Friction Burn Treatment

1. Skin Friction Burn Treatment
2. Infected Friction Burn Treatment

The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. While antibiotic ointments are advocated for the immediate treatment of friction blisters, there is no published evidence that these measures are of any benefit in healing or preventing infection. The initial use of systemic antibiotics is not indicated in the treatment of friction blisters in running athletes.

Sep 27, 2017 Treatment Immediately stop any activity that begins to rub and irritate your skin. If your clothes are rubbing your skin in an uncomfortable way, change into something that's more comfortable. Treatments Most minor cases of a friction burn require little to no treatment, as a specific case of allergy might aggravate the burn. Treatments for friction burns usually involve application of an anti-inflammatory cream. Pain relieving medication may also be taken. Treatments Most minor cases of a friction burn require little to no treatment, as a specific case of allergy might aggravate the burn. Treatments for friction burns usually involve application of an anti-inflammatory cream. Pain relieving medication may also be taken.

Condition Overview

Bicyclists refer to friction burns as road rash, and they a very painful injury. Pets usually get friction burns when they have fallen out of cars or trucks or when they have been hit or dragged by cars. The friction of a pet against pavement scrapes away fur and skin.

Symptoms

Symptoms will be evident on the dogs skin. Look for areas of missing skin and fur around common ground contact points such as the paws, hips, elbows, and head.

All symptoms+

Causes

Accidents cause friction burns.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made by examining the injury.

Treatment

1. Rinse the burn - The best treatment for friction burns is water, and lots of it. Place your pet in a tub and flood the affected area with gently running cool to luke warm water for 5 - 10 minutes. This flushes away grit and helps reduce pain and swelling.


2. Remove the debris - Pets who have been dragged on dirt, grass, or pavement invariably have a lot of debris packed into the wound. Water will remove some of it, but not all. You may need to use blunt tipped tweezers to remove larger particles. Try not to touch wounds with your bare hands - use disposable medical gloves to be sure you do not contaminate the wound further. Having wounds cleaned is painful, and some pets will not allow this. Don't struggle too much. If you are not able to completely clean the wound at home so that no debris is visible, you should call the vet. He may recommend bringing your pet in so that the wound can be professionally treated, probably under sedation.


3. Take off your pets collar - Since friction burns can swell very quickly, be sure to remove you pet's collar if the burn is on her head or neck.


4. Look for signs of shock - Friction burns involving more than 5 - 10% of the body must be treated by a veterinarian. In the meantime, watch out for shock. A pet going into shock often has trouble breathing because her circulatory system isn't distributing blood and oxygen efficiently. A pet in shock acts weak or woozy. her eyelids droop, and she may have a pale tongue or gums. She may also lose consciousness.
   Don't bother cleaning the wound if you suspect that your pet is going into shock. That will waste valuable time, and cool water can make the shock progress more rapidly. Wrap her in a blanket and get her to an emergency clinic as fast as you can. You can also put a drop or two of Karo syrup or honey on her gums to help keep her conscious.
   If you are alone, try to put a small pet in a carrier. Put the carrier on the seat beside you. A large pet should go on the backseat or in the cargo area of the vehicle. If your pet is unconscious or barely conscious, gently stretch her head and neck out a little to help breathing. If she is conscious, she won't hold her head and neck in place, so don't worry about this. If someone can go with you to the vet, have him hold your pet's head and neck out straight on the ride.
   

Prevention

There is no prevention for this condition.

Support

Because friction burns remove large amounts of skin, the wounds will weep a lot. Dry the area several times a day with a clean, soft cloth. Don't use cotton balls, because they will stick to the wound.
Apply aloe vera ointment, available in drug stores and pet supply stores, 3 times a day. Aloe vera reduces pain and has been found to speed healing.
Friction burns heal more quickly when they are kept dry, which means you will want to apply a bandage to keep your pet from licking the area. For a burn on a lower leg, slip a cotton sock onto the leg, then wrap gauze and tape around the top to hold it in place. It is harder to bandage wounds elsewhere on the body because tape won't stick to fur. After you've covered the wound with a non-stick dressing like a Telfa pad, grab a t-shirt and slip your pet's head through the neck, and front feet through the arms. Then wrap a little roll gauze around her body to hold the shirt in place - be careful not to wrap too tightly.
Veterinarians usually don't recommend topical anesthetics, but friction burns are unusually painful. If your pet appears to be in a great deal of pain, consult your veterinarian about topical anesthetics.
Unwrap the bandage and check the burn at least 3 - 4 times the first day, applying aloe vera ointment each time. If the wound seems clean and dry, you'll need to change the bandage only once a day. But if the wound is weeping so much that the bandage is sticking, you will need to change it more often.
If you don't have aloe vera ointment, you can apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to the bandage when you change it. Another choice is silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene). Veterinarians often prescribe it because it keeps burns and other wounds healthy. Apply the cream once or twice a day.
You can keep bandages clean and dry when your pet goes outside by wrapping the area with a plastic wrap (Saran wrap). For a leg burn, slip a plastic bread bag over the foot and tape it in place. Don't keep a burn wrapped for a long time, since plastic will prevent air from getting to the burn and slow healing. Wrap the bandages only when your pet is going outside, then take the wrapping off when she comes back in.

Sources

The First Aid Companion for Dogs And Cats

Publisher: Rodale Inc, 2001

Website: http://www.rodalebooks.com/

Authors: Amy D. Shojai, Shane Bateman DVM

Overview

What is a burn?

A burn occurs when heat, chemicals, sunlight, electricity or radiation damages skin tissue. Most burns happen accidentally. There are different degrees of burns. Your healthcare provider determines the seriousness (degree) of a burn based on the depth of the burn and the amount of affected skin. Burns can be painful. Left untreated, a burn can lead to infection.

How common are burns?

Close to half a million people go to the emergency department every year with burn injuries. Children are at high risk for accidental burns. Every day, more than 300 children receive emergency treatment for burn injuries.

Who might get a burn?

Accidental burns can happen to anyone, although children, teenagers and older people are most at risk. These age groups are more prone to burn injuries from cooking, such as spilling a boiling pan of water onto skin. Children and teens are also more likely to mess around with lighters, matches and fireworks or get sunburns.

What are the types of burns?

Healthcare providers classify burns by degrees of severity. Your provider will evaluate the extent of skin damage. Burn degrees include:

• First-degree burns are mild (like most sunburns). The top layer of skin (epidermis) turns red and is painful but doesn't typically blister.
• Second-degree burns affect skin's top and lower layers (dermis). You may experience pain, redness, swelling and blistering.
• Third-degree burns affect all three skin layers: epidermis, dermis and fat. The burn also destroys hair follicles and sweat glands. Because third-degree burns damage nerve endings, you probably won't feel pain in the area of the burn itself, rather adjacent to it. Burned skin may be black, white or red with a leathery appearance.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes burns?

Many things can cause a burn. Thermal sources, including fire, hot liquids, steam and contact with hot surfaces, are the most common causes of burns. Other causes include exposure to:

• Chemicals, such as cement, acids or drain cleaners.
• Radiation.
• Electricity.
• Sun (ultraviolet or UV light).

What are the signs of burns?

Skin Friction Burn Treatment

Burn symptoms vary depending on the severity or degree of the burn. Symptoms are often worse during the first few hours or days after the burn. Burn symptoms include:

• Blisters.
• Pain.
• Swelling.
• White or charred (black) skin.
• Peeling skin.

Diagnosis and Tests

How are burns diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will examine the burn to determine the degree or severity. This process involves estimating the percentage of the body affected by the burn and its depth. Your provider may classify the burn as:

• Minor: First- and second-degree burns that cover less than 10% of the body are considered minor and rarely require hospitalization.
• Moderate: Second-degree burns that cover about 10% of the body are classified as moderate. Burns on the hands, feet, face or genitals can range from moderate to severe.
• Severe: Third-degree burns that cover more than 1% of the body are considered severe.

Management and Treatment

How are burns managed or treated?

Burn treatment varies depending on the cause and severity. You need to keep all burns clean and apply proper bandages/dressing depending on the severity of the wounds. Treating the person's pain is key: inadequate control can interfere with wound care.

Continue to check wounds for signs of infection and other long term issues, such as scarring and tightening of the skin over joints and muscles, which makes them difficult to move.

Treatments by burn type include:

• First-degree burns: Run cool water over the burn. Don't apply ice. For sunburns, apply aloe vera gel. For thermal burns, apply antibiotic cream and cover lightly with gauze. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication.
• Second-degree burns: Treatment for second- and first-degree burns is similar. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a stronger antibiotic cream that contains silver, such as silver sulfadiazine, to kill bacteria. Elevating the burned area can reduce pain and swelling.
• Third-degree burns: Third-degree burns can be life-threatening and often require skin grafts. Skin grafts replace damaged tissue with healthy skin from another of the uninjured part of the person's body. The area where the skin graft is taken from generally heals on its own. If the person does not have enough skin available for a graft at the time of injury, a temporary source of graft can come from a deceased donor or a human-made (artificial) source but these will eventually need to be replace by the person's own skin. Treatment also includes extra fluids (usually given intravenously, with an IV) to keep blood pressure steady and prevent shock and dehydration.

What are the complications of burns?

Third-degree burns that are deep and affect a large portion of skin are very serious and can be life-threatening. Even first- and second-degree burns can become infected and cause discoloration and scarring. First-degree burns don't cause scarring.

Potential complications of third-degree burns include:

• Arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disturbances, caused by an electrical burn.
• Dehydration.
• Disfiguring scars and contractures.
• Edema (excess fluid and swelling in tissues).
• Organ failure.
• Pneumonia.
• Seriously low blood pressure (hypotension) that may lead to shock.
• Severe infection that may lead to amputation or sepsis.

Prevention

How can I prevent a burn?

Burns have many accidental causes. You can take these steps to reduce the risk of burns:

• Wear sunscreen.
• Set your home's hot water heater below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Always test the water in a shower or bath before getting in or bathing a child.
• Lock up chemicals, lighters and matches.
• Use the stove's back burners as much as possible when cooking, turn handles of pots and pans where they won't be bumped and don't leave the stove unattended.
• Don't hold a child when you're near hot objects, such as the stove.
• Set safeguards around a fireplace and never leave a child unattended.
• Install and regularly test smoke detectors in your home.
• Stock your home with fire extinguishers and know how to use them.
• Cover electrical outlets.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with burns?

With proper treatment, most first- and second-degree burns heal over two to three weeks. Depending on the burn severity, you may have some scarring, which may fade over time. People recovering from third-degree burns need physical and occupational therapy to maintain joint mobility and improve function. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression after a burn event. Thanks to medical advancements, many people who have burns covering even up to 90% of their bodies survive .

Living With

Because friction burns remove large amounts of skin, the wounds will weep a lot. Dry the area several times a day with a clean, soft cloth. Don't use cotton balls, because they will stick to the wound.
Apply aloe vera ointment, available in drug stores and pet supply stores, 3 times a day. Aloe vera reduces pain and has been found to speed healing.
Friction burns heal more quickly when they are kept dry, which means you will want to apply a bandage to keep your pet from licking the area. For a burn on a lower leg, slip a cotton sock onto the leg, then wrap gauze and tape around the top to hold it in place. It is harder to bandage wounds elsewhere on the body because tape won't stick to fur. After you've covered the wound with a non-stick dressing like a Telfa pad, grab a t-shirt and slip your pet's head through the neck, and front feet through the arms. Then wrap a little roll gauze around her body to hold the shirt in place - be careful not to wrap too tightly.
Veterinarians usually don't recommend topical anesthetics, but friction burns are unusually painful. If your pet appears to be in a great deal of pain, consult your veterinarian about topical anesthetics.
Unwrap the bandage and check the burn at least 3 - 4 times the first day, applying aloe vera ointment each time. If the wound seems clean and dry, you'll need to change the bandage only once a day. But if the wound is weeping so much that the bandage is sticking, you will need to change it more often.
If you don't have aloe vera ointment, you can apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to the bandage when you change it. Another choice is silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene). Veterinarians often prescribe it because it keeps burns and other wounds healthy. Apply the cream once or twice a day.
You can keep bandages clean and dry when your pet goes outside by wrapping the area with a plastic wrap (Saran wrap). For a leg burn, slip a plastic bread bag over the foot and tape it in place. Don't keep a burn wrapped for a long time, since plastic will prevent air from getting to the burn and slow healing. Wrap the bandages only when your pet is going outside, then take the wrapping off when she comes back in.

Sources

The First Aid Companion for Dogs And Cats

Publisher: Rodale Inc, 2001

Website: http://www.rodalebooks.com/

Authors: Amy D. Shojai, Shane Bateman DVM

Overview

What is a burn?

A burn occurs when heat, chemicals, sunlight, electricity or radiation damages skin tissue. Most burns happen accidentally. There are different degrees of burns. Your healthcare provider determines the seriousness (degree) of a burn based on the depth of the burn and the amount of affected skin. Burns can be painful. Left untreated, a burn can lead to infection.

How common are burns?

Close to half a million people go to the emergency department every year with burn injuries. Children are at high risk for accidental burns. Every day, more than 300 children receive emergency treatment for burn injuries.

Who might get a burn?

Accidental burns can happen to anyone, although children, teenagers and older people are most at risk. These age groups are more prone to burn injuries from cooking, such as spilling a boiling pan of water onto skin. Children and teens are also more likely to mess around with lighters, matches and fireworks or get sunburns.

What are the types of burns?

Healthcare providers classify burns by degrees of severity. Your provider will evaluate the extent of skin damage. Burn degrees include:

• First-degree burns are mild (like most sunburns). The top layer of skin (epidermis) turns red and is painful but doesn't typically blister.
• Second-degree burns affect skin's top and lower layers (dermis). You may experience pain, redness, swelling and blistering.
• Third-degree burns affect all three skin layers: epidermis, dermis and fat. The burn also destroys hair follicles and sweat glands. Because third-degree burns damage nerve endings, you probably won't feel pain in the area of the burn itself, rather adjacent to it. Burned skin may be black, white or red with a leathery appearance.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes burns?

Many things can cause a burn. Thermal sources, including fire, hot liquids, steam and contact with hot surfaces, are the most common causes of burns. Other causes include exposure to:

• Chemicals, such as cement, acids or drain cleaners.
• Radiation.
• Electricity.
• Sun (ultraviolet or UV light).

What are the signs of burns?

Skin Friction Burn Treatment

Burn symptoms vary depending on the severity or degree of the burn. Symptoms are often worse during the first few hours or days after the burn. Burn symptoms include:

• Blisters.
• Pain.
• Swelling.
• White or charred (black) skin.
• Peeling skin.

Diagnosis and Tests

How are burns diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will examine the burn to determine the degree or severity. This process involves estimating the percentage of the body affected by the burn and its depth. Your provider may classify the burn as:

• Minor: First- and second-degree burns that cover less than 10% of the body are considered minor and rarely require hospitalization.
• Moderate: Second-degree burns that cover about 10% of the body are classified as moderate. Burns on the hands, feet, face or genitals can range from moderate to severe.
• Severe: Third-degree burns that cover more than 1% of the body are considered severe.

Management and Treatment

How are burns managed or treated?

Burn treatment varies depending on the cause and severity. You need to keep all burns clean and apply proper bandages/dressing depending on the severity of the wounds. Treating the person's pain is key: inadequate control can interfere with wound care.

Continue to check wounds for signs of infection and other long term issues, such as scarring and tightening of the skin over joints and muscles, which makes them difficult to move.

Treatments by burn type include:

• First-degree burns: Run cool water over the burn. Don't apply ice. For sunburns, apply aloe vera gel. For thermal burns, apply antibiotic cream and cover lightly with gauze. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication.
• Second-degree burns: Treatment for second- and first-degree burns is similar. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a stronger antibiotic cream that contains silver, such as silver sulfadiazine, to kill bacteria. Elevating the burned area can reduce pain and swelling.
• Third-degree burns: Third-degree burns can be life-threatening and often require skin grafts. Skin grafts replace damaged tissue with healthy skin from another of the uninjured part of the person's body. The area where the skin graft is taken from generally heals on its own. If the person does not have enough skin available for a graft at the time of injury, a temporary source of graft can come from a deceased donor or a human-made (artificial) source but these will eventually need to be replace by the person's own skin. Treatment also includes extra fluids (usually given intravenously, with an IV) to keep blood pressure steady and prevent shock and dehydration.

What are the complications of burns?

Third-degree burns that are deep and affect a large portion of skin are very serious and can be life-threatening. Even first- and second-degree burns can become infected and cause discoloration and scarring. First-degree burns don't cause scarring.

Potential complications of third-degree burns include:

• Arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disturbances, caused by an electrical burn.
• Dehydration.
• Disfiguring scars and contractures.
• Edema (excess fluid and swelling in tissues).
• Organ failure.
• Pneumonia.
• Seriously low blood pressure (hypotension) that may lead to shock.
• Severe infection that may lead to amputation or sepsis.

Prevention

How can I prevent a burn?

Burns have many accidental causes. You can take these steps to reduce the risk of burns:

• Wear sunscreen.
• Set your home's hot water heater below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Always test the water in a shower or bath before getting in or bathing a child.
• Lock up chemicals, lighters and matches.
• Use the stove's back burners as much as possible when cooking, turn handles of pots and pans where they won't be bumped and don't leave the stove unattended.
• Don't hold a child when you're near hot objects, such as the stove.
• Set safeguards around a fireplace and never leave a child unattended.
• Install and regularly test smoke detectors in your home.
• Stock your home with fire extinguishers and know how to use them.
• Cover electrical outlets.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with burns?

With proper treatment, most first- and second-degree burns heal over two to three weeks. Depending on the burn severity, you may have some scarring, which may fade over time. People recovering from third-degree burns need physical and occupational therapy to maintain joint mobility and improve function. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression after a burn event. Thanks to medical advancements, many people who have burns covering even up to 90% of their bodies survive .

Living With

When should I call the doctor?

You should call your healthcare provider if you experience:

• Burns on the hands, feet, face or genitalia.
• Burns that don't improve after two weeks.
• Blistering.
• Severe pain.
• Fever, yellow or green discharge, or other signs of infection.
• Signs of PTSD or depression.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

You may want to ask your healthcare provider:

• What degree is the burn?
• What is the best treatment for this burn?
• What steps can I take to lower the risk of infection?
• What steps can I take to lower the risk of scarring?
• What steps can I take to lower the future risk of accidental burns?
• Should I look out for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Infected Friction Burn Treatment

Burns happen accidentally. Children and older adults are at highest risk. All deep burns require treatment to prevent infection and scarring. Third-degree burns are the most serious type and can be life-threatening. However, first- and second-degree burns are more painful. If you or a loved one has a blistering burn, prompt medical attention can aid healing. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to lower your family's risk of accidental burns.