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To treat a person for electric shock:

1. Call or have someone call 911 or your local emergency number, or send someone for help. Get medical attention no matter how minor the burn or shock seems to be.

2. Turn off the current if possible, or safely separate the person from the source of the current using a material that doesn’t conduct electricity, such as a wooden chair, broom handle, or dry rope. A person who has been struck by lightning can be safely touched immediately.

Remove the person from the source of the electric current

3. If the person is not breathing, start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately (see page 156). If there is no heartbeat, perform CPR if you have had CPR training.

4. Treat any burns (see right).

5. Treat any broken bones (see page 167).

Burns

Burns can be caused by dry heat (such as a fire), moist heat (such as steam or hot liquids), electricity, friction, corrosive chemicals, or the sun.

Get medical help immediately for burns to the eyes (such as from hot ashes or cinders). Do not let the person rub his or her eyes, and gently cover both eyes (which helps minimize eye movement and therefore pain) with a sterile compress and bandage. For chemical burns to the eyes, see page 176.

Burns are divided into three categories—first degree, second degree, and third degree—depending on the depth of skin damage. All burns require medical attention. A first-degree burn damages only the outer layer of skin and causes slight redness, pain, and swelling. The skin is not broken, blisters do not form, and the burn usually heals within 5 days. A mild sunburn is a first-degree burn. A second-degree burn causes injury to the layers of skin beneath the surface and severe pain and red, blotchy, swollen, moist skin that usually blisters. A burn that destroys all the layers of skin (a third-degree burn) may cause little pain because the nerve endings have been destroyed. The skin may look white and charred.

To treat a burn:

1. If the burn is severe or covers an extensive skin area, call or have someone call 911 or your local emergency number or send someone for help.

2. If the person has stopped breathing (which is common with burns or smoke inhalation), start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately (see page 156).

3. Do not remove clothing that is stuck to the burn, but do carefully try to remove clothing that has been in contact with a corrosive chemical. Try to remove shoes, jewelry, or anything constricting from the burned area because of possible swelling.

4. Decrease the temperature of the burned skin as quickly as possible to help limit tissue damage. Put cool (not cold) water or another cool liquid such as milk or beer on the burn. (Do not put ice or very cold water on the burned area because it can further damage the skin and, if the burn is severe, cause shock.) Depending on the size, site, and severity of the burn, pour cool water on the burn, immerse the entire burned area in cool water, or apply cool-water compresses using a nonfluffy material (which will not stick to the burn).

Pour cool, running water on the burn

Immerse the burn in cool water

5. Don’t apply any lotions, creams, ointments, sprays, antiseptics, or home remedies of any kind. You can apply calamine lotion to skin that has been mildly sunburned. Don’t prick any blisters.

6. Lightly cover the burn with a clean, dry, nonfluffy material.

Cover the burn

7. A burned arm or leg should be elevated to reduce swelling. Protect it inside a clean plastic bag if possible.

Elevate a burned arm, leg, hand, or foot

8. If the burn is very minor, give the person an over-the-counter pain reliever.

9. If the burn is more severe or extensive (for example, it covers the entire chest), don’t put anything cold on it (you could lower the person’s body temperature to a dangerous level). Instead, cover the person with a clean blanket.

10. Do not give the person anything to eat or drink. However, if the burn is relatively minor (and the person is conscious and not vomiting), give him or her