Why do burn wounds benefit from cooling (beyond the first few seconds of actually lowering the temperature back to regular skin level)?
As in the title: why do burn wounds benefit from cooling (beyond the first few seconds of actually lowering the temperature back to regular skin level)? Advice for burn wounds always include cooling afterwards because of some 'afterburn', but what does that mean and what are the mechanisms at play here?
As for type of burns, just assume a hot water burn. I am not a medical specialist and don't know the differences.
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Cooling a burn will reduce swelling and help with pain.
(I am first aid / CPR / AED certified. I am also certified to teach first aid / CPR.)
Cooling burn-injured skin has a benificial effect on the extent or depth of the wound. This cannot fully be explained by only "taking away the heat". We know this, because delayed cooling still has a beneficial effect, even if the intradermal temperature has already fully normalized.
Cooling a burn wound influences important cellular and humoral mediators involved in the inflammatory respons that develops in the burning skin. However, the mechanisms are still not fully understood.
This review gives some interesting background information.
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