[jimminy]

Any suggestions for tar removal on a severly burned patient, without doing further damage?

[missallie]

Polysporin applied liberally works well

[nilepoc]

There is a thread on this very topic in the Emergency nursing forum.

We use Mayo here, its cheap and works like a charm. And you can use whats left to make sandwiches

[cimersrn]

Hi There! I took ABLS (Advanced Burn Life Support) recently, and ABLS protocol calls for copious amounts of cold H2O to cool and harden the tar. Then, removal of the tar is facilitated with a petroleum based ointment

[bwt02]

We use Abolean facial cream. We often have to get it at Long's Drug Store. It works better than anything. Sounds odd I know.

[clgmezzo]

my burn center uses mayo as well, sounds funny but it works great!! however you know how some non experienced practitioners nd hospitals are with burns . . this is FOR REAL. A hospital in our area got a pt with a tar burn which id not require admission to our unit and sched them for our outpt clinic. When the pt came in they had the worst smell coming from this nasty looking dressing. Turns out the doc at the outlying ER had heard we used mayo on tar burns and mad a DRESSING out of it!! the guy left it on or 2 days!!! Our chief attending had us call to tell the nurses in ER over there for future reference its just to get the tar off!!!!

[gwenith]

Mayonaisse gets tar off??? Never heard of that one before but I am always willing to learn.

[cecilia mary]

Originally Posted by jimminy

Any suggestions for tar removal on a severly burned patient, without doing further damage?

Tried the mayo on a burn patient in Detroit...worked well. But I am now a bit hesitant about using this since it can grow bacteria well. I prefer Vasoline which is cheap. Any petroleum based product will work

[JBudd]

I've used mayo before, it works great. Since you are washing it off right away, the bacteria isn't such as issue, mayo grows stuff when its out too long.

[mommatrauma]

We've used mineral oil...