How should you respond to a burn injury suffered at sea?

How should you respond to a burn injury suffered at sea?

• A. Apply ice directly to the burn.
• B. Rub dirt on the burn.
• C. Cool with clean water, cover with sterile dressing, monitor for pain, and seek medical attention if severe or large.
• D. Ignore it and continue sailing.

Answer: (C)

When a burn happens at sea, the immediate goal is to limit tissue damage and reduce the risk of infection while you decide if medical care is needed. The best approach is to cool the burn with clean running water for several minutes. This lowers temperature in the skin, helps limit depth of injury, and eases pain. Do not apply ice directly to a burn, as ice can cause further tissue damage.

After cooling, protect the area with a sterile dressing to keep it clean and reduce friction and contamination. Keep the dressing clean and dry as you monitor the injury. Watch how the pain changes and look for signs that the burn is more serious, such as a large area, deep blistering, or involvement of a critical area like the face, hands, feet, joints, or genitals.

Seek medical attention if the burn is large or severe, if pain is intense, or if there are signs of infection (increasing redness, swelling, pus, or fever). On a boat, arrange for medical advice as soon as possible or head to shore if needed.

Dirt, rubbing, or ignoring the burn can introduce infection or allow it to worsen, which is why those options are not appropriate.