‘It was very, very painful’: VCU burn doctors warn about scald injuries, how to treat them

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Burn doctors say scald injuries are becoming a serious problem, so they’re warning people about the risks.

Dr. Michael Feldman, director of the Evans-Haynes Burn Center at VCU Medical Center, said scald injuries can happen by spilling hot liquids like tea, coffee and soup, or even from people bathing in hot water.

However, some people don’t treat scald injuries with the same seriousness as fire injuries.

“I think some folks may think of them as two different entities that scald may not be as bad, but it can really be quite deep in how it injures people,” Dr. Feldman said.

The Burn Center recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, and for Burn Awareness Week, Dr. Feldman said he wants to bring more attention to scald injuries.

Scald injuries are more common in younger children and older adults because their skin is thinner, he said.

If left untreated, a scald injury can lead to infection and scarring. Dr. Feldman said they started treating more patients with scald injuries at the height of the pandemic because more kids stayed home from school.

“That number has come down a bit, but it’s still a big problem,” he said.

When you get a burn or spill hot liquid on yourself, remove yourself from the hot liquid. If you notice redness or blistering, seek urgent care. Dr. Feldman also warns to not put ice or cold water on the wound.

Stacy Clements said she went to the Evans-Haynes Burn center in January.

She was cooking and used an oven mitt to pull a pan out of the oven. She set the pan on the stove and later picked it up without the mitt. She burned her hand by grabbing it while it was still hot.

“I was prepared for the worst-case scenario with my left hand. Fortunately, it wasn’t my dominant hand, but you don’t know how incapacitated you are until you don’t have the use of something,” she said.

Clements received a second-degree burn and planned to go into the center the next day.

“It was very, very painful,” she said. “Don’t apply ice which is what I did. I reached from the cold water directly to the ice and I wrapped it around my hand and then I made sure it stayed in place to keep it cool. That can do more damage than good.”

In September 2021, Charlie Xavier suffered third-degree burns during a brewery fire.

“When tragedy strikes, you can never be ready,” she said.

After spending six months in the ICU and undergoing more than 50 surgeries, she’s now recovering at home with her family.

“Just before Christmas, I figured out how to tackle the stairs. I now go up and down the stairs in my home every night, and I sleep in my old bed. I am able to tuck my kids into bed and read bedtime stories,” she said.

Xavier added the memoir she and her husband wrote during her recovery is a success, and she wouldn’t be where she is today without the care from the doctors at the Burn Center.

“All of them were thrown at me to save my life, and I’m just very, very grateful,” she said.