Cool the burn with running water for at least 10 minutes to minimize damage and pain.

What is the recommended immediate care for a severe burn?

• A. Cover with a sterile dressing
• B. Apply ice directly to the burn
• C. Cool the burn with running water for at least 10 minutes
• D. Use topical ointments to soothe the skin

Answer: (C)

The recommended immediate care for a severe burn involves cooling the area with running water for at least 10 minutes. This action is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it helps to lower the temperature of the burn, which can minimize tissue damage and reduce the severity of the injury. Cooling the burn can also help alleviate pain and prevent further injury from the heat. Using cool running water instead of ice is important because ice can cause additional damage to the skin and underlying tissues, potentially leading to frostbite. Similarly, covering the burn with a sterile dressing is beneficial for later stages of treatment to protect the area and keep it clean, but it should not replace the initial step of cooling the burn. Topical ointments are generally not recommended for immediate care of severe burns, as they can trap heat and worsen the injury. By starting with cooling the burn through running water, the risk of complications, including infection and deeper tissue damage, can be significantly reduced, leading to better outcomes for the patient.

Outline in brief

• Hook: Burns are common, fast, and terrifying in the moment; the first action matters.

• Key takeaway: The immediate care for a severe burn is cooling with running water for at least 10 minutes.

• Why this works: Slows heat transfer, minimizes tissue damage, eases pain, prevents escalation.

• Why not the other choices: Ice can cause frostbite; ointments trap heat; sterile dressing is important later but not the first step.

• Practical steps right after: remove tight jewelry if safe, cover with a clean dressing after cooling, avoid popping blisters, don’t apply home remedies.

• When to seek help: large burns, burns on face/hands/feet, electrical or chemical burns, signs of shock.

• Role of EMTs: fast assessment, protect the airway, manage pain safely, and arrange rapid transport if needed.

• Closing thought: Understanding this simple cooling step can change outcomes and calm a chaotic moment.

Cool first, worry later: the right move for a severe burn

Burns are the kind of injury that doesn’t read the room. They happen in a kitchen, at a campfire, or when a child grabs a hot pot that still smells like yesterday. In the field, the first few minutes after a burn can shape what happens next. Here’s the core truth every EMT—every responder—needs to keep close: the recommended immediate care for a severe burn is to cool the area with running water for at least 10 minutes. It sounds simple, almost too gentle for something that hurts this much, but this step does more than you’d think.

Why running water beats the ice-cold impulse

Let me explain what cooling does, in plain terms. Heat is still moving into the skin after the incident ends. If you pour cold water on it, you steal that heat away, and you slow the damage to deeper tissues. The face, hands, feet, or a big patch of skin can burn badly in a flash, and the heat keeps touring through the layers unless you stop it. Running water—rather than a wash with a damp cloth or a splash from the faucet—helps maintain a steady temperature so you don’t just numb the pain briefly and leave the heat trapped beneath the surface.

And you know what’s tempting? Ice. It’s cold, it’s dramatic, but it’s not your friend here. Ice can cause frostbite-like damage to already compromised skin and underlying tissues. It can constrict blood vessels, cutting off blood flow that your body needs to heal. So the instinct to “ice it down” can actually make things worse. That’s why the rule of thumb at the scene is cold water, not ice.

A quick look at the “why nots”

• Ice directly on the burn: bad idea. Frostbite risk; deeper tissue injury.

• Topical ointments right away: not helpful in the crucial first minutes. They can trap heat and obscure the burn, making assessment harder.

• Ripping off clothing stuck to the skin: dangerous. If clothing is stuck, leave it in place and shield the area if you can, but don’t yank it away.

What “cool for 10 minutes” looks like in real life

• If you can safely reach the patient, run cool tap water over the burned area for a full 10 minutes or longer if needed. Gentle, steady flow is better than a brief splash.

• If you’re in a situation with multiple injuries, prioritize the burn if you see a large, red, blistered area or a burn on a sensitive site (face, hands, feet, joints). You might need to prepare for transport while you continue cooling.

• If the burn is on a limb and there’s swelling, you can raise that limb a little to ease discomfort, but avoid moving away from scene safety.

• After cooling, cover the area with a clean, non-fluffy dressing or a sterile gauze. This helps keep the surface clean and reduces heat coming back, but remember: the first move was cooling, not dressing.

A practical, step-by-step path after cooling

1. Check scene safety and assess ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation). Burns, especially on the face or neck, can affect breathing. If someone has trouble breathing, call for help immediately.

2. Remove rings, bracelets, or any tight jewelry on the affected limb if you can do so without moving heat into the skin. Swelling can trap these items—if they’re not easy to remove, don’t force it: get professional help.

3. Apply a clean, non-stick or loosely draped dressing. Don’t rub powders or ointments into the wound. You’re creating a barrier, not trying to seal in heat right now.

4. Avoid popping blisters. They act as a natural shield against infection. If a blister breaks, gently clean with water and cover with a sterile dressing.

5. Keep the patient warm and calm. Burns can trigger shock in a tense situation, so talk calmly, reassure them, and monitor for dizziness or fainting.

6. Seek medical care when needed. For small, superficial burns, you might manage at home with care. For larger burns, or those on the face, hands, feet, joints, or genitals, or any electrical or chemical burn, call EMS or head to the hospital.

What counts as “severe” and when to call for help

Let’s keep it practical. You don’t need to memorize every rule to be a solid EMT, but you should recognize when a burn isn’t something to handle with a quick cool and cover. Severe burns include:

• Large areas of skin involved (think more than a palm-sized area, or spreading redness across a large section).

• Burns on the face, hands, feet, joints, or genitals.

• Third-degree burns (charred, white, or leathery skin) or any deep tissue damage.

• Burns caused by electricity or chemicals, which can have delayed complications.

• Burns in very young children or older adults, whose skin is more fragile.

In those cases, time is tissues, so don’t hesitate to call for advanced care. If there are signs of trouble—breathing difficulty, confusion, pale skin, rapid pulse—treat it as a medical emergency and get help right away.

A little context for the EMT mindset

Emergency Medical Technicians are trained to move through scenes with a mix of urgency and steadiness. The best outcomes come from calm, methodical care. The cooling step is a perfect example: it’s simple, it’s observable, and it’s one of those actions you can perform even in a chaotic moment. After you’ve cooled the burn, you’re not done—you’re buying time to prevent further damage while you coordinate transport or on-scene treatment.

If you’re a student or new to EMS, you’ve probably learned that first aid isn’t a one-and-done action. It’s a sequence: assess, cool, cover, transport. The emphasis on cooling isn’t about being dramatic; it’s about reducing the injury’s gravity so the patient has a better shot at a smoother recovery.

A quick mental model you can carry

Think of a burn like a hot engine bolt. If you pull heat away quickly, you reduce the chaos inside the engine and prevent the metal from warping. The running water is your cooling mechanism, not a magic cure. It buys you time, reduces damage, and makes later care easier. Ice is a misfire because it over-cools the surrounding tissue and can cause new injuries. Ointments and powders? They’re nice-sounding, but they complicate the scene in the moment when you need clarity.

Real-world tangents that matter (without wandering off)

• In the field, you’ll hear about chemical burns. Those need special attention; water is still useful for initial flushing, but chemical specifics matter. Follow your local protocol for those cases.

• Burns in kids are a different game. Children can be frightened and less able to communicate what hurts, so you’ll rely on clear, gentle explanations and quick action.

• The hospital handoff matters. When you get a patient with a burn, you’ll summarize the cooling steps you took, the area affected, the size, and any signs of airway compromise or shock. It helps the receiving team pick up where you left off.

If you’re curious about where this fits into a broader EMS framework, think about first aid as the bridge between the scene and definitive care. The act of cooling is the bridge’s foundation—secure, simple, essential. The dressing, immobilization, and transport are the rest of the bridge, guiding a patient toward healing.

A final reminder that sticks

When a burn happens, the clock starts ticking the moment heat hits skin. Cooling with running water for at least 10 minutes is the cornerstone of immediate care for severe burns. It’s not flashy, but it’s powerful. It minimizes tissue damage, so the patient has a better chance at recovery with fewer complications down the line.

If you ever find yourself on the receiving end of a burn scenario—whether you’re at a barbecue, a kitchen, or a worksite—keep this in mind: cold water, steady hands, and a calm voice can make a real difference. The rest, you’ll handle as the situation unfolds, with the confidence that comes from training and practical, plain-spoken care.

So, next time someone faces a burn, you’ll know exactly what to do first. Not with bravado, but with care. Not with drama, but with a plan. And that plan starts with a simple, stubborn truth: cool the burn with running water for at least 10 minutes. Then you move forward—one practical step at a time.