cigarette burn! - Burns & Injuries Message Board

AnaStarr · 07-20-2005, 03:06 PM

walking down the street, i was burned by a cigarette on my upper forearm. it happened a couple days ago, blistered, popped, and now i'm afraid it's infected. its a yellow/green circle with a red tinted circle surrounding it. what are the risks of a cigarette burn, and how can i tell if it's infected? what will happen if its infected, and what should i do?

thanks!

HELLASRULES · 07-21-2005, 04:42 PM

Hi, I suspect the greenish/yellow is due to scabbing of the clear fluid from the blister popping. Unlike a bleeding wound which would scab brownish in color. You can suspect an infection if the red area enlarges, red streaks forming on your arm, swelling, and severe tenderness, and any pus coming from the wound.
For now , since it has already popped, put an antibiotic ointment on it, after thouroughly cleaning the would and cover loosely to allow some air to get in, but to protect it also.
Just keep an eye on it, for signs of infection. Burns can look rather nasty and take a while to heal.