Practices of Paediatric Caregivers on First Aid of Thermal Burns in Ward A3 Parirenyatwa Hospital: A Pilot Study

摘要

Burn-related injuries are a prevalent burden worldwide. Caregiver practices of first aid have been demonstrated to minimize the effects of burn-related injuries. This pilot study sought to identify practices on the first Aid of thermal burns in Ward 3 at a referral hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. A quantitative cross-sectional hospital based survey was utilized with a convenient sample of 30 respondents. The respondents involved in the study were between the ages of 20 to 40 years and were caring for a child below 12 years with accidental burns of 10% and below of the TBSA. Structured interviews were conducted. Results showed that caregivers practiced de-blistering and applied a wide range of remedies. Caregivers had varied approaches to covering of the burn injury and different modes of cooling the burns. This calls for a need to close the gap in the practice of caregivers on the first aid of thermal burns.