Wesley O., 2

Wesley is the youngest of four children, living with his parents and an older brother in a modest two-room house. The living room also functions as a kitchen and, at night, is converted into a sleeping space for the children. Wesley enjoys playing with improvised toy cars, often mimicking engine sounds, and his favorite meal is rice. According to his mother, due to the limited space in their home, the living room is turned into a sleeping area for the children at night. She typically makes the tea in the parents’ bedroom, which also serves as the kitchen. She usually prepares tea at night in advance for their school-going child to avoid the morning rush. On the unfortunate day of the incident, Wesley appeared drowsy, and the sleeping area hadn't yet been arranged. His mother placed him on their bed while she got things ready. Meanwhile, the parents and older child remained in the sitting room. The tea, which had already been prepared, was still in a sufuria. While asleep, Wesley accidentally rolled off the bed and knocked over the sufuria, spilling the hot tea on himself, resulting in burns on his hands and back. The parents rushed in after hearing the noise and found him crying in pain. They quickly administered first aid, and he was taken to the hospital.

The patient was brought in having suffered from burns on his abdomen and parts of his hand. The patient was admitted immediately for management. While in the ward, he was treated with antibacterials and painkillers and performed a dressing on the wound by cleaning and removing the dead skin. The patient responded well to treatment, and the dressing was changed from a regular basis to alternate days; this he also responded to well, as his skin healed well and he could start walking around the ward. He was later discharged on orals with instructions on how the wound can be dressed at home and kept clean. A visit from the volunteer confirmed that he was indeed well and had gone back to playing normally as he had been doing before.

The child has sustained superficial burns affecting approximately 20% of total body surface area (TBSA). These are first-degree burns, involving only the epidermis (outer layer of the skin). They are typically characterized by redness, pain, and dryness, without blistering or open wounds. Excellent prognosis expected with full recovery within 5 to 10 days. The child should be followed up to ensure proper healing and to check for any complications.