Folk medicine: Is the solution or problem?

Aim: A variety of traditional first aid methods in the treatment of burns have been developed. These treatment modalities can bring unusual medical issues. We present a traditional burns first aid method ‘shoe polish applying’ for scald burns. Methods: 5 patients (Male: 3, Female: 2), who applied shoe polish to burns due to scald burns, were admitted to our burn centre between 2002 and 2015. The mean age was 29.8 (range: 20 -53). Olive oil impregnated gauzes were applied to facilitate removing the paint at the night before the operation. Mechanical debridement by using Versajet (Smith & Nephew, London,UK) was performed while patients were under general anesthesia. Results: The shoe polish was removed from all of the patients. Burned areas healed after appropriate dressings and no skin graft application was needed. Conclusion: The Versajet Hydrosurgery System and olive oil or other oily substances usage has strong effects on the treatment. Permanent black tattoos can occur in the later stages, if patients do not take proper treatment.

[1]  S. R. Shah,et al.  Butter for burns or for bread?: A dilemma. , 2014, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[2]  J. Baker,et al.  Licking as an out-of-hospital burns treatment-An isolated cultural phenomenon? , 2011, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[3]  P. Shrivastava,et al.  Pre-hospital care in burn injury , 2010, Indian journal of plastic surgery : official publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India.

[4]  John Pearn,et al.  A review of first aid treatments for burn injuries. , 2009, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[5]  D. Gorman,et al.  A 1 year study of burn injuries in a British Emergency Department. , 2008, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[6]  A. Biçer,et al.  Third-degree burn or a fried egg? , 2008, Burns.

[7]  G. Gravante,et al.  Versajet Hydrosurgery Versus Classic Escharectomy for Burn Débridment: A Prospective Randomized Trial , 2007, Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association.

[8]  D. Sharpe,et al.  Epidemiology and Outcome Analysis of 208 Children With Burns Attending an Emergency Department , 2007, Pediatric emergency care.

[9]  T. Ayyappan,et al.  Paediatric burn prevention: an epidemiological approach. , 2006, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[10]  F. Wood,et al.  Minor burn injuries in adults presenting to the regional burns unit in Western Australia: a prospective descriptive study. , 2005, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[11]  D. Heimbach,et al.  The Versajet water dissector: a new tool for tangential excision. , 2005, The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation.

[12]  S. Rayatt,et al.  First aid and treatment of minor burns , 2004, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[13]  D. Heimbach,et al.  Early Excision and Grafting of Face and Neck Burns in Patients over 20 Years , 2002, Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

[14]  D. Johnson,et al.  Ink used as first aid treatment of a scald. , 2000, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[15]  S. Oztürk,et al.  Sunflower oil in the treatment of hot tar burns. , 1997, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[16]  S N Forjuoh,et al.  Childhood burns in Ghana: epidemiological characteristics and home-based treatment. , 1995, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[17]  M. D. Pinnegar,et al.  History of burn care. A survey of important changes in the topical treatment of thermal injuries. , 1986, Burns, including thermal injury.

[18]  Ambulance Lectures , 1887, Edinburgh medical journal.