Hi, Doug recommends the use of BurnAway Plus for burn treatment, and it uses tea tree oil and aloe. I've also found that people recommend and/or use WaterJel with tea tree oil and lidocaine, and Tender's After Burn with aloe and lidocaine. I have several questions for choosing between these for everyday and emergency first aid use:

When is aloe better and when is tea tree oil better for the treatment of burns? Why does one company use one but another company uses the other? Which parts of the treatment (hydration, cooling, pain relief, biocide, other) do they each excel in?

Which preparations are more stable for long term shelf life over time and temperature swings? Most products don't publish this data, but Water Jel says their stuff works even after temperature swings, for a total shelf life of 5 years.

Which is likely to cause more allergic reactions? Why is lidocaine sometimes not used in treatments? Is it due to cost, the possibility of allergic reactions, or some other reason?

The best treatment isn't worth much if it isn't with you, and the single use packets of Water Jel seem convenient at the cost of being more expensive for small EDC first aid kits. Are there other brands that offer similar packaging?

Other stories and accounts that don't directly answer these questions but give some insight into available choices would also be most appreciated. Thanks!

I say nay to all lidocain based products. Absolutely and utterly nay. Aloe and tea tree oil both have extensive apocrophal and some scientific evidence to support them, but any burn that you are going to treat with first aid the lidocain is just there to keep you from sniffling. Yes, burns hurt, the worst pain I've ever felt, but my concern is that the loss of sensation lets you ignore things like additional abrasions and lacerations. I'd rather it hurt like hell and know if I"ve further damaging the tissue than be comfortably numb. I'd rather just cool it, and keep the skin hydrated.

Then again, I'm still trying to convince the docs that I should have an epi-pen because of the world's love of lidocain and benzocain. My reaction to the stuff feels LIKE a burn, so I might not be the least biased voice. :P

Welcome to ETS! Wow, that's a lot of questions.

I'm normally rather long-winded but I'm a bit pressed for time here so I don't know if I can hit on every single point you raise. The first point about any first aid for burns is to cool the burn and stop the burning process. Probably any of these products does a similar job at cooling.

Once cooling is taken care of, all of the other ingredients are, in my opinion, secondary. Aloe is basically a soothing agent and may somewhat protect the burn but I don't think it's useful on more than superficial burns. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, but that concerns the healing process, not really immediate first aid. Lidocaine is useful for superficial and some partial thickness burns, but for serious burns, the nerve endings are destroyed in the burned tissue so I don't think anesthetic really matters. True lidocaine allergies are very rare although I guess that's just another reason to sue a company.

I personally don't carry any of these burn gels in any of my general first aid kits, however if I worked in certain environments, like in a restaurant kitchen, welding, and a myriad of other places where burns are common, I would definitely consider it.

I use "Burnaway Plus" takes care of burns and skin irritations and other skin problems. Good stuff Manard.

I carry packets of Water Jel Burn Jel, with the primary object of making sure the burnt skin doesn't stick to the 'non-stick' pads I carry (I don't carry any of the 'normal' pads).

I'd probably be just as happy carrying one of the other products.

I like it because I can use the pads with Burn Jel for a burn, the triple antibiotic creme for random wounds, or BloodStop gauze for severe wounds. Lots of flexibility with little weight or bulk.

my edc fak

-john

IMHO, and based upon personal experience, YMMV:

If burns are extensive, you keep them clean and moist and get the patient to the ER. If burns are not extensive, but affect flexor surfaces like hands, or tender parts, you keep them clean and moist and get them to the ER. If burns are not extensive, and do not affect parts that will suffer loss of function, you can treat them as abrasions and be pretty successful. The various gel pads, non-adherent dressings, roots, herbs and berries seem to do no harm, and may offer some topical comfort, but are more suitably kept in a first aid closet than a first aid kit. ER 's and burn centers use silver sulfadiazene for second degree burns, and some docs will send you home with some, some folks keep some in their kits. And some folks keep Barbie bandaids in their kits, cuz they offer some comfort, too. I would assert that carrying the burn dressing stuff in the FAK is kind of like carrying a pair of cruthes in the FAK: might be useful, but there are better ways to use the space.

Lidocaine is not used on extensive areas of broken skin because of the danger of systemic absorption. Absorbed lidocaine can decrease heart muscle irritability-which is why we use it IV for some dysrrhythmias- and can affect the cenral nervous system, causing stupor and convulsions.

What I want to know is why on earth do you need a Rx for silver sulfadiazene?

Oh, and where do I get some of those Barbie bandaids?

-john

I agree that cooling, cooling, and more cooling is the best first aid.

Immersion in cool water really works for burns to the extremities. If it hurts when you take it out, you need to put it back in. Keep it in cool water for as many hours as it takes. The results next day are near miraculous.

I don't know where the line is for very serious burns. Would the reduction in damage from immersion be worth the increased risk of infection?

Do remember this......The skin helps to regulate body temp.....

Excessive cooling can lead to HYPOthermia. Especially of the larger and more serious burns.

Our 'local' burn center (in Tampa) doesn't want us using the burn gel packs on burns greater than 15% BSA (Body Surface Area).

BSA: Your hand= approx. 1% of 'YOUR' BSA.
Your friends hand= approx 1% of 'HIS' BSA.

Rule of Nines:

Head - 9%
Left Arm ( Front and Back ) - 9%
Right Arm ( Front and Back ) - 9%
Chest - 9%
Upper Back - 9%
Abdomen - 9%
Lower Back and Buttocks - 9%
Groin = 1%
Left Leg - Front - 9%
Left Leg - Back - 9%
Right Leg - Front - 9%
Right Leg - Back - 9%
Total: 100%