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Conditions: You see a casualty who is suffering from a burn.
Necessary materials and equipment:
casualty’s first aid packet and
canteen of water.
Standards:
Gave first aid for a burn without causing
further injury to the casualty.
Eliminated the source of the burn, if
necessary.
Applied a field dressing lightly over
the burn.
The sides of the dressing were sealed
and the dressing did not slip.
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Performance
Steps
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1. Eliminate the source of the burn.
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a.
Thermal burns. If the casualty’s clothing is on fire, cover the casualty
with a field jacket or any large
piece of nonsynthetic material and
roll him on the ground to put out
the flames.
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b.
Electrical burns.
If the casualty is in contact
with an electrical source, turn the
electricity off if the switch is
nearby.
If the electricity cannot be
turned off, drag the casualty away
from the source using any
nonconductive material (rope,
clothing, or dry wood).
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WARNING
Do
not touch the casualty or the
electrical source with your bare
hands.
You will be injured too!
WARNING
High
voltage electrical burns from an
electrical source or lightning may
cause temporary unconsciousness,
difficulties in breathing, or
difficulties with the heart (irregular
heartbeat)
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c.
Chemical burns.
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WARNING
Blisters
caused by a blister agent are actually
burns.
Do not try to decontaminate
skin where blisters have already
formed.
If blisters have not formed,
decontaminate the skin
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(1)
Remove liquid chemicals
from the burned casualty by
flushing with as much water or
other nonflammable fluid as
possible.
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(2)
Remove dry chemicals by
carefully brushing them off with a
clean, dry cloth.
If large amounts of water
are available, flush the area.
Otherwise, apply no water.
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(3)
Smother burning white
phosphorus with water, a wet
cloth, or wet mud.
Keep the area covered with
the wet material.
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d.
Laser burns. Move the casualty away from the source while avoiding eye
contact with the beam source.
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Note. After the
casualty is removed from the source of
the burn, he should be monitored
continually for the development of
conditions that may require the
performance of basic lifesaving
measures.
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2. Uncover the burn.
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WARNING
Do
not uncover the wound in a chemical
environment.
Exposure could cause additional
harm
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a.
Cut clothing covering the
burned area.
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WARNING
Do
not attempt to remove clothing that is
stuck to the wound.
Additional harm could result
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b.
Gently lift away clothing
covering the burned area.
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Note. Do not pull
clothing over the burns.
Note. If the
casualty’s hand(s) or wrist(s) have
been burned, remove jewelry (rings,
watches) and place them in his
pockets.
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3. Apply a field dressing to the burn.
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Note. If the burn
is caused by white phosphorus, the
dressing must be wet.
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a.
Apply the dressing, white
side down, directly over the wound.
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b.
Wrap the tails so that
the dressing is covered and both
sides are sealed.
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c.
Tie the tails into a
nonslip knot over the outer edge of
the dressing, not over the wound.
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d.
Check to make sure that
the dressing is applied lightly over
the burn but firmly enough to
prevent slipping.
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Note. Electricity
often leaves entry and exit burns.
Both burns should be treated.
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4. Observe precautions to avoid further injury.
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a.
Do not break blisters.
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b.
Do not apply grease or
ointments to the burns.
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c.
Do not place dressings
over the face or genital area.
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Note. If the
casualty is conscious and not
nauseated, give him small amounts of
water to drink.
Note. Watch the
casualty closely for life-threatening
conditions, check for other injuries,
and seek medical aid.
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Evaluation Preparation:
Setup: You will need
another soldier to play the part of the
casualty. Simulate the burn(s) by marking the casualty’s body with a
suitable material.
Provide materials appropriate for the
burn being simulated (piece of rope,
blanket, water, field dressing, or clean
cloth).
If a field dressing is used, use the
same one repeatedly.
If an electrical burn is being
simulated, have the casualty lie on a piece
of wire or rope and have enough materials
available to treat two simulated burns.
Brief
Soldier: Tell the soldier what is burning the casualty and have the
soldier take appropriate action.
After the soldier completes step 1,
tell the soldier that the casualty is
conscious and has no injuries other than
burns.
When testing step 2, you can vary the
test by telling the soldier that clothing is
stuck to the burn or that a chemical
environment exists.
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Performance
Measures
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GO
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NO
GO
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1. Eliminated the source of the burn.
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—
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—
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2. Uncovered the burn.
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—
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—
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3. Applied a field dressing.
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—
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—
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Evaluation
Guidance:
Score the soldier GO if all
performance measures are passed.
Score the soldier NO GO if any
performance measure is failed.
If the soldier scores NO GO, show
what was done wrong and how to do it
correctly.
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References
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Required
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Related
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FM
4-25.11
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