About your visit

You have a burn injury and we have bandaged it. Keep the bandage on and do not touch it for 10 days.

When you get home

Keep an eye on your bandage

Keep the bandage dry and do not move it as this will increase the risk of infection and delay healing.

Contact your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if:

• liquid from the wounds seeps through the bandage or the bandage gets wet
• the bandage becomes loose or moves
• the bandage begins to smell
• you develop a fever.

Take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain

You should take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain. Pain-relieving medicine can be bought over the counter. Take only the amount of pain reliever recommended on the package. Contact your general practitioner if you need help managing the pain.  

Reduce swelling

It is normal for skin on or around the burn to swell. Depending on where on the body you were burned, you can reduce swelling by elevating the area:

• Face burns: Raise the head of the bed at night or sleep with an extra pillow under your head.   
• Burns on the forearm: Elevate the forearm above the level of the heart several times a day.
• Burns on the lower legs and feet: Keep the leg still and rest it on a chair when sitting down.

Check-ups

You should go for a check-up in 10-12 days. The physician will check whether the burn has healed or whether you need additional treatment. You must book an appointment with:

☐ your general practitioner 

☐ Rigshospitalet, Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns Treatment
Section 7034, entrance 7, 3rd floor
Inge Lehmanns Vej 8
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Telephone: (+45) 35 45 70 35, Monday-Friday between 08:00 and 15:00.

Practical precautions

Avoid nicotine

We recommend that you abstain from nicotine until the burn has healed. Nicotine is found in cigarettes, nicotine gum and nicotine patches. It impairs the healing of wounds.

Avoid direct sunlight

Avoid direct sunlight on scars as long they are red. Scars can stay red for 1-2 years. During this period, the skin is especially at risk of sunburn and can darken. The dark colour will not disappear. We recommend using a sunscreen with a high SPF or wearing clothes that cover the scars.

Worth knowing

Your personal data

The Capital Region of Denmark uses the personal data you share with us when you make an enquiry. You can read more about how we use your data and your rights on our website: www.regionh.dk/hp9