Tag: Burns

STOP: Mum issues safety warning after toddler suffered 27% burns

A mum whose daughter fell into a scalding bath when she was just three-years-old has urged other parents to be aware of the dangers of burns.

Little Courtney, now seven, spent years battling back to full health after she suffered devastating burns to more than a quarter of her body.

The schoolgirl, from Kirkcaldy, had to undergo numerous painful procedures and physiotherapy at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh following the accident.

Now on “Burns Awareness Day” (12th October), her mum, Chloe Abrahams, is warning other parents to be aware of potential burns hazards around the home.

Chloe said: “I would never have thought that tap water could burn so badly.

“The pain Courtney went through just from lifting her into a different position on the hospital bed still breaks my heart when I think about it. Seeing my daughter in that state was the worst thing I’ve ever been through.”

Courtney’s accident happened in 2018. She was reaching for a toy when she tumbled into a bath that was filling with scalding water.

Chloe said: “We heard horrendous screams and found that Courtney had fallen into a scalding hot bath. I quickly scooped her out of the bath, stripped her clothes off and wrapped her in a wet towel. She was covered in massive bulging blisters and we rushed her to hospital. But at this point, I didn’t realise how much damage had already been done.”

Courtney was immediately transferred to the high dependency unit in the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) where she was sent to theatre every few days to get her burns scrubbed and redressed to prevent any infections.

Her little thighs and feet received the worst damage as her socks and pants had held the scalding water close to her skin.

After being released from hospital, Courtney’s feet had to stay bandaged for over a month, meaning that she was struggling to walk for up to two months.

She received regular physiotherapy alongside numerous other appointments for over a year to aid her recovery and to help with the inevitable scarring.

Chloe added: “I honestly can’t thank all the amazing doctors and nurses at the RHCYP enough. Courtney is now seven and is doing great. She has lots of scars but she doesn’t let them define her.

“I would like other families to know that you can turn the water temperature down on your boiler. If we had known that – things might have been different for us.”

According to the Burns and Plastics Clinic at the RHCYP, burns are the most common household injury with over 7,000 children suffering serious burns or scalds in the UK in 2021.

As Halloween and bonfire night approaches Rosie Bainsfair, Burns & Plastics Nurse Specialist at the RHCYP, said: “Many of the children we see at the RHCYP in Edinburgh are injured in accidents around the house, involving very common things like hot drinks, irons or hair straighteners.

“If your child has a burn or scald, follow this simple ‘STOP’ first aid advice:

“Strip clothes, jewellery or nappies off (unless they are stuck to the skin).

“Turn on a cold tap or shower and run the burn under cool water for 20 minutes whilst keeping the child warm. Do not use ice.

“Organise medical assistance – attend A and E or dial 999.

“Protect the burn with cling film, provide painkillers and keep the child warm.”

To find out more about how you can prevent burns from happening at home, please visit the Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents website here. 

Scottish Bomber Command veteran to remember 555,573 fallen comrades

Ninety-eight-year-old Jim Marshall will join hundreds of families and friends to remember the 55,573 members of Bomber Command on Sunday at a service at the Bomber Command Memorial.

The service at the Memorial in London’s Green Park will include a virtual audience enabling many more veterans to join the proceedings. The service is held annually by the Memorial’s custodian, the RAF Benevolent Fund, to mark the unveiling of the Memorial which was first revealed by Her Majesty The Queen in 2012.

Jim, who lives in the Erskine veterans’ village at Bishopton, joined the RAF aged 18 in 1941, and trained as a navigator flying in Wellingtons with 38 Squadron, serving all over the world. He flew more than 100 operations without incident, until crash landing during a search and rescue mission a month after VE Day had been declared. Jim was the only survivor of his crew. 

Jim was so badly burned only one shoe remained and went on to become a member of the Guinea Pig Club, under the care of pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe.

He said: “The Bomber Command Memorial means everything to me. It is recognition of all my brave comrades who were forgotten after the end of the War. We did our duty and my fallen friends should always be remembered for their sacrifices.

“Although I’m not able to attend the service in person, to be able to join and take part from afar is testament to the RAF Benevolent Fund’s dedication to RAF veterans, working hard to make this happen.”

The service will be led by Reverend (Squadron Leader) Chrissie Lacey and includes wreath laying from representatives from some of the 60 nations who served in Bomber Command as well as Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston.

Fund supporter Sue Holderness, whose own father Anthony served with Bomber Command, will be narrating the livestream, for audience members at home.

RAF Benevolent Fund Controller Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot said: “We at the Fund are all hugely proud of the role we have in preserving the memory of all the young men who flew in Bomber Command.

“We are equally as proud of our work in supporting this generation of service personnel and their families, ensuring they can live with dignity and comfort into their twilight years.”

Jim is one of thousands of RAF veterans who are supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund every year. To date, the Fund has granted £125,000 to Erskine Care in support of its work providing care for RAF veterans and their partners in Scotland supporting people like Jim.

To join the Bomber Command Memorial virtual service sign up via the Fund’s website.

NHS 24 urges the public to stay safe this Bonfire night

On the 5th of November, celebrations and fireworks displays will take place across Scotland and Dr Laura Ryan, Medical Director at NHS 24, is asking members of the public to put safety first. Continue reading NHS 24 urges the public to stay safe this Bonfire night

CO Be Alarmed – Be Careful with BBQs this summer

Be Careful with BBQs this summer

  • Three quarters (75%) of people are unaware of the potentially fatal risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from barbecues.
  • Two thirds (70%) wouldn’t suspect CO poisoning if they experienced headaches, dizziness or nausea after a barbeque.
  • In Scotland, around eight in ten (83%) are unaware of carbon monoxide poisoning as a potential risk from barbecues, with only one in seven (14%) being aware in Edinburgh and one in five (19%) aware in Glasgow.

As the UK’s scorching temperatures continue through July, new research from the CO Be Alarmed! campaign – published today – reveals that millions of Britons could be at risk this summer because three quarters of them don’t know that barbecues can lead to CO poisoning when not used correctly.

In addition, the research also shows that, worryingly, most people would fail to identify the symptoms of CO poisoning.

Nearly half of Britons are planning to have a barbecue this summer but, despite the potentially fatal consequences of CO poisoning, people are more aware of other risks such as burns, food poisoning and accidents with barbeque implements.

CO Be Alarmed! has come up with these easy to follow steps on how to stay CO Safe this summer:

  • Don’t bring your barbeque into an enclosed space – for example inside a tent or your home. Even when extinguished it will still produce fumes for some time.
  • Always make sure you are in a well-ventilated area when using a barbecue or a gas stove and follow the manufacturers’ safety instructions.
  • If camping, make sure you have an audible carbon monoxide alarm which you can get from DIY stores, high street shops and online.
  • Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it, so make sure you know the symptoms – headaches, dizziness, nausea.

Abbie Sampson, Director of External Affairs at Energy UK and CO Be Alarmed! spokesperson, said: “In this glorious summer weather, it is scary that three quarters of people are not aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide when using a barbecue.

“It is very simple to stay safe from carbon monoxide this summer. Just make sure you use the barbecue in a well-ventilated area and never take it inside your house or tent – even when it is extinguished it could still produce fumes.”

Nichola Ashby, Professional Lead for Education at the Royal College of Nursing said: “If you’ve been sitting round a barbecue in an enclosed space such a tent or garage and get an unexplained headache, sickness or feel unusually sleepy or drowsy, move into the open air immediately and to breathe fresh air. 

If the symptoms persist, seek medical assistance and explain that you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The condition can be difficult for healthcare professionals to diagnose, so the more information you or friends and family can give them, the better”.

The survey reveals that burns (65%), food poisoning (62%), accidental fires (56%), accidents with barbeque implements (36%), alcohol related accidents (33%) all came above carbon monoxide poisoning (25%) in people’s awareness of the potential risks from barbecues. If suffering the symptoms of CO poisoning, 38% of people would think they had food poisoning and 31% sunstroke.