Burns: Check Your Symptoms

Content provided by Healthwise

When to See a Doctor

Does your child have a burn?

See significance of child's burn if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your child's symptoms.

Call your health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Does your child have a third-degree burn?

Yes

Does your child have a second-degree on his or her face, eyelids, ears, hands, feet, groin area, or over a joint?

Yes

Does your child have a second-degree burn covering from 1% to 10% of his or her body?

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Does your child have a second-degree burn that is larger than a quarter?

Note:

Call your health professional today to determine if a visit is needed. Your health professional may not need to see you for your burn, but he or she will want to ask you questions to determine the seriousness of the burn and what steps you need to take next.

You need an appointment within the next 1 to 2 weeks if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Is the healing scar from a burn pulling the skin tight or preventing normal movement of the area?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Last updated:	February 02, 2007
Author:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Tracy Landauer