Host: How should I respond if my child receives a burn?

Robin Vick: A burn that, let's say, a child gets near some hot water or a stove, there are different stages to burns. A burn that does not disrupt the skin surface, that it is just red, does not need to be seen by a physician. However, if there is any blistering to the skin surface or any blackening of the skin, that's an emergency and the child needs to be taken to the emergency room or seen by the doctor. It's not appropriate in any burn care to apply an ointment to the skin tissue that is contraindicated. What can be done is to immediately apply a cold compress. What that accomplishes is, immediate reduction of the skin temperature and helps to stay off any further tissue destruction by cooling the tissue immediately.

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