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