If clothing is stuck to a burn, what should you do?

• A. Leave the clothing in place
• B. Remove the clothing carefully
• C. Cut around clothing
• D. Apply ice to the area

Answer: (A)

When fabric is stuck to a burn, the skin is fragile and pulling the cloth off can tear burned tissue, cause extra pain, and worsen the injury. The safest action is to leave the clothing in place and seek medical help, while protecting the area with a clean, dry covering if available and cooling the surrounding area with cool running water if possible without disturbing the stuck fabric.

Removing the clothing that is adhered to the burn risks pulling away burned skin and increasing damage, so that option isn’t appropriate. Cutting around the clothing or applying ice can further harm the tissue or cause frostbite, which is why those choices aren’t correct.