PARAMEDICS have urged drivers to take care around car radiators after a nine-year-old girl suffered burns to a third of her body in Seville last week.
The burns to her arms, legs and parts of her face had damaged her skin down to her nerves and she was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious condition.
Paramedics treated the girl in Seville around 4pm last Monday after she was sprayed with scalding hot water from a car radiator.
Intensive care flight paramedic Ben Meadley said he was told the girl was standing near a car when her mum took the cap off the radiator.
“She suffered burns to about a third of her body including her face, arms, legs and torso,” he said.
“Her mum did exactly the right thing by cooling the girl in a shower and calling for an ambulance.
Mr Meadley said the first crew to arrive gave the girl pain relief to make her more comfortable. “She was in agony – which was understandable,” he said.
“The burns to her arms, legs and parts of her face were partial thickness burns, which mean that the skin has been damaged down to the nerves.”
Special burns dressing was applied to the affected skin which works to cool the burns while also protecting it from infection.
“Ironically, we also had to warm her up.
“She had been in a cold shower for some time and so we had to warm her up by wrapping her in a space blanket.”
– Mara Pattison-Sowden
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