Carenotes > Electrical Burn In Children (Discharge Care)

Electrical Burn In Children

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Electrical burns are injuries that may happen when your child touches an electric current (electricity). If a current enters your child's body, it will cause damage wherever it passes. The current causes the most damage to skin and tissue where electricity enters and exits your child's body. Your child's muscles, blood vessels, nerves, bones, and fat may also get damaged. Your child may get electrical burns even if the current does not go through his body. Some causes of low-voltage electrical currents include household electric machines and outlets. Voltage is a way to measure electricity. High-voltage currents are usually found outside, such as in electric wires, cables, and lightning.
  
  
• When your child is burned, his tissue gets damaged and begins to die. He may have a fast heartbeat, reddish urine, or be dizzy and confused. He may have trouble moving or breathing. Your child may need different kinds of surgeries to treat his burn wounds. He may also need extra fluid or blood. With treatment, your child may have less pain or infections caused by germs called bacteria. Your child may have less tissue damage and he may feel better about his appearance. Your child may be able to return to school or his normal daily activities sooner than without treatment.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Your child's medicines:

• Keep a list of your child's medicines: Keep a written list of the medicines your child takes, the amounts, and when and why they are taken. Bring the list of your child's medicines or the medicine bottles when you visit your child's caregivers. Ask your child's caregiver for more information about the medicines. Do not give any medicines to your child without first asking your child's caregiver. This includes prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbs, or food supplements.
  
  
• Give your child's medicine as directed: Always give your child's medicine as directed by his caregivers. Call your child's caregiver if you think your child's medicines are not helping. Call if you feel your child is having side effects. Do not quit giving the medicines to your child until you discuss it with your child's caregiver.
  
  
• Antibiotics: This medicine may help fight infection. Give this medicine as ordered until it is all gone, even if your child feels better. Stopping an antibiotic without the caregiver's OK may make it unable to kill the bacteria causing the infection. Tell a caregiver if your child is allergic to antibiotics. Antibiotics may have silver in it to help fight infection. It may also help your child's burn heal faster. Silver medicine may be placed on your child's skin as an ointment or his bandages may contain silver.
  
  
• Pain medicine: Caregivers may give medicine to decrease your child's pain. Tell a caregiver if your child's pain does not go away or comes back after taking this medicine. Pain medicine can have side effects. Tell a caregiver if your child has trouble breathing, is very sleepy, or has an upset stomach. Tell a caregiver if your child is allergic to any medicine.
  
  
• Heart medicine: This medicine may be given to make your child's heart beat stronger or more regularly. There are many different kinds of heart medicines. Talk with caregivers to find out what your child's medicine is and why he is taking it.
  
  
• Diuretics: This medicine may be given to help your child's body and lungs get rid of extra fluid. This can help your child breathe easier. Diuretics may make your child urinate more often.
  
  
• Steroid medicine: Steroid medicine may be given to decrease pain and swelling. It may help your child's muscles become stronger. Your caregiver may put steroids on your child's skin as an ointment. He may also give steroids to your child as a pill, shot, or in his IV. This medicine can help a lot but may also have side effects. Be sure you understand why your child needs steroids. Do not stop giving this medicine without your child's caregivers OK. Stopping steroid medicine without your child's caregiver's OK may cause problems.

Ask your child's caregiver when to return for a follow-up visit. Keep all appointments. Write down any questions you and your child may have. This way you will remember to ask these questions during your child's next visit.

Your child may need to see his caregiver many times after his electrical burn. Your child's caregiver will check to see if your child's burn wounds are healing. He will also check your child's joints and how well he moves. Your child may need to have more surgeries. Tell your child's caregiver if you have noticed any new symptoms.

Caring for your child's wound: You may need to bandage your child's burns to keep the area moist and clean. You may need to wash the area with soap and water. Special medicine may need to be put on your child's burn before bandaging it. Your child's bandages may need to be changed more than once a day. Ask your child's caregiver how to care for your child's burn wound or surgery site.

Therapies: Your child may need to have rehabilitation (rehab). Rehab uses different therapists to help your child function better.

• Physical therapy: A physical therapist may help your child with special exercises. These exercises may help your child's muscles and bones become stronger. Your child may move his limbs in different directions by himself or with the help of his caregiver. By exercising your child's joints, a physical therapist may help find where thick scars are forming. He may also help your child's joints function better. Your child may need to wear splints or casts to help prevent his muscles from shrinking. This may help prevent his joints and bones from becoming deformed.
  
  
• Massage therapy: A massage therapist may help your child feel less pain. Massage therapy may also help prevent thick scars from forming.
  
  
• Speech therapy: A speech therapist may work with your child to help him talk.

Pressure garments: Your child may need to wear special pressure garments (clothing) over his burns. Pressure garments may help keep thick scars from forming. Your child may need to wear a garment for most of the day. Pressure garments are custom made to fit your child. Ask your child's caregiver for more information about pressure garments.

Preventing electrical burns in the home: It is important to put socket covers on all unused electric outlet plugs in your home. Ask your caregiver for more information about the right kind of socket cover for you. Other safety measures include:

• Cords and wires:
  
  
  • Never allow your child to touch, bite, or suck on wires.
    
    
  • Cover or fix wires that are exposed (seen).
    
    
  • Replace damaged electric cords.
    
    
  • Use safety cords like circuit breakers or ground fault interrupters.
    
    
  • Avoid using extension cords.
  
  
• Electric machines: Electric machines use a cord that plugs into the wall or batteries. Some examples of household electric machines include radios, computers, blenders, toasters, vacuums, and televisions. Some toys may also have cords or batteries.
  
  
  • Keep electric machines out of reach of your child.
    
    
  • Turn off and unplug electric machines when not in use.
    
    
  • Do not use electric machines near water.
    
    
  • Fix or throw away broken electric machines.
  
  
• Toys:
  
  
  • Supervise your child when using electric toys.
    
    
  • Do not allow your child to play with an electric toy that does not have an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) safety label.
    
    
  • Do not allow your child to play with damaged electric toys.

Electricity safety measures for children: Ask your child's caregiver for the best way to teach electricity safety measures to your child. Your child's caregiver may tell you to do any of the following safety measures:

• Inside:
  
  
  • Tell your child to never touch or put anything inside of an electric outlet.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch, bite, or suck on wires.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch an electric machine without your OK.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch a water heater or a radiator (room heater).
  
  
• Outside:
  
  
  • Tell your child to never climb a power pole.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch a power line or wire with part of his body.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch a power line or wire with a stick, pole, or other object.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never touch a power box or transformer.
    
    
  • Tell your child to never fly a kite near power lines.

Lightning safety measures: Your child can get a high-voltage electric burn from lightning. Lightning safety measures may help your child decrease his risk of being struck by lightning. Teach your child to do the following during a storm:

• Go inside when it starts to rain, he hears thunder, or sees lightning.
  
  
• Do not touch any metal objects, such as fences or bicycles.
  
  
• Sit on his heels with both feet together and place his hands over his ears (if outside).
  
  
• Do not bathe, shower, or touch faucets.
  
  
• Avoid standing next to objects taller than him.
  
  
• Do not touch anything during a storm that uses electricity, including a computer, telephone, or radio.

For support and more information: Electrical burn injuries may be life-changing for your child and your family. Accepting that your child had an electric burn injury may be hard. Your child may be worried or feel sad about his burn and his appearance. These are normal feelings. Talk to your child's caregivers, family, or friends about these feelings. You may also talk with your child's school staff and counselors. Contact the following for more information:

• American Academy of Pediatrics
  141 Northwest Point Boulevard
  Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
  Phone: 1-847-434-4000
  Web Address: http://www.aap.org
  

• American College of Surgeons
  633 N. Saint Clair St.
  Chicago, IL 606113211
  Phone: 1-312-2025000
  Phone: 1-800-6214111
  Web Address: http://www.facs.org
  

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• Your child has a fever (high body temperature).
  
  
• Your child feels dizzy or weak.
  
  
• Your child has problems moving or keeping his balance.
  
  
• Your child has stiffness or pain in his muscles.
  
  
• Your child has pain that does not go away, even after taking pain medicine.
  
  
• Your child's surgery site is red, thickened, swollen, or painful.
  
  
• Your child develops dark or black areas on his skin.
  
  
• You have questions or concerns about your child's condition, treatment, or care.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• Your child has problems moving parts of his body.
  
  
• Your child has problems sleeping, focusing, or remembering.
  
  
• Your child has trouble thinking or staying awake.
  
  
• Your child fainted (passed out) or has a seizure (uncontrolled shaking).
  
  
• Your child suddenly has trouble seeing or hearing.
  
  
• Your child has trouble breathing.
  
  
• Your child has red or reddish black urine.
  
  
• Your child starts bleeding and does not stop. Immediately put pressure on your child's wound to stop the bleeding and then seek care or call 911.

Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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