Tried to fix my heating pad

DouginUtah · January 09, 2012, 05:04:52 PM

My heating pad quit working and I suspected the switch (O_L_M_H).

I took it apart and cleaned it and put my digital meter on it. Then I turned the switch from Off to High. Immediately there was a flash. My left hand was a couple of inches away from the back of the switch. Poof. No electrical shock, just the heat of the flash. Didn't even trip the GFCI.

At first it didn't hurt much but now it is starting to burn a bit. It looks worse in person (3D) than in the picture. The outer layer of skin looks like Magicman's crispy chicken. :D Don't know if I should scrape it off or leave it on.

Jeff · January 09, 2012, 05:08:50 PM

Umm.. I think you need to go to a Doctor. The burn is bad, the infection may be worse. You need to get that looked at and get treatment for the burn and something for the pain that is surely going to get worse.

Raider Bill · January 09, 2012, 05:10:30 PM

WOW! Sometimes simple things........
Watch for infection At the very least clean it up.

Riggs · January 09, 2012, 05:28:13 PM

Quote from: Jeff on January 09, 2012, 05:08:50 PM
Umm.. I think you need to go to a Doctor. The burn is bad, the infection may be worse. You need to get that looked at and get treatment for the burn and something for the pain that is surely going to get worse.

+1, that needs to be cleaned and wrapped.

Buck · January 09, 2012, 05:29:30 PM

And you took a picture to share with us....why didnt I think of the camera when I Fiskar'd my foot the other day? :-\

beenthere · January 09, 2012, 06:40:38 PM

Not good. Would rather see the crispy chicken.
Wonder if the flour treatment right away would have helped, like I've heard tell about.

As for the GFCI, it will not trip if there is a direct short in the circuit.
Only will trip if there is a leak to ground.

Radar67 · January 09, 2012, 07:22:09 PM

Go to the Doc and get that looked at. Infection is your worst enemy.

Troublermaker · January 09, 2012, 07:29:23 PM

You want to keep it a close eye on that burn or what happen to me could happen to you. 6 years ago I was cutting some steel with my cutting torch when I had a piece of slag come off the piece of steel that I was cutting and landed in my inside top of my tennis shoe and fell down between the tennis shoe and the socks. Before I could lay the torch down and get my shoe off it had burn a hole around the size of a dime in the side of my foot. I clean it up and put a patch on it. Got a pair of work boots this time and went back to work. I would wash it every night and in the morning put some antibiotics cream and a oversize band aid on it. After a week I knew that it wasn't getting any better so I went to the doctor. He gave me a prescription for some antibiotics and told me if it wasn't any better in a week come back. It wasn't in fact it was getting worst so I went back and he gave a prescription for some difference antibiotics and to come back in a week. That was on a Monday. Thursday night I could see red streak running up my leg so I was at his office first thing Friday morning. He look at it and sent me right to the hospital.
After 5 days in the hospital with a IV in my arm pumping antibiotics in me that kill the infection in my leg but then it had given me C Diff. If you don't know what C Diff is it is the worse case of diarrhea and cramping that you ever had. You get it from taking too many antibiotics. Since I live alone if I was willing to go into the nursing home for a few days till my foot got better and for some rehab while I was there and I said I was. They told me that my insurance would take care of the cost up to a 100 days. After 3 month and a 2 more deal with the C Diff I was ready to come home.

So be careful with that burn.

Woodwalker · January 09, 2012, 08:04:28 PM

That was 120V at 15A maybe 20A. You should see what 19,920V does at 500A.

doctorb · January 09, 2012, 08:14:59 PM

WOW! Absolutely you need to see a doc, preferably a burn specialist. Do younhave a burn unit near you? Do not peel the skin off, that should be done surgically. Looks 3rd degree to me, but hard to tell from just one pic. This can leave you with scarring and immobility of the fingers, so a hand specialist is also necessary. Many hand specialists treat burns, as they are pretty common to the hand. Get your but in gear. Wrap something sterile on that hand and get going. I am sorry I am 3 hours late with this.

doctorb · January 09, 2012, 08:17:35 PM

Got any Silvadene cream?

Woodwalker · January 09, 2012, 08:33:10 PM

These products http://www.waterjel.com/professional-products/emergency-burn-care/fire-blankets-and-wraps/ are well worth the money should someone suffer a burn.

doctorb · January 09, 2012, 10:08:31 PM

Oh, one more thing you're going to need, a new heating pad. We'll take up a collection because, whatever it's worth, it's not worth that burn.

Radar67 · January 10, 2012, 09:39:11 AM

Doug, did you see the doc?

Warbird · January 10, 2012, 11:11:59 AM

Good grief, I hope he went to the doc. I imagine he's finding it hard to type about now.

Burlkraft · January 10, 2012, 10:38:24 PM

Doug...How ya doin' ?

I hope you are off in the care of someone

Samuel · January 11, 2012, 11:28:16 AM

That does not look like a good thing to have happened.

Jeff · January 11, 2012, 12:25:14 PM

Hey! We need to know how you are doing!

DouginUtah · January 11, 2012, 02:26:34 PM

Here's the update...

Quote from: doctorb on January 09, 2012, 08:17:35 PM
Got any Silvadene cream?

I wrote this on a slip of paper and had it sitting by my hand when the doctor came in to see me. She was really surprised and said, "How did you know what I would be prescribing". I told her I had a doctor friend on the internet. :D

She wrote a prescription for the Silvadene ( generic SSD) and also for Keflex (generic Cephalexin) anti-biotic.

She also asked when i had my last tetanus shot. I told her forty years ago, so I ended up getting a shot in the shoulder. Probably something I should have had done anyhow. The whole shoulder is sore today though.

This morning when I changed the bandages it looked a lot better than it did yesterday morning. It really wasn't as bad as the picture showed. The black was not burned skin, it was the soot from the arc. Only the first layer of skin was affected. But it did blister!

I'll post again in a month when I get the bill. >:( (No insurance money. It will all be out of my pocket.)