ouch dammit!-well that sucked-or 2nd degree burns are fun!

[BlaqueKatt]

ok necessary backgroud info: so all the testing media we make in the lab gets autoclaved at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit(or 121 Celcius) We have to have an internal temperature with a submersion thermometer. Now when autoclaving media in test tubes we can't put a thermometer in the test tube, so we have it in a flask of water. Now us lab assistants keep the water level in the flask at about halfway (250 ml erlenmeyer flask)-my boss fills it to within a half-inch from the top.

Well apparently my boss had "adjusted" the water level in the flask I put in the autoclave and didn't bother telling me because when I shifted the flask to get the test tube racks out of the autoclave-flask went 'splodie-all over my arm. I now have 2nd degree burns on my elbow-we have one less flask(I dropped and broke it), and our "over a year with no reportable accidents" chart has been reset.

everything that's red is a blister-this sucks-and this is a bad pic but it actually goes all the way across my elbow-and there's a total of 5 large blisters

[Bandit]

UHGGGG!

Sorry to hear about that, Blaque!

Burns suck big time. I learned that the hard way as a cold soldering iron looks *exactly* the same as a hot soldering iron.

OUCHIE!

B

[Andara Bledin]

Owie! *winces*

I can't imagine how irritating that's going to be while it's healing.

^-.-^

[bainsidhe]

Holy crap! Kinda goes without saying, but document everything and have injury reports out the wazoo. I've never had a burn that big/bad, so please make sure you have proper care instructions so you don't get an infection. And methinks a new posted policy should be in place regarding boiley liquids. Hopefully that means people will follow it. Good luck and I hope you heal quickly!

[JoitheArtist]

I don't know how well it would work with a burn that size, but aloe vera gel can really help with the pain and heat.

I really hope your arm heals up soon!!

[LillFilly]

Ouch. I hope there is something in writing about what the water level is supposed to be at and that your boss gets chewed-out for adding more water! Hope it heals without any problems. I'd try aloe gel, or actually slicing aloe plant leaves and laying them on the burns; it works really well!

[Becks]

Holy biscuit!!!

[ShetenshiSenshi]

That looks painful. I recently gave myself a very bad second degree burn back in November in the oven, but not as big as yours. That's going to hurt like hell for a while. My advice to you is to keep it covered until the blisters go away. I was using A&D ointment and those Johnson & Johnson petroleum burn dressings, and then wrapping it in an elastic bandage. DO NOT BREAK THOSE BLISTERS!

[RestaurantDude]

Wot 'e said. Don't break the blisters. Keep them covered with bandages. Change the bandages twice a day, ideally. When changing the bandages, apply the appropriate burn cream.

2nd degree burns suck, especially those from boiling water. I know this from painful experience. Hope it heals up soon.

[Naaman]

Actually, if you talk to your pharmacy they should be able to get you some decent sized Hydrocolloid dressings (they may have this on the shelves but they're probably too small). Whilst they're not that much more effective than a good ointment, dressing and bandage in regards to healing time they can be left on longer (reduces infection chance) and because they're a gel there's less chance of scarring.

[BlaqueKatt]

there's no pain(2nd degree burns usually don't hurt-the nerves get cooked)-and trust me I've had worse so I know how to deal with it(2nd and 3rd degree burns on both legs when I was 22)-I'm good it's just really annoying.

[RootedPhoenix]

OUCH all the same.

*offers chocolate*

[thegiraffe]

there's no pain(2nd degree burns usually don't hurt-the nerves get cooked)-

Almost correct. 2nd degree are the most painful (actual) burns, yet the second most serious.

1st degree - painful. These are burns to only the outer layer of skin. Characterized by redness, it may swell and be tender. These generally don't blister.

2nd degree - very very painful. These are burns to the first and second layers of skin. Almost immediate blistering, extreme redness, and swelling. Like ShetenshiSenshi said - don't break the blisters. That's a one-way ticket to infectionville.

3rd degree - This is the most severe. The burn goes totally through the skin and the burn may involve fat and muscle. The skin usually looks charred (think hamburger) or ashy, leathery, and whitish. The actual burn usually doesn't hurt because the nerve endings are fried (due to the burn going through the skin), but the area around the burn usually hurts because those nerve endings are still intact. These usually result in permanent damage.


I'm not a doctor (though I have years of first aid training), but it definitely sounds like a 2nd degree burn because it blistered but you didn't mention it turning ashy or leathery or anything. At any rate, because it does cover a relatively large part of your arm, I would recommend getting it checked out. The fact that it doesn't hurt probably means that you have a very high pain tolerance. 2nd degree burns SHOULD hurt....

Good luck with it!

[BlaqueKatt]

this is what I have

Second-degree burns are injuries to the skin caused by heat, radiation, electricity, chemicals, or friction. These burns are also called partial-thickness burns.

Deep partial-thickness burns injure deeper skin layers and are white with red areas. They are often caused by contact with hot oil, grease, soup, or microwaved liquids. This kind of burn is not painful, but it can cause a sensation of pressure. The skin looks spotted, remains white when pressed, may appear waxy in some areas, and is dry or slightly moist.

and it's healing fine with neosporin and aquaphor dressings-which is what I used for my third-degree burns-I've been in enough for various burns I know what to look for and how to treat them(it has turned white in spots and looks a bit waxy/leathery-the dead skin of the blisters is drying/resorbing-but no sign of infection.