Treating 3rd Degree Burns in a Post Collapse Scenario - No Doctors & No Hospitals.

How do you treat a 3rd degree burn if there are no hospitals or doctors available, like after a major crisis. This is a question that came up a lot yesterday so we’re gonna go over it but Before we start, I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice.
First, get them away from the source immediately. Fire, electricity, chemicals, whatever caused the burn, remove it. And don’t waste time checking for pain, because sometimes there wont be any.
Second, cool the area around the burn, not directly on the charred tissue. Use clean, cool water for a few minutes. Never use ice. Never soak the burn. You’re just trying to pull heat away from the surrounding tissue so the damage doesn’t spread.
Third, remove clothing around the burn by cutting it off, but don’t pull anything that’s stuck. You only cut the loose parts. Anything melted to the skin stays, or you’ll rip more tissue off.
Fourth, cover it immediately. Air exposure makes everything worse. Use sterile gauze if you have it. If not, use the cleanest, non fluffy cloth you can find. A clean piece of food grade plastic wrap works in emergencies. You’re not wrapping it tight, you’re just covering it to protect it.
Now treat them for shock, because this is what kills burn victims in survival situations. Lay them flat, elevate the legs slightly, keep them warm, and give small sips of clean water if they’re awake. Keep talking to them, keep them calm. Shock is silent and deadly.
Next, pain control. Even though the center of the burn might be numb, the edges are going to hurt a lot. Use ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Avoid aspirin because it can make bleeding worse.
Now infection. This is the real enemy. A third degree burn is an open doorway for bacteria. Keep the burn covered. Change the dressing once or twice a day. Wash your hands every single time. Don’t peel off tissue. Don’t pop any blisters around the burn. If you have antibiotic ointment, put a thin layer around the edges only, not across the whole burn. And if the person has fever, chills, confusion, red streaks, pus, or the wound smells bad, you need to start oral antibiotics immediately if you have them.
Hydration is the next priority. Burn victims lose fluids through their skin nonstop. Give them clean water regularly. If you have oral rehydration salts, use them. If not, make your own with one liter of water, a pinch of salt, and a spoon of sugar.
Now long term care. Third degree burns can take weeks or even months to heal in a collapse. You need to protect the wound, keep flies away, keep the bandage clean, and keep the person fed with as much protein as you can. Eggs, beans, fish, meat, peanut butter. Their body needs huge calories to rebuild tissue.

MEDICAL AND FIRST AID

Medical preparedness is one of the most overlooked parts of prepping. People focus on food and water, but forget that during a crisis hospitals can be overwhelmed, pharmacies can close, and emergency response times can jump from minutes to hours. When something goes wrong, you become the first responder for your family. That is why a real medical setup is essential.

The Difference Between First Aid And Trauma Care
First aid is for everyday injuries. Cuts, burns, fevers, stomach issues, headaches, infections. Trauma care is for serious life threatening injuries like deep bleeding, broken bones, or major wounds. You need supplies for both. Most families only have a small box of bandages. That is not enough in a real emergency.

What You Should Stock
Start with a solid first aid kit. Include bandages, gauze, medical tape, alcohol wipes, antiseptic cream, burn gel, tweezers, scissors, pain relievers, fever reducers, stomach medicine, allergy medicine, and disinfectants. Then build a trauma kit. You need a tourniquet, chest seals, compressed gauze, pressure bandages, emergency blankets, and nitrile gloves. These items can save a life before help arrives.

Why Infections Become Dangerous During Emergencies
In normal life, a small cut is nothing. During a crisis, a small cut can turn into a major infection if it is not cleaned and treated. Without running water, proper cleaning becomes harder. Without quick access to a doctor, infections can spread. This is why antiseptics, gloves, and clean bandages matter so much. They prevent a simple injury from turning into something life threatening.

Setting Up A Medical Shelf
Every home should have a dedicated medical shelf or cabinet. Keep everything organized and easy to reach. Store trauma supplies together. Keep children’s medicine in a separate area. Make sure everyone in the house knows where the medical supplies are and how to use the basics. In an emergency you will not have time to dig through random drawers.

Learning Basic Skills
You do not need to be a doctor, but you need to know the basics. Learn how to stop bleeding. Learn how to clean a wound. Learn how to treat burns. Learn how to recognize dehydration. Watch a few instructional videos. Read the guides. Practice using a tourniquet on a dummy object so you know how it feels. A little knowledge can save a life.

Where People Make Mistakes
Some people buy medical supplies but never learn how to use them. Others rely only on small first aid kits that are not designed for real emergencies. Some people forget to stock children’s medicine, which becomes a huge problem at night when pharmacies are closed. The biggest mistake is assuming that ambulances will always arrive quickly. During a crisis, they often do not.

Medical preparedness is about removing fear. When you know you can handle injuries, you feel more confident in every situation. A good medical setup, combined with food and water storage, forms a strong foundation for everything else you will learn in this course.