Burn Prevention Campaign: ways to educate population about prevention and treatment of burns

Introduction: Burns are traumatic injuries caused by thermal, chemical, electrical, or radioactive agents and are considered a major public health problem in Brazil. However, they are still highly neglected, which is why prevention is seen as the best way to avoid them. In addition, there is a high prevalence of erroneous knowledge about how to treat them, and it is essential to emphasize how to proceed in case of occurrence of these injuries. In order to accomplish these things, the community outreach campaign about burn prevention was realized. Objective: The main objective of the campaign was to inform the population about methods to prevent and treat burns, especially those that occur inside home, considering that they are the most common. It was included what can and cannot be done in their treatment, since there is a lot of erroneous knowledge about how to treat them. Methods: The campaign was carried out at Emílio Carlos Hospital through the distribution of approximately 150 informative leaflets on how to prevent and treat burns. In the pamphlets, the main causes of burns and how to avoid them were highlighted, namely: sun exposure, emphasizing the importance of sunscreen, hot pans and sockets, which should be handled with care, and the use of alcohol near the fire, which should be avoided. Furthermore, the booklets also described ways to care for burns, such as: placing them under running water, removing clothing and accessories that get in the way and placing a clean, wet cloth over the injury. Finally, the pamphlets also addressed attitudes that cannot be done in case of a burn, some of them being: popping blisters, putting coffee powder or toothpaste on them and trying to detach fabrics stuck to the burn. Along with the delivery of leaflets, the students provided explanations and guidance to patients on the subject, allowing space for any questions, and also displayed a banner in one of the main corridors of the hospital containing information similar to the content of the pamphlets. Results: It is estimated that, through the association of leaflets and the banner, more than 300 people were impacted by the campaign, considering the flow of people in the hospital corridors. By directly reaching the patients, the dissemination of information regarding the prevention and correct treatment of burns was extremely effective, as the public showed great interest in the information provided. Conclusion: The community outreach campaign was significant and extremely important considering the relevance and incidence of the subject addressed, in addition to the scope obtained. Thus, by reaching patients in a hospital, the dissemination of information was extremely effective in raising awareness about the subject.