Australians confused about first aid treatment of burns
Less than 10% of people are aware they need to cool burn wounds for 20 minutes in cool water as a first aid measure, a statistic which has prompted a call from public health specialists for a review of national first aid recommendations.
Research published this week in the Medical Journal of Australia shows there’s a gap in the Australian public’s knowledge, especially among non-English-speaking people and people aged over 65 years, about the first aid requirements for burns.
Recent studies found the optimal temperature for water used to cool a burn wound was 12–18 degrees Celsius and the optimal time for immersion was 20 minutes.
Cool, running water has been shown to be the best method for first aid treatment of burn wounds, and ice has been shown to be ineffective or to exacerbate damage.
A total of 7320 respondents answered questions related to burn injuries and first aid as part of the 2007 NSW Population Health Survey.
Unprompted, 82% of respondents said they knew to cool the burn with cool or cold water but 41.5% said they didn’t know for how long cold running water should be applied.
Less than 14% reported having undertaken a first aid course within the last 12 months.
The study authors said less than 1% of those surveyed knew to remove clothing from the burn wound and to keep the person warm. The most common sources of first aid information were first aid books and the internet.
Advice from various authorities ranged from cooling a burn for at least 10 minutes to 30 minutes, which showed a lack of consistency, the authors said.
“We suggest that it is time for the major medical and first aid bodies in Australia to review their first aid recommendations in light of the recent experimental studies and to work towards promoting consistent and simple recommendations for Australians,” the authors said.
“We also suggest that targeted, culturally appropriate and age appropriate educational campaigns are required if the knowledge differential is to be redressed.”
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.
CONTACTS: Mrs Lara Harvey 0412 657 708 / 02 9967 4216
Mr Steve Offner 0424 580 208
University of New South Wales Media Unit