What is the first step in burn treatment?

The first step in burn treatment is immediate cooling of the burn area. This is vital as it serves multiple purposes: it helps to reduce the temperature of the burn, which can minimize tissue damage, and it alleviates pain for the affected individual. Cooling the burn is typically done with cool (not cold) running water for at least 10-20 minutes, which stops the burning process and can prevent further injury to the skin and underlying tissues.

Monitoring for infection, hydration, and the removal of dead skin are important aspects of burn management but come into play after immediate cooling and first aid measures have been administered. Infection monitoring is crucial for the healing stage, hydration supports recovery, and removing dead skin is part of advanced wound care but is usually addressed later on, once the initial acute stage treatment has been handled. Prioritizing immediate cooling is essential to effectively manage burns and promote the best possible healing outcome.