Tuesday, June 17, 2008 9:33 PM
First Aid for kitchen boo-boos?
I set the broiler on fire…three times. Once, I sliced a finger nearly to the bone, and I’ve nipped tips and knuckles more times than I can count. And burns. Oh, lovely burns. So many burns on my arms, hands, fingers and forehead (yes, forehead).
I’ve had a lot of cooking-related First Aid emergencies, but none as scary as the one a few weeks ago. There was a knock on the courtyard door. I was annoyed because we were watching Top Chef, but I looked through the curtains and saw my neighbor Susan bent over with her hands over her face. She’d thrown cold food into skillet full of boiling-hot oil, and it exploded. Her face was covered in blisters.
Fortunately, I had the Water Jel Emergency Burn Kit Chris gave me a while back, after a particularly bad burn. If you don't have one, get one. They're inexpensive and way more effective than plain, cold water for immediately treating burns.
Is your kitchen prepared for any First Aid emergency? Do you know what to do for a cut, burn or severe allergic reaction?
Burns
If you have Water-Jel or another fast-acting burn reliever, apply it immediately. Or, run cold tap water over the burn, or keep it submerged in cold water, for at least five minutes. DO NOT put ice on the burn. Ice may help with immediate pain, but the extreme cold can cause more damage to the skin and slow the healing process. Although it’s a natural reaction, try not to blow on the burn and don’t stick a burned finger in your mouth. This can contaminate the wound and cause an infection.
If it’s a second or third degree burn, head to the nearest emergency room as soon as you can. Keep the burn covered with a loose, cold compress made out of gauze or a clean dishtowel.
While we’re on the subject of burns…do you have a small fire extinguisher in your kitchen? And a functioning smoke alarm? If not, get both. Today. You can shower baking soda on a minor, contained grease fire, but kitchen fires spread so quickly, your tiny box of Arm & Hammer isn’t going to save the day.
Cuts
If blood is spurting out of the wound, take immediate steps to control the bleeding (apply direct pressure with the cleanest surface you can find, like a clean dishtowel,) and call 911 or have someone drive you to the Emergency Room. Don’t drive yourself.
If it’s oozing blood, wash the cut under soap and warm water first. The bleeding will continue, but your first concern with a minor cut is an infection caused by the meat juice or other food bits on the knife that cut you. Apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, then cover the cut with a sterile gauze pad and apply direct pressure for 5-10 minutes.
Resist the temptation to “peek” at the cut. Lifting the gauze will break the clotting around the cut and cause it to bleed again.
Food allergies
Severe allergic reactions, whether caused by a bee sting or a peanut, are serious business. Every household First Aid kit should contain an Epi-pen, a shot of epinephrine that can keep a person from going into anaphylactic shock. And, of course, you should know how to use it properly.
What was your last kitchen First Aid emergency? How did you treat it? Would you do anything differently next time around?