I almost melted my hand...my hand!

[Tethys]

I just moved and my apartment has one of those stoves with the flat burners. Now, I have never used one of those before -- always used regular burners, gas and electric -- and I knew, just knew I was going to screw up using these because they are way too flat and I had a feeling I was going to do something stupid with them.

 

And I did.

 

I was cooking up a stir-fry and my friend started talking to me, distracting me, so when I looked down, I saw a bunch of mysterious liquid on the stove. Me, being very smart, decided to take some paper towels to wipe off this liquid. Bad idea.

 

It wasn't just a liquid, it was liquid plastic, the handle of a plastic cutting board which was too close to the flat burner and melting. And I started wiping it up with a paper towel. Guess what happened? I got burned, very badly burned. Next thing I knew my right pinky was in terrible pain and I know the feeling of a burn (I cook a lot) so I immediately ran over to the sink and ran cold water on it. Suddenly my pinky and part of my ring finger was encoated in PLASTIC. Oh no! I knew what I had done.

 

Suffice to say it took me two hours to clean that damn burner.

 

But now I have these swollen fingers, bad. Not sure what to do with them. I cook a lot so I have burned myself many, many times, but not like this. Never encased my fingers in molten plastic. My pinky seems pretty badly burned, but the skin isn't sloughing off it yet or anything.

 

Any advice on how to treat it would be great! Right now it looks deformed, and forming a white something or other all over it. Aloe Vera isn't cutting it this time. It's hard, stiff, and pink and white. Ironically, it now FEELS like plastic.

 

Thanks!

[Antimonic]

hospital!!! youve suffocated your finger while it was being burnt so im gonna strongly suggest you go to your nearest doctors or hospital

[Raiden]

Hospital, hospital, hospital, hospital.

[lady00]

I think you should go to the hospital now.

[Tethys]

Ehhh... it's been about 12 hours since the incident. I'm not paying for the ER.

 

I don't have health insurance/care -- wondering how to treat it in the meantime. Seems ok, but if it shows sign of infection, yes, I will go to the doctor.

[JadedStar]

The melted plastic definitely is what continued to burn your hand even when you removed it. Is the plastic still attached to the skin and that is what is causing it to look deformed?

 

I have one of those stoves and i can't tell you how many times i have done stuff like this. Once the eye was no longer red but very hot and dummy me not thinking took my bare hand to wipe off the crumbs. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[15 Storeys High]

If it isn't that painful it indicates a more severe burn as you're likely to have burnt through your nerves. I'd advise going to your nearest hospital and getting some treatment.

 

Edit: But if you're not going to go to the doctors then keep it clean, don't burst any blisters that might appear, don't put creams or lotions on it and keep a close eye for any signs of infection.

[lady00]

I don't think it's worth the gamble. Is it that you absolutely cannot afford the ER or just would prefer not to? If your finger is becoming deformed and something is forming around it, that really doesn't sound good. Then again, I'm not a doctor, which is why I suggest you get to one ASAP.

[Tethys]

Yes, I feel very stupid about letting that cutting board melt all over the stove, but I knew I would do something like that as I am not used to these stoves. I didn't think it was anywhere near the burner, but, yep it was!

 

I peeled the plastic off my hand once it cooled when I put my hand under the faucet. It was very painful for a few hours, but now my fingers are all stiff and unshapely and strangely I don't feel that much in them at all. I suppose my posts on here are a testament to my typing skills as I can type around stiff, misshapen fingers!

 

Just not sure what to think about how they ended up and look -- should I worry? Treat them with something? Wrap them up? I don't know!

[eurocar]

Go to the effing hospital!

[Tethys]

No, I can't afford an ER visit -- I would only go in an emergency, even if I had health insurance! ER visits are very costly. Alas, I am a lowly student with no coverage. If it seemed infected, however, I would go. So far it's just stiff and looking a bit weird.

[JadedStar]

Tethys, maybe you can try Web MD to see what is suggested.

 

I have had some pretty significant burns like the one you described and they did heal. I don't want to discourage a doc but i also understand because there were times i did not have insurance and a 500 dollar ER bill was not feasible.

 

The body is pretty resilient but i would consult Web MD because it is pretty reliable and if it suggests getting to a doc pronto then i'd try to do that. It will also probably be helpful in describing the best dressing, if any, to use.

 

I also don't think there would be a lot of harm in perhaps waiting until tomorrow and going to a Patient First or some other doctor's office that doesn't require appts. That would be about 60% or more cheaper than the ER.

[Portage]

OMG *bangs head*

 

Screw the insurance and just go. Your health is more important.

[15 Storeys High]

If it isn't that painful it indicates a more severe burn as you're likely to have burnt through your nerves. I'd advise going to a doctor and getting some treatment.

 

Edit: But if you're not going to go to the doctors then keep it clean, don't burst any blisters that might appear, don't put creams or lotions on it and keep a close eye for any signs of infection. Try not to keep it constantly covered either.

 

I'll say it again.

[Tethys]

If it isn't that painful it indicates a more severe burn as you're likely to have burnt through your nerves. I'd advise going to your nearest hospital and getting some treatment.

 

Edit: But if you're not going to go to the doctors then keep it clean, don't burst any blisters that might appear, don't put creams or lotions on it and keep a close eye for any signs of infection.

 

 

Thank you for the advice. Does that include aloe vera?

[15 Storeys High]

Yeah. Don't put anything on it.

[Tethys]

Okay, I won't, thank you.

[itsallgrand]

Money vs. your hand.

 

With serious burns, I wouldn't screw around. I'd go to a doctor!

[15 Storeys High]

Do you have any feeling in the tip of your finger? And how many seconds does it take to "pink" back up when your press on your nail for two seconds?

[just M.E.]

If you go to a hospital and they bill you, as long as you make some small minimum payment monthly, they can't force you to pay more ... $5/mon.

 

Now - go get it looked at!

[cristal]

Silvadene ointment. It comes with a prescription and works like magic when the burn is fresh.

 

After 24 hours it is not very effective.

 

Many years ago, I left the gas on while I was talking on the phone and and about a minute later lit a match.

 

I thought that I was in Beirut because of the explosion. It synched my hair and almost burn part of my face.

 

Thank God, I had Silvadene. My hair took a while to grow back, but my face remained unscathed.

 

If you can get a doctor to write you a prescription before the 24 hour period, you will be in great shape.

 

Good luck!

[Crazyaboutdogs]

Money vs. your hand.

 

With serious burns, I wouldn't screw around. I'd go to a doctor!

 

Okay, the Canadian Health Care System might be flawed, and you might have to wait 5 hours in emergency...but my goodness, at least you don't have to go broke just to get emergency care. I was cringing with this story and I feel for you. I would never feel comfortable with those flat stoves...I like to be fully aware of the heating element.

[BeStrongBeHappy]

You MUST go to the doctor. If you were peeling off plastic and have no sensation in the finger, you may have peeled off more than you thought or done deeper tissure or nerve damage that needs repair. You may literally have cooked the flesh, so please take this seriously. There can be significant chances of infection and losing mobility in the finger if it is not treated and bandaged correctly.

 

For heavens sake sell something on Ebay if that is what it takes to protect your hand. You don't know how much you need a finger til it loses function. If you get a severe infection of the finger it can require amputation, so please don't mess around with this. at a minimum you might need oral antibiotics if it is a deep burn to prevent the kinds of infections that require amputation.

 

don't mean to scare you, but better to deal with it than be ridiculous about losing your finger for fear of pay a couple hundred $$$.

[thejigsup]

go to the hospital, now!

[JohnD]

this is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard

 

plastic's melting point is over 100 degree C, your finger would be pretty severely burned

 

characteristics of first degree burn is the redness of the skin, characteristics of second degree burn is redness of the skin and swelling of the skin. yours sounds really bad by the sound of it.

 

your money or your hand... this isn't worth the trade off now is it?

 

if you go to the hospital they bill you now and you will be able to use your hands to work at a better job earning tens of thousands of dollars per year. but if you lose your fingers, you keep your few hundred dollars now, and wont be able to work at better jobs.

 

personally I would spend the money and save my hand. but if you decide your few hundred dollars are more important than your hand, do what you want.