Oblivian: 

 

I read that quite a lot are critical. So hopefully it isn't a lot more, but could take a very long time for many to recover. I don't think many of us could imagine the injuries it has caused some of them. 

 

I believe over a certain burn ratio threshold the risk is exponentially greater :(

Seems by reports the Australian experts were equally taken by surprise by the complexity. Mix contaminants with steam burns and add acidity. Can't fathom the ongoing requirements they'll no doubt now face.

When I was a paediatric nurse, the burns ward was one of my least favourite wards to work on. Carrying out burns & meningococcal septicaemic skin; baths, debridement and dressings was quite harrowing. Most times the patients were out to it or in fairy land, on heavy pain relievers and continuous Nitrous Oxide gas.

The two biggest concerns with any of these patients, no matter how deep the burns or necrotic skin is, is infection and hydration. Remember the skin is the bodies largest organ covering 1.5 to 2.0 square metres. Humans are endoskeleton therefore the skin holds everything inside and in place. You damage the skin and that area becomes a portal for anything and everything to enter the body. Hence the report that ED staff was sent running down to the nearest supermarket to buy up glad-wrap by the trolley load.

I remember a crawler, nearly walking, who had pulled opened the already partial opened oven door, climbed onto the door and reached up and pulled down a pot of boiling liquid. Greater than 80% coverage. The mother at the time was just walking out of the adjoining laundry and saw it all in slow motion. She picked the child up, rushed back into the laundry where she had just filled the washing machine, pulled the washing out (it was one of with the fin less agitator types) and she placed the infant into the machine then rang 000. Quick thinking yes but should not have left the oven door open.

So remember 15 to 25 minutes of running water and then wrap in glad-wrap is the best first aid for burns. If no glad-wrap then wet, clean cloths.