Reported by Mao Yi of the Morning Post: Yesterday morning, the two families of Liu Yi and Liang Kun (both pseudonyms) once again rushed to Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. They received good news from the doctor - currently, the facial wounds of the two children are healing well. If there is no infection or other symptoms, in two weeks the wounds should heal without any unexpected incidents. However, whether or not scars will remain on the children's faces depends on their individual physical constitutions.
Before 8 a.m. yesterday, the families of Liu Yi and Liang Kun were already waiting outside the door of the fourth floor burn unit at Ruijin Hospital. The two children, with their faces wrapped in bandages, showed no signs of worry and happily played with yo-yos, while their parents looked deeply concerned. "We went to the local hospital in Xinghua to change the medicine, but the doctor said that the medicine prescribed by Ruijin Hospital was outdated, so we weren't reassured and decided to come back to Shanghai for another check." This was the second time since last Saturday that the families of Liu Yi and others had rushed back to Shanghai.
Regarding the punishment result of "10 days administrative detention and a 500 yuan fine" for the teacher who carried out corporal punishment, Liu Yi firmly refused to accept it. "It's too lenient. This is completely intentional harm," he said. The day before, they had already applied to the local judicial department for a re-evaluation of the children's injuries, intending to pursue criminal responsibility for the teacher.
Deputy Dean of Ruijin Hospital and burn expert Yuan Kejian stated that after examination, the overall situation of the children's wound healing was relatively ideal, and there was no longer a need for drug treatment or further bandaging. Keeping the wound exposed and maintaining dryness and cleanliness would suffice. "According to the diagnosis, most of the wounds are second-degree burns, with the majority being superficial second-degree burns, and possibly a small part being deep second-degree burns." The reason for the "possibility" was based on the condition of the wound scarring.
Yuan Kejian indicated that the medicine prescribed by Ruijin Hospital has been used continuously since the 1970s and is considered a "trump card" for treating burns. Currently, drug treatment is not implemented because the wound healing is proceeding ideally. "The drugs contain silver ions which oxidize when exposed to air, easily causing pigmentation, which is not conducive to future recovery." He told the parents, especially to maintain the dryness and cleanliness of the wound. In a few days, the wound might become itchy locally. If scratched and infected, the injury could worsen. Therefore, cooperation between the parents and the child is needed, and if all goes well, the wound should heal in two weeks.
The parents were most concerned about whether scars would remain on their children's faces. Yuan Kejian stated that it was still too early to draw conclusions. "This is related to individual constitution. Some people may scar even from minor skin abrasions, while others may show no trace even from knife wounds." He indicated that after the wound heals, anti-scarring and anti-pigmentation treatments can be conducted.
The parents also wanted to know whether second-degree burns are classified as minor injuries or light injuries? Yuan Kejian explained that hospitals categorize burns into first, second, and third degrees, while minor injuries and light injuries are opinions from forensic evaluations. As a hospital, they can only provide diagnostic opinions on the injuries.