Plastic Surgery Nursing
Date of issue: May 2024
Review date: May 2025
This information has been developed to supplement the information the doctor or healthcare practitioner has already given you.
If the review date has passed, the content will apply until the next version is published.
It is advisable that you take painkillers at least 1 hour before each appointment.
Pain
- It is normal for burns to be painful for the first 48 to 72 hours.
- If your burns are uncomfortable, please take regular paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen as directed on the packet.
- Elevation can help relieve pain and also ease any swelling.
Wound Care
- Keep dressings dry and intact until your follow-up appointment.
- If your dressing becomes wet or falls off, please contact us on the telephone number provided (depending on follow-up arrangements) or consult your practice nurse.
- It is normal for burn injuries to produce a high volume of pale, yellow fluid, which may be visible on the dressing.
- You can take a shower as long as your dressing is covered, for example, with a LimbO or cast cover which is available at pharmacies or online.
Infection
Please call NHS 24 on 111 or attend A&E at the Victoria Hospital if any of the following should occur, which may suggest an infection is developing:
- A fever or high temperature (feel hot and shivery).
- Redness tracking beyond the dressings.
- Rash or fine red spots.
- Diarrhoea or vomiting.
- Loss of appetite.
- Generally unwell.
Aftercare
Burns usually take 3 weeks to heal, depending on the depth of the burn sustained. After this, the scar can look red and may be itchy, which is normal.
- Newly healed skin can be sensitive to extremes of temperature and may change colour due to these extremes, such as, becoming redder in hot temperatures and turning blue or purple when colder.
- Regularly (at least twice daily) massaging the area with a non-scented moisturiser will help put moisture back into the skin and help relieve any itching you may have. Please ensure the old moisturiser is washed off first to prevent a build up of residue.
- Healed or healing areas should be protected from direct sunlight by covering or using a high-factor sunscreen of at least SPF 30 or above.
- Over-the-counter antihistamines may be taken for itching; your local pharmacy can advise on the most suitable one.
- Newly healed skin may remain fragile for several months, be prone to blistering or small cysts, requiring a protective dressing. The blistering and cysts generally resolve without the need for any treatment. If problems are persistent, then they should be further investigated
- It is difficult to predict the severity of scarring that may result from a burn injury. Scarring depends on the size, location, and depth of the burn, as well as the individual's age and skin type. Minor burns (healed within 10 days) should not leave any long-term cosmetic defects.
- Following deeper burn injuries, scar formation and maturation may take up to two years to get its final appearance.
Plastic Surgery Nursing Team
Queen Margaret Hospital
Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm
01383 623623 extension 25757
Alternatively, contact your own GP or, if you are out-of-hours,
please contact NHS 24 on 111.
If you would like to share your experience, you can fill out our
survey form or provide feedback at careopinion.org.uk.
Alternatively, contact your own GP or, if you are out-of-hours, please contact NHS 24 on 111.
Accessible formats
If you require this information in a community language or alternative format such as Braille, audio, large print, BSL, or Easy Read, please contact the Equality and Human Rights Team at: email: fife.EqualityandHumanRights@nhs.scot or phone 01592 729130. For people with a hearing or verbal impairment you can also contact the team through the NHS Fife SMS text service number on 07805800005.
