About your visit

Your child has a burn injury, and we have either applied a bandage or given you instructions for treating the burn in another way. If a bandage has been applied, it should stay on for 10 days, unless we have agreed otherwise.

When you get home

Keep an eye on your child's bandage

Keep the bandage dry and do not move it as this will increase the risk of infection and delay healing.

Dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline if:

• liquid from the wounds seeps through the bandage or the bandage gets wet
• the bandage becomes loose or moves
• your child develops a fever.

If the burn is not being treated with a bandage

If your child has not been given a bandage, prepare a bowl of clean, lukewarm water with neutral soap (pH around 4.5). Soak the burned area in the soapy water several times a day until all blisters have burst and new skin begins to form.

Once the blister has burst, you can place a regular plaster over the area to protect the new skin.

When new skin has formed, apply a rich cream to the area several times a day. Continue applying the cream until the skin is strong and fully healed.

Your child may move around as much as they are able to.

Give your child pain-relieving medicine, if necessary

You can give your child pain-relieving medicine if they are in pain. Pain-relieving medicine for children can be bought over the counter. Only give your child the amount of pain reliever recommended on the package.

Reduce swelling

It is normal for skin on or around the burn to swell. Depending on where on the body your child was burned, you can help your child reduce swelling by elevating the area:

• Face burns: Raise the head of the bed at night or have your child sleep with an extra pillow under the head.
• Burns on the forearm: Place or help your child hold the forearm above the level of the heart several times a day.
• Burns on the lower legs and feet: Keep your child’s leg still and rest it on a chair when sitting down.

Check-up

Depending on the extent of the injury, your child must be checked within 3-10 days. We will talk to you about what applies to you:

Your child has a check-up and will have their bandages changed in approximately  ______ days.

You must book an appointment with:

☐ your child’s general practitioner

☐ Rigshospitalet, Afdeling for Plastikkirurgi og Brandsårsbehandling
(Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns Treatment)
Afsnit 7034, opgang 7, 3. sal
Inge Lehmanns Vej 8
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Telephone: +45 35 45 70 35
Telephone hours: Monday-Friday between 08:00 and 15:00.

Practical precautions

Avoid direct sunlight

Avoid direct sunlight on scars as long as they are red. Scars can stay red for 1-2 years. During this period, the skin is especially at risk of sunburn and can darken. The dark colour will not disappear. We recommend that your child use a high SPF or wear clothing that covers the scars.

Worth knowing