Perception, Awareness, and Practices Related to Burn First Aid Among the General Population in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to assess the perception, awareness, and practices related to burn first aid among the general population in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study that assesses perception, awareness, and practices related to burn first aid among the general population in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The data was collected using questionnaires. The data was initially filtered and checked for completeness to rectify any errors or discrepancies. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for data analysis. The data was coded before entry into the software program. Descriptive statistics were applied, summarizing the data in terms of frequency and percentage. Chi-square tests were used for analyzing categorical variables and to determine the association between the groups, with significance set at a P-value of 0.05.

Results: Of the participants, 72.8% had previous knowledge regarding burns' first aid management. Furthermore, 3% obtained knowledge and information about burn first aid from a certified course, while 21.1% obtained the information from the Internet. Of the respondents, 77.8% indicated that during the exposure to burn, they would remove accessories and clothes that covered the injured area. Of them, 79.4% noted that they would apply water to the injured area in case of exposure to burns. In addition, 61.9% of the respondents used honey as a home remedy to treat burns, and 30.1% used toothpaste to treat burns.

Conclusion: Of the general population in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia, 72.8% had basic knowledge regarding burns' first aid management. The study found certified courses and the Internet to be the main sources of information and knowledge about burns' first aid management. The study found that clothes and accessories that covered the injured area should be removed when exposed to burns. In addition, cold water should be applied for a period of at least 10 minutes. The study found honey and toothpaste to be the most common home remedies used to treat burns. The use of pure honey is an accepted intervention in the treatment of burns due to its benefit in stimulating the rapid regeneration of tissues and decreasing incidences of scar formation. However, there are wrong beliefs about the use of toothpaste in cases of burns because it exacerbates the initial injury, making it even worse. There are significant differences in the perception, awareness, and practice of the general population according to their education level (P-value = 0.003) and employment (P-value = 0.007).

Keywords: burn first aid; burn patient; emergency; general public awareness; precipitation.