The kitchen tends to be the focal point and gathering space in many homes, but it can also be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house. Burn injuries from cooking with hot liquids and grease are one of the leading causes of accidental death and injury. Krystle Tingle, RN, St. Mary Medical Center’s Trauma Prevention and EMS Outreach Coordinator, shares insight into preventing burn injuries and protecting loved ones.
Burns and scalds are characterized as skin damage caused by heat. Scald injuries are commonly known as first or second-degree burns. One characteristic distinguishing the difference between a first-degree and second-degree burn is whether the impacted skin has blistering.
“First-degree burns tend to be red with non-blistered skin,” Tingle says. “While second-degree burns have blisters and some thickening of the skin.”
While burn injuries can happen to anyone, those at higher risk are children under five years old and adults over the age of 65.
“Young children face a higher risk of non-fire cooking burns from easy-to-reach items such as cups, bowls, pots and pans,” Tingle says. “Adults over the age of 65, however, are at a higher risk of injury and death from a kitchen fire due to physical, visual, hearing or mental impairments that may slow the quick action necessary in a fire emergency.”
To help keep families safe, we’ve compiled some home safety tips to avoid burns and scalds in the kitchen:
- Create a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and other areas where hot food and beverages are prepared and/or carried.
- Use a timer to help check on food regularly when baking, simmering, roasting or boiling.
- Do not leave food unattended on the stove or in the oven.
- Turn any pot or pan handles towards the back of the stove.
- Keep a pan lid and dry potholders or oven mitts nearby every time you cook.
- Always clean the stove, oven and exhaust fan to prevent grease buildup.
- When cooking or frying foods with oils, use a pan lid or splash guard to help prevent grease splatter.
In the event of a burn injury, it is important to remember to “cool the burn with COOL, not cold, water to help stop the burning process,” Tingle says. “Remove all clothing from the injured area and cover it with a clean dry sheet or bandage.”
Avoid using creams, lotions, oils, cortisone, butter or egg whites on a burn injury. “These treatments can hold heat in the skin, causing further damage in addition to increasing the risk of infection,” Tingle adds.
If further medical attention is needed, seek care at St. Mary Medical Center’s Level II Trauma Center, which is accredited by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF). For more information, visit trinityhealthma.org/st-mary-trauma-center.