About your visit

You have a burn injury and we have bandaged it. Keep the bandage on and do not touch it for 10 days.

When you get home

Keep an eye on your bandage

Keep the bandage dry and do not move it as this will increase the risk of infection and delay healing.

Contact your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if:

• liquid from the wounds seeps through the bandage or the bandage gets wet
• the bandage becomes loose or moves
• the bandage begins to smell
• you develop a fever.
   

Take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain

You should take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain. Pain relievers can be bought at a pharmacy either over the counter or by prescription. Take only the amount of pain reliever recommended on the package. Contact your general practitioner if you need help managing the pain.

Reduce swelling

It is normal for skin on or around the burn to swell. Depending on where on the body you were burned, you can reduce swelling by elevating the area:

• Face burns: Raise the head of the bed at night or sleep with an extra pillow under your head.   
• Burns on the forearm: Elevate the forearm above the level of the heart several times a day.
• Burns on the lower legs and feet: Keep the leg still and rest it on a chair when sitting down.
   

When appropriate, use a tight bandage on scars

Scars can become thick and hard, and can begin to itch or irritate. It can help to wrap an elastic bandage tightly around the scars. This will make them flat and soft.

If your skin becomes warm under the bandage, place a piece of paper towel or a soft cloth between your skin and the bandage. Do not use cream or oil under the bandage, as this could damage the elasticity of the bandage.

Wear the bandage at all times, except when showering/bathing.

Avoid nicotine

We recommend that you abstain from nicotine until the burn has healed. Nicotine is found in cigarettes, nicotine gum and nicotine patches. It impairs the healing of wounds.

Wash your skin with soap and moisturise it with cream

In the months after your wound has healed, your skin can be drier and more sensitive than normal. Prevent your skin from itching and irritation by washing your skin with a perfume-free soap and moisturising your skin regularly with a perfume-free moisturising cream. It is better to apply a thin layer several times a day than one thick layer once a day. If the layer is too thick, small blisters may occur on the skin.

Avoid direct sunlight

Avoid direct sunlight on scars as long they are red. Scars can stay red for 1-2 years. During this period, the skin is especially at risk of sunburn and can darken. The dark colour will not disappear. We recommend using a sunscreen with a high SPF or wearing clothes that cover the scars.

Worth knowing

Check your medical journal and test results

You can check your medical journal, health data and any test results at www.minsundhedsplatform.dk and www.sundhed.dk. They are both available as apps: MinSP and MinSundhed. Log on to the apps with your MitID.

We will notify your doctor

We will send information about your visit to the hospital to your general practitioner. Let us know if you do not want your general practitioner to receive information from the hospital.

Tell us about your experience

We would very much like to receive your feedback. If you are considering lodging a complaint, please contact the hospital’s impartial patient advisors. Read more here: www.regionh.dk/patientrettigheder (in Danish only).

Your personal data

The Capital Region of Denmark uses the personal data you share with us when you make an enquiry. You can read more about how we use your data and your rights on our website: www.regionh.dk/persondatapolitik (in Danish only).

Learn more

Learn more about burns at www.patienthåndbogen.dk (in Danish only). Search under ’forbrændinger’ and ’brandskade’.