Doncaster residents urged to stay safe by doctors and nurses this Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night is traditionally a very busy time for those working in the emergency services, with an influx of patients attending with minor injuries such as burns causes by sparklers and other mishaps.

These injuries are often highly avoidable and, as such, doctors and nurses at the Trust are asking local people to be sensible with celebrations this year to avoid putting any further stress on NHS services at an already difficult time.

Dr Juan Ballesteros, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Associate Medical Director for Clinical Safety at DBTH, said: “We are urging people to stay safe during their Bonfire Night activities this year.

“It just takes a slight slip in your attention for something to go badly wrong and cause what could be a potentially serious injury to you, or to someone else.

"So please, by all means have a fantastic time celebrating but we would ask that you do so in a safe and sensible manner.”

Despite best intentions, sometimes things can go wrong, and you need to know how to react.

With this in mind, here is a brief guide on how to initially treat a burn:

Stop the burning process by removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water or smothering the flames with a blanket as appropriate. Never put yourself at risk of getting burnt too.

Remove any clothing or jewellery on the person that is near to the burnt area of skin. But don’t try to remove anything that is stuck to the burnt skin as this could cause further damage.

Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm water for 10-30 minutes, ideally as soon as possible after the injury occurring. Never use ice, iced water or any creams or greasy substances.

In large burns, keep the injured person warm by using blankets or layers of clothing. Keeping the person warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person’s body temperature drops below 35ºC, which is possible if you are cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people.

Cover the burn in cling film by putting a layer over the burn rather than wrapping it around a limb. This will keep the affected area clean and help to significantly reduce pain. A clean clear plastic bag can be used initially to cover burns on your hand.

The pain caused by a burn can be treated by taking paracetamol or ibuprofen. Once all of these steps have been completed, you should then decide whether you require further treatment.

For minor burn related injuries, residents are advised to go to the Minor Injuries Unit at Montagu Hospital in Mexborough, however if the injury is serious you should attend the Emergency Department. This could be for: Large or deep burns: any burns bigger than the affected person’s hand; Full thickness burns of all sizes: these burns cause white or charred skin; Partial thickness burns on the face hands, arms, feet, legs or genitals: these are burns that cause blisters; Whether your burn is mild, minor or serious, you should seek medical advice if:

The wound becomes increasingly painful or smelly.

You develop a temperature of 38°C or higher.

The dressing becomes soaked with fluid leaking from the wound.

The wound has not healed after two weeks.

Dr Ballesteros concludes: “Our Emergency Departments are experiencing unprecedented demands on the service we provide, and we would like to ensure that members of staff in the Emergency Department are only treating those patients who require their expertise. If your injury is not serious, we would ask that you please use the other services that we have available.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.