Review of Traditional First Aid for Burn Injuries in the 21st Century

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Global Health

Background:

• Traditional burn first aid practices vary globally.
• The use of inappropriate materials for burn first aid is a significant concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze data on traditional burn first aid materials used worldwide.
• To understand the prevalence and effectiveness of different first aid interventions for burns.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across 8 databases for studies published in the 21st century.
• Data extraction on demographics, first aid methods, materials used, water irrigation, and knowledge sources.
• Synthesis and discussion of the application of various traditional burn first aid materials.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 28 studies involving 20,150 subjects.
• Only 29% of individuals used cool-water irrigation; 46% used traditional materials, and 30% administered no first aid.
• Higher education and socioeconomic status correlated with appropriate first aid choices.

Conclusions:

• Cool-water irrigation is the optimal burn first aid.
• Many traditional materials are unsuitable or harmful for burn care, particularly in resource-limited settings.
• Public health education, access to water, hygiene, and healthcare are essential for improving burn first aid outcomes.