First Aid Intervention and Knowledge Applied By Mothers of Children with Burn

INTRODUCTION: Most of burn cases treated at burn treatment centers each year are pediatric patients. However, studies show that children with burns are not treated with correct first aid intervention. The study was carried out as a descriptive study to determine the first aid intervention and knowledge of the mothers of the children who were treated with burns. MATERIAL and METHOD: ？Sixty children between the ages of 0-16 who were treated at a state hospital's burn unit and their mothers were included to the study. The data were collected by face-to-face interview technique by using Introductory Information and First Aid Knowledge Form. Data were evaluated using percentage distributions, means and chi-square test. RESULTS: It was found that 70% of mothers did not receive information about first aid in burns and that their knowledge levels were low, Overall, mothers treated burns with water (53.3%), yoghurt and burn oinment (6.7%) ice (5.5%), olive oil (3.3%) and toothpaste, 18.3% took children to hospital without any application. It was determined that the problem associated with the burn wound occurred？ in 41.7% of the children and the most common problem was delayed wound healing. ？The rates of problem development were statistically significantly lower in the children of mother who treated burns with running water and who have knowledge about first aid for burns. CONCLUSION: It was determined that mothers' knowledge about first aid in burn and rate of？ correct and effective first aid intervention were low, only water application as a first aid intervention to the burn wound had a significant effect on the healing of the burn wound. According to these findings, it is recommended that awareness programmes that include right and wrong first aid applications in family, school, hospital and community settings should be developed for first aid interventions